It's been a while in the making, but I finally finished the move to Ghost [https://ghost.org] this past week. Earlier this year, I started to have a couple of issues with Kirby. And since I was a couple of versions behind, the thought of paying for another license and updating was feeling like a chore. When we added Ghost to People-First Jobs, I started to consider the idea of using a hosted service again. While using Digital Ocean was a good learning experience, I don't have a lot of time or i…
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Lest I mislead you with this title, I’m focused mostly on personal sites here. I don’t care much for the trends of bigger publications; those with their overlaid ads or “enjoy 1 of 5 free articles” banners. But the trend I’m referring to for smaller, more personal and less corporate sites is a move away from the structure of the traditional blog towards a larger focus. In talking about relevancy vs. recency [http://shawnblanc.net/2015/11/relevancy-vs-recency/], my pal Shawn Blanc discussed his…
Joshua Platt shares his own thoughts on owning [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/blogging] your own content. He agrees with my sentiments, but adds that this type of thing can also lead to more tinkering than actual writing. That's an excellent point. I've tended to stick to a cycle of a refresh of my site every 2 years. I deviate occasionally, but the desire to tinker with the design occurs far more frequently than that. But I force myself to leave things as they are when that happens. I admi…
Jason Tselentis makes the case for designing “type first”, then outlines a process for doing just that. His premise is good: > Today, mobile first has become second nature, but in order to ensure the design works well on small to medium to large screens, you have to think “type first.” My own habits have changed slightly over the years, but as I don't tend to design large scale sites or applications, a robust process has not been necessary. But if I were to create one, I can't see myself using…
Many web animations are overdone and wreck the experience for the user. But is there a place for tasteful enhancement of good content? Maybe there is …
For people who work on the web, we are blessed with a flexibility that has rarely been available to men and women throughout the ages. We can work from anywhere. Live anywhere. And work with and talk to people from anywhere. This flexibility also allows us to meet in person those people that inspire us in our work. For me, my situation is slightly less flexible than many. I have a good sized family and live far from the larger cities where most events take place. And so my first web focused con…
Like many other geeks, I'm constantly evaluating my tool set. With Google Reader’s imminent shutdown, I've been considering the alternatives for RSS, as well as the options for getting news in other ways. And in the category of bookmarking and read-it-later services, I've moved back and forth between different services over the years. The news of Instapaper’s sale [http://www.marco.org/2013/04/25/instapaper-next-generation] got me considering the options once again. I've tried the big ones. I…
For anyone who has used PayPal to collect payments online, I have felt your pain. When it comes to trusting services to help you run your business, most web focused entrepreneurs have little desire to let PayPal keep their finances in order. PayPal does have its advantages. It's accessible in most countries, does not require a credit card, and is straightforward to use for the consumer. However, as the one making a sale, its detractions far outweigh the benefits. The fees are significant enough…