There are certainly benefits to both social networking and networking in person. Is one really better than the other? Well, I guess my answer is that in order to really develop quality relationships, face-to-face is the best way. Is that always possible in today’s technological age of communicating online all over the world? Not always.
Social networking makes it very convenient for the non-socialites to stay cocooned in their own little world. Sure, they talk to people on the phone, over Skype, they Twitter and blog, but I would argue that the bulk of that interaction with the outside world only creates a “surface relationship.” Whereas an interpersonal relationship requires getting to know the other person more deeply.
The other day I was conducting a review of a new web site and came across my favourite usability failure.
Drop Down menus suck!!
Not the whole menu of course just the bad habit of site builders who add functionality to the top level link.
For the last few months I've been working hard with a team of amazing developers, designers and user interface gurus on a top secret project, protected by stacks of Non Disclosure Agreements, contracts and other legal protections.
I'm excited that at last I can reveal that Apple's new pad/tablet/slate (sorry still can't reveal the name for another 24 hours) ships by default with an application management and help system written using the Joomla framework.
With every web browser on the planet rendering differently it's a constant battle ensuring that your beautifully and painstakingly designed web site looks just as gorgeous on all browsers.
Personally I build a site entirely using Firefox and only at the end of the build process do I look at it in other browsers, curse and swear and then start to fix issues.
But what is the best way to check your site on multiple browsers?
If there is one thing I am fairly confident of this year is that touch will become an even hotter topic.
The recent CES saw a plethora of new touch enabled computers, Apple is still promising to release the iSlate (maybe even this week) and more people are browsing the web every day on their mobile phone.
So have you checked to see if your web site is touchable?
Yesterday I was answering a user question on the joomla forums.
It doesn't matter what it was about but the upshot was that the problem was a known issue in the latest release and that a patch had been written and approved and was ready and waiting to be included in the next release.
But it was 24 hours and a lot of testing before I realised that it was a known issue.
It's not practical for regular users to search the bug tracker for "known issues" and fixes as the tracker is less than friendly.
As the year ends rather than look backwards at what has happened in the past it's time to look forward to what will happen in the coming year.
I made such a hash of last years predictions that I hope this year I will do a lot better by stating the obvious instead of stating what I dreamed of whilst recovering from days of indulging myself on beer, food and cookies.
Here are my Top 10 Predictions for 2010 (in no particular order).
As we approach not only the end of the year but the end of a decade I spent a little time looking back at some articles I wrote back in 2007. Finding this one I was perhaps not surprised but definitely disappointed that it's as true today as it was then.
The article was not looked at with a critical eye or an open mind in 2007, perhaps it is different today as the same discussions are still taking place?
I've been trying to think of a light hearted and topical blog post for this time of year when I remembered a tweet requesting a Joomla Xmas Carol.
Below you will find "my" version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" and I've taken a few liberties with the numbers.
I'm sure you can do better either by offering an alternative line for this Carol or with your own Joomla Carol.
