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The SitePoint Community Crier #163 Copyright (c) 2009 October 14, 2009 PLEASE FORWARD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Official Newsletter of the SitePoint Community Forums by Chris White Read the HTML version of this newsletter, with graphics, at: http://www.sitepoint.com/newsletter/viewissue.php?id=4&issue=163 Note: This newsletter is supported solely by advertisers like the one below. We stand 100% behind every ad that we run. If you ever have a problem with a company that advertises here please contact us and we will try to get it resolved. EDITOR'S ROUNDUP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This month SitePoint has conjured up a full bag of Halloween treats. Win a prize, dress up your SitePoint signature, and learn how to tame the everyday monsters that disrupt your life and your business. We're putting October into perspective with a bit of Halloween photo fun, as well as some fun forum photos, stories, and a full-featured cartoon! Take a challenge, lend a hand, and keep your October in high spirits. Let's fly! SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 Minutes, 4 Prizes, 1 Survey Go in the draw and you could win ONE of the following prizes: - A new iPhone GS3 - A Nintendo Wii - An Intuos4 Wacom tablet Or perhaps you'd like to give $1,000 to charity instead? All you have to do is answer our 5-minute SitePoint reader survey. Click here to check out the details: http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/c8e060 Or do the survey now: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=SS_2bfqgWWvx7W9n3pLXKmtg_3d_3d IN THIS ISSUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Editor's Roundup - Around the Town - Pathfinders - Simply Brilliant - Shout-out - Support Our Sponsors - SitePoint Social - Take the Challenge - Lend a Hand - Hello There - Hot Topics - Fun Topics - Website Reviews - New Blogs AROUND THE TOWN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - EVENTS Melbourne SitePointers Meetup! If you're in Melbourne, and you'd like to meet SitePoint forum pals, readers, Twitter friends, and Facebook fans, there's a treat in store for you. Come along to the Melbourne SitePointers meetup next Tuesday, 20th October! You'll find all the details in News and Announcements. [1] Big Treat -- No Tricks! Tell us what improvements and changes you'd like to see at SitePoint and we'll give you the chance to win one of four fang-tastic treats: a Wacom Intuos4 tablet for the designer, a new Nintendo Wii for the gamer, or the iPhone 3GS to keep you well connected all of the time. That's three. Did I say four? If you're the SitePointer who has everything, we'll treat your favorite charity to a gift of US$1,000.00. The survey deadline is October 19. For all the details, read Rachel Wilson's post on the SitePoint HQ Reader Survey [2]. In the Pink In News and Announcements [3], Molona reminds us that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of our members have taken advantage of SitePoint's new Pink for October emoticon. If you've yet to already, you can show your support by easily adding the pink ribbon to your signature. Those handy with Photoshop can add the ribbon to their avatar by downloading it from SitePoint's emoticon page [4]. BLOGS When too many deadlines fail to let you R.I.P., take some tips from Alyssa Gregory. In Stop Over-scheduling! How to Take Back Your Time [5], Alyssa proposes a remedy for those of us who are over-stressed because of over-booking. In Zoom Zoom Zoom: The Better Way to Multi-task [6], Alyssa suggests how learning to zoom puts you in better control of your time. Whether you've over-extended your schedule or just fail to see eye to eye with a client, Alyssa shows you how to make the cut on a client-provider relationship quick, clean, and painless in How to Cut Ties Without Burning Bridges [7]. Jennifer Farley helps us to decorate for Halloween as she explores 22 Halloween PhotoShop Brushes, Vectors, and Fonts [8]. Jennifer also begins a new design series this month. Starting with an overview of The Primary Design Elements [9], in the coming weeks Jennifer will cover line, type, shape, and texture. Alex Walker tames another CSS table monster in his blog post, Interesting CSS Quirks: Border Spacing [10]. A monstrous dilemma that web developers often face is designing web sites that are accessible in different browser versions. In recent blog posts, Craig Buckler discussed Progressive Enhancement [11]. In a new series, Craig introduces us to Progressive Enhancement techniques in HTM [12]L, CSS [13], and JavaScript [14]. [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641990> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640391> [3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639677> [4] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/misc.php?do=getsmilies&editorid=vB_Editor_001> [5] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/08/how-to-take-control-of-your-time/> [6] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/06/zooming-better-than-multitasking/> [7] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/07/how-to-fire-a-client-2/> [8] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/05/22-halloween-photoshop-brushes-vectors-fonts/> [9] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/08/the-primary-design-elements-a-new-series/> [10] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/01/interesting-css-quirks-border-spacing/> [11] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/22/progressive-enhancement-graceful-degradation-basics/> [12] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/06/progressive-enhancement-1-html/> [13] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/07/progressive-enhancement-2-css/> [14] <http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/08/progressive-enhancement-3-javascript/> PATHFINDERS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Although only visible to other logged-in members, your