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Build a Website (for Beginners)

Matt — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:33:31 +0000

Not everyone has the time to learn HTML and CSS, the code that are used to structure and design websites. Many people just want to put one up with no fuss and be done with it. Fortunately, today there are many options to create and build a website without any technical knowledge at all, just a little bit of time and motivation is all that’s required.

There are 3 different options to choose from when you decide you want a website. The complete site building service, the web blog service, and the hire a web designer service. Many of the services in the first two categories I list below as options are free.

Site Builders:

Site Builders allow you to create a complete website, allowing you to focus on creating the content, choosing a look (theme) for your site, and arranging the different elements as you see fit. Many offer more advanced features if you so choose to use them, and some require payment to use certain features. Which one is the best? That’s up to you and what you’re looking for; so check out each one and see which fits your goal best.

Weblogs:

Weblogs, or more simply just blogs, are the popular diaries and journals of the internet where people post about just about anything. Blogs are handy in providing an outlet for anyone to get their word out there for friends, family, or strangers to read. It’s a great way to share travel stories, personal hobbies, thoughts about your favorite team, and much more. Blogs also let you share photographs, music, videos, and other rich multimedia on the web. Visit the Wikipedia entry on the subject to understand what a blog can encompass. Below you will find many services that offer blogs, many which are free and easy to use.

Hiring a Web Designer:

Hiring a web designer, while it can be expensive, can go a long way towards a strong internet presence. A good web designer creates a clean, usable website that is naturally optimized for search engines such as Google. They focus on standards-compliant coding, proper use of whitespace, make sure their site is accessible (for disabled people using assistive devices), and know how to use typography and bold to highlight content.

Unfortunately finding someone such as this is difficult in a sea of bad web designers who think if they just know a little HTML and CSS that that is good enough. Turning to your uncle’s friend’s former roommate for a website design just because it is convenient and cheap can be more harmful than good in the long run.

This is why, when it comes to your money, it is a good idea to shop around and find someone who is good at his craft and is good with working with people who aren’t so knowledgeable when it comes to websites. If you decide to go with this option, do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask for examples of past work. Most web designers love to proudly show off their portfolio. See if their style is good enough for you, and then go from there.

New Look, Construction Underway

Matt — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:58:52 +0000

You may notice the site now has a much cleaner, simpler look compared to the previous cluttered, busy design. I got tired of the previous design and intend on working on this new look. So if you see things changing around, don’t fret, I’m just sprucing it up according to my tastes and to also give you a better experience exploring this site.

FingerGaming.com – Gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch

Matt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:09:54 +0000

I’m announcing my new website I’ve just finished putting together and now unveiling to the public, FingerGaming.com. FingerGaming.com is all about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch, now that Apple’s new App Store is open to the public and cranking out games every single day. Mobile gaming a rapidly growing industry, and FingerGaming.com is going to be a part of that by covering everything games on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The reviews, the main features on the site, will feature videos I’ve recorded of me playing these games, screenshots, price, link to the developer of the game, and of course my thoughts on the game itself.

Already we’re seeing a slew of very fun, polished, widely talked about games. You have my personal favorites, MotionX Poker, a dice poker game with achievements, dozens of dice you can unlock and use, and gameplay mechanics that take advantage of the iPhone (multi-touch, accelerometer support, vibrate, etc.) There’s also Galcon, a fast-paced space strategy game that is incredibly addictive and easy to pick up and play. Labyrinth is an age-old game, with a modern approach. It’s the wooden box in a maze with holes that you have to tilt the iPhone/iPod Touch to avoid. It’s simple for everyone to pick up and enjoy, with over 500 levels to play through, with more that you can download over time.

All of these games can be had for $10 or less, some are even free, such as the excellent Aurora Feint. Portable gaming has never been this powerful, and intuitive, and now it’s here. Visit FingerGaming if you want to be part of this wonderful new world.

MattPlays v2 – HD Gameplay Videos

Matt — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:17:56 +0000

I’ve wrapped up a redesign of my gameplay video site, MattPlays. On MattPlays, you will find me playing games and showing them off in a high-quality, easy-to-use manner. Next month will be the first year anniversary of the site, as I had launched it on August 31st, 2007. As of this writing, there are exactly 77 games with high-quality gameplay videos on both the PC and Xbox 360. That’s 23 shy of one hundred! I’m pretty proud of the site, and how far it has come.

Last.fm Sports A New Design

Matt — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:14:24 +0000

Last.fm has updated their site with a brand new design and I like it! It’s much improved over the previous design, and has a slew of new features. You can find my profile at Last.fm which has been tracking my listening habits for over 3 years now. I’m currently listening to my personal radio and it plays nothing but songs it knows I like. Really, it’s the last FM radio station you’ll ever need.

My New Site – AudioSurfBoard.com

Matt — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:55:07 +0000

I’ve put together a new website, called AudioSurfBoard. It allows gamers playing AudioSurf to share their videos of them playing, all on one site, using any video service they like.

If you’re not familiar with AudioSurf, think of it like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but without the cheap, plasticky instruments, or the limited soundtrack, or even the expensive pricetag. AudioSurf’s track-like stages visually mimic the music the player chooses, while the player races across several lanes collecting colored blocks that appear in sync with the music.

Here’s a video of AudioSurf in action, click the image below to view it:

Bedouin Soundclash – When the Night Feels My Song

You can find a lot more videos over at AudioSurfBoard.

AOL TV Listings

Matt — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 15:38:29 +0000

Since Yahoo’s TV listing service has gone down the (boob?) tubes (see the irate members dissing Yahoo), I’ve been looking around for alternatives. The best I could come up with was Zap2It’s service, but the design leaves much to be desired. Ironically AOL’s service has won me over, since it is powered by Zap2It, and it looks better, plus has a few features (favorites and recommendations) that are handy.

However AOL really cluttered up the page badly, so I used the Firefox extension, Stylish, to clean the page up considerably, and now I have a much better tv listing service than what I had before Yahoo totally trashed their service. If you have Stylish installed, you can grab it at userstyles.org. Here’s the before and after screenshots.

Before:

After:

Version 6 Redesign

Matt — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 00:02:08 +0000

As you may have noticed, shortly after the previous redesign of this site, I got sick of it and decided to do it again. You’re now seeing the result of redesign version 6 (this is the 6th redesign of GoodBlimey.) I’m still tinkering with it, but hopefully you like the new, bright look. Related [...] Related posts:

Essential Bookmarks for Web Designers

Matt — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 18:00:27 +0000

Steve lets me know about his nifty site that bookmarks all these resources and links that teaches and enhances any web designer worth his salt. It’s a pretty comprehensive collection that should be bookmarked and visited often. Essential bookmarks for web-designers and webdevelopers. Related posts:What Web Standards Has Taught Me Reading on the Web – [...] Related posts:

For Those Using Ancient Software

Matt — Fri, 20 May 2005 17:32:16 +0000

There’s no reason why anyone should be using Internet Explorer these days, and the numerous articles from the mainstream press and security companies have been a testament to that.

Therefore, I’ve put up a message to anyone still using ancient software, namely those using Internet Explorer, and AOL, that they have a choice to easily upgrade their software. This message is only viewable if you’re using Internet Explorer. If you’re not seeing the message, congratulations, you’re not stuck in the Stone Age of the Internet.

By upgrading, you gain the benefit of increased security, features to make your daily internet usage more efficient and fun, and pages will load up faster.

We recommend these software that you can download for free:

Update: This has since been removed. Due to some people taking offense personally and becoming irate, I’ve taken the message down. I guess you can’t reason with the unreasonable.