SitePoint signature is an excellent referral tool. Each SitePoint member is allowed four lines of text, with up to 65 characters in each line. This means that you can link to your blog(s) and social media profiles, as well as to one or more web sites. Signatures are banned from forum posts. To create a signature, click Edit Signature either in SitePoint's Quick Links [1] or in your Control Panel sidebar under Settings and Options. To keep our posts focused on forum discussions, there are also a few rules about formatting your signature. For instance, your signature must be left-aligned, and font-size 3 or smaller. And, although it's against the rules to upload a logo or image to your signature, you can add an emoticon and use BBCode to display your signature in your favorite color(s). The complete guidelines for SitePoint signatures are in the Member Signatures link [2] in our FAQs. [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/?nojs=1#usercptools> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/faq.php?faq=guidelines#faq_signatures> SIMPLY BRILLIANT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Our new Member of the Month (MOTM) is Kailash Badu. Kailash is an experienced web developer with over four years experience in PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and Object Oriented Programming. When away from his computer, he enjoys traveling, reading, and watching war movies. Keep an eye peeled to News and Announcements [1] and stop by his interview thread to congratulate Kailash on his award. Staff member, Raena has a new job: SitePoint's first Community Manager. As well as heading SitePoint Forums staff, Raena keeps our Facebook [2] and Twitter [3] accounts up to date. Filling the shoes of departing Team Leader AutisticCuckoo was a daunting task, but DaveMaxwell has stepped forward and taken the reins of one of SitePoint's largest and busiest forum sections, the Design Team. Dave has been a member of SitePoint since 1999. Whatever his shoe size, we know he'll measure up to the challenge. If you've heard the rush of wings at SitePoint this month, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's Dracula. It's the HAWK. She's back in full feather and sporting a dark blue staff badge as SitePoint's new customer service rep. SpikeZ is spreading his wings, too. Most of us know that some kind of impish creatures live inside our computers; well, SpikeZ has captured them on video. Two years in the making, his cartoon, Kunzel and Poot ... Ever Wondered Who Lives Inside Your Computer is simply brilliant! See it now on YouTube [4] or take a look at their very own web site [5]. But beware! They're watching YOU! [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=38> [2] <http://www.facebook.com/sitepoint> [3] <http://twitter.com/sitepointdotcom> [4] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLE0YKq2Nng> [5] <http://www.kunzelandpoot.com/> SHOUT-OUT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SHOUT-OUT FOR IMPROVEMENT Last month we asked for your ideas on self-improvement [1]: - Nick admitted that it's time to set goals that are more realistic and replace his ideas for instant success with "slow and steady wins the race." - Jimmy85 is working on better time management and smarter prioritizing of tasks. - AlexDawson wants to improve his web site. - Arkinstall had a long list of self-improvement projects that included playing the guitar and piano, writing C++, and reducing his Rubik's cube solving time. - Kohoutek is just trying to develop a consistent sleep pattern. - Raffles is also working on "early to bed and early to rise" which could make him "healthy, wealthy, and wise." He also posted a great T-shirt with an imprint that could easily become my motto: Procrastinators -- Leaders of Tomorrow! WHAT GIVES YOU THE SHIVERS? This month we invite you to send us a chill for Halloween. Tell us, What gives you the shivers [2]? [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=636318> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641904> SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Don't forget to check out our current sponsors: HostGator Eats Up the Competition with Their Newly Priced Plans! [1] Whether you're a web designer or a small site owner, HostGator offers a web hosting plan to fit your needs. With their Hatchling Plan starting at $4.95, ranging to their Reseller Plans and Dedicated Servers, you'll definitely have room to grow. START TODAY for just $4.95/month! [2] You Have 2 Choices - Spend Your Time Learning or Spend Your Time EARNING: [3] With a free membership to Offer Vault you'll have over 13,000 affiliate offers at your fingertips so you don't need to waste any more time on research. Find the highest payouts on the top selling products in seconds. And with Offer Vault's free keyword tool, free marketing training webinars, and point and click access to the top paying, highest converting offers online, you can't help but make money. Join Offer Vault Free For A Limited Time! [4] 9 Proven Techniques to Double Your Sales [5] The Edge of Success: 9 Building Blocks to Double Your Sales. Discover how to easily capture more leads, get repeat sales, and significantly grow your business. Download this FREE ebook now! [6] Build Better Apps in a Snap [7] With Adobe® Flex® Builder™ 3 software, you can quickly create engaging applications, and consistently deliver highly interactive experiences to your clients. Flex Builder 3 is an Eclipse® based development tool, enabling intelligent code hinting, interactive step-through debugging, and visual design of user interface layout, appearance, and behavior. So providing a compelling user experience is simple, fast, and easy—every single time. Download Flex Builder 3 to expand your capabilities for creating rich Internet applications (RIAs). [8] [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/65ad70> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/65ad70> [3] <http://www.offervault.com/member/?r=32&i=11> [4] <http://www.offervault.com/member/?r=32&i=11> [5] <http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/51506a> [6] <http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/51506a> [7] <http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/5f4dab> [8] <http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/5f4dab> SITEPOINT SOCIAL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Connect with like-minded members in SitePoint Social Groups. Our newest groups are: - Rorschachdesign started a group for Canadian SitePointers [1] to discuss everything from design and development to jobs and programming. - Tomovuk invites Yugoslavian SitePointers [2] to group together. - Faisallatif wants to connect with other Facebook Applications [3] developers. - Commercial and residential Real Estate web developers can share ideas in Realtypartner's Real Estate [4] group. [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/group.php?groupid=106> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/group.php?groupid=104> [3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/group.php?groupid=105> [4] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/group.php?groupid=103> TAKE THE CHALLENGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PHOTO CHALLENGE What's your October outlook? Show off your photographic skills in our monthly Photo Challenge. Armchaircritic really kicked off this month's challenge with a fantastic shot of ... well, stop by and take a look at all the amazing shots of October Perspectives [1]. CONTENT CHALLENGE Somebody Has to Say It Last month we started a new challenge thread at SitePoint for content writers. Thanks to Kikykuang, Molona, Rhysboy84, Bluedreamer, RachWilson, Jantheman, Mattymcg, Kohoute, AlexDawson, DaveMaxwell, Cpace1983, Annran, and Thachi, we ended up with an amusing tale that has little to do with the title. But ... it's our story and we're sticking to it! Here's how it started: Upstairs is the last word as my first word Mody? "It is a beautiful rainbow" James looked surprised. "A beautiful rainbow? Where? You can barely see it." "Get your eyes checked!" Dorothy snapped back, "It's clearly there in the sky. Oh, I do wonder if there's a pot of gold at the end of it!" And then, before their gazing eyes, the rainbow shimmered into life as the distant clouds darkened ... Visit the September Content Challenge [2] to read the rest of the story and while you're in the neighborhood, stop in at the October Content Challenge and collaborate with us on a new story, "Just When I Thought It Was Safe!" [3] [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640261> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=636216> [3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641905> LEND A HAND - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Whether you're planning to improve your web site or just willing to help other forum members improve theirs, SitePoint's Reviews and Critiques Forum is the place to visit. Please stop by and lend a hand in these threads: WEB SITE REVIEWS - Black Bobcat.com [1] - The Cast Protector [2] - Goats with the Wind [3] CONTENT REVIEWS - Would you be interested in our services? [4] [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639794> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639776> [3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640206> [4] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4400674#post4400674> HELLO THERE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Be sure to stop by Introductions to welcome our newest members to the SitePoint community. We've selected a few recent introductions to help you become acquainted. - DCKirba [1] is a copywriter/photographer who's very interested in learning some good web design skills. - Tprinty [2] has started a consulting firm and is looking to network with other coders. - Marty Chambers [3] is a "16-year-old newbie" who hopes SitePoint will help him travel down the long road of learning. - Feders [4] [5]is a programmer who is new to PHP and says he probably has more questions than answers. - Gameswala [6] from India is a web developer with 29 years experience. [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639467> [2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640496> [3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640679> [4] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640732> [5] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640732> [6] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640651> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - That's it for this month. Thanks for reading and until next month, I'll see you at SitePoint Forums! Linda Jenkinson crier@sitepoint.com [1] Editor, SitePoint Community Crier [1] <mailto:crier@sitepoint.com> HOT TOPICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - most important SEO tip? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=641546> Halloween SHOUT OUT! What gives you the shivers? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=641904> The best blog to add better SEO to my website? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=641470> Apple threatens Woolworths over new logo <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=640456> Is Bookmarking Own Posts Good? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=640360> FUN TOPICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Big Thread of Meaningless Milestones <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=447235> Online Dating Popularity <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=641489> What's in a Signature? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=641371> What's the weirdest thing you've eaten? (Also: Matt eats a grasshopper) <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=639783> Do you drink tea or coffee? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=546741> WEBSITE REVIEWS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Please review http://www.hotdeals2009.com/ <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=637102> Review My blog <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=638178> James-Ridge.com <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=636890> Looking for feedback: cercajewelry.com <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=632670> Gaming site looking to improve <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=632399> NEW BLOGS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Design Blog: GRAPHICS, LAYOUT AND USABILITY TIPS FOR WEB DESIGNERS Elements Of Design: The Line http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/14/elements-of-design-the-line/ Web Design Blog: PIXEL PERFECT Make A Big, Beautiful Call-To-Action Button In Photoshop (6 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/13/make-a-big-beautiful-call-to-action-button-in-photoshop/ 5 Tips For Creating An Effective Call To Action Button (5 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/12/5-tips-for-creating-an-effective-call-to-action-button/ Photoshop Mobile Released (6 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/11/photoshop-mobile-released/ Finger Painting With Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile (2 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/10/finger-painting-with-autodesk-sketchbook-mobile/ Web Tech Blog: TECHNICALLY SPEAKING 16 Fabulous Web Browser Options (11 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/12/web-browser-options/ Win Signed SitePoint Books at Web Directions South http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/09/win-signed-sitepoint-books-at-web-directions-south/ 12 APIs For Creating The Next Big Mashup (5 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/05/apis-for-creating-next-big-mashup/ Take the SitePoint Reader Survey and Win One of Four Cool Prizes! (5 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/05/reader-survey-2009/ Web Pro Business Blog: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS Is Text Messaging Marketing the New Advertising Fad? (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/13/text-messaging-marketing/ 14 Quick and Effective Communication Tips for the Time-Challenged (2 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/12/quick-communication-tips/ 5 Crucial Email Marketing Tips (6 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/10/email-marketing-tips/ Stop Over-Scheduling! How to Take Back Your Time (9 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/08/how-to-take-control-of-your-time/ How to Cut Ties without Burning Bridges (3 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/07/how-to-fire-a-client-2/ News & Trends Blog: INDUSTRY NEWS FOR WEB PROFESSIONALS Mozilla Join Microsoft in Slamming Google Chrome Frame (23 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/13/mozilla-microsoft-slam-google-chrome-frame/ Jinni - The Future of Search Is Personal (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/13/jinni/ Webmail Security Breaches Continue (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/12/webmail-security-breaches/ UK MoD "How to Stop Leaks" Document is Leaked! (5 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/11/uk-mod-leaks-document-leaked/ JavaScript & CSS Blog: STYLISH SCRIPTING CSS Frameworks and Semantic Class Names (11 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/06/css-frameworks-semantic-class-names/ Interesting CSS Quirks: Border-spacing (10 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/01/interesting-css-quirks-border-spacing/ Podcast Blog: THE SITEPOINT PODCAST SitePoint Podcast #30: Google Infects IE (7 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/05/podcast-30-google-infects-ie/ SitePoint Podcast #29: Interview with Roy Rubin (7 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/26/podcast-29-roy-rubin-magento/ Search Engine Marketing Blog: KEY WORDS - SEARCH ENGINE THEORY Bad Nested Code Could Hurt Your SE Rankings (12 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/01/coding-se-rankings/ PHP Blog: DYNAMICALLY TYPED Build a Lifestream with SimplePie (7 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/29/build-a-lifestream-with-simplepie/ ADVERTISING INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Find out what thousands of savvy Internet marketers already know: email newsletter advertising works! (You're reading an email ad now, aren't you?) Find out how to get YOUR sponsorship ad in this newsletter and reach thousands of opt-in subscribers! Check out http://www.sitepoint.com/mediakit/ for details, or email us at mailto:adinfo@sitepoint.com HELP YOUR FRIENDS OUT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - People you care about can take charge of their Website by effectively using the information and resources available on the Internet. Help them learn how - forward them a copy of this week's SitePoint Community Crier. ADDRESSES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Send suggestions and comments to: mailto:crier@sitepoint.com To subscribe, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@sitepoint.com The Archives are located at: http://www.sitepoint.com/newsletter/archives.php The SitePoint Community Crier is (c) 1998-2009 SitePoint Pty. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. All guest articles are copyright their respective owners and are reproduced with permission. SitePoint Pty. Ltd. 48 Cambridge Street Collingwood, VIC 3066 AUSTRALIA You are currently subscribed to The SitePoint Community Crier as: [email] To change the email address that you currently subscribe with: http://sitepoint.com/newsletter/manage.php To switch to the HTML version of this newsletter: <http://sitepoint.com/newsletter/htmlplease.php?email=[email]> To leave this list, please visit: [unsubscribe] Do Not Reply to this email to unsubscribe. We send this newsletter using Campaign Monitor. http://www.campaignmonitor.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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