Expression Web Video 5 - Creating Hyperlinks and Bookmarks

In this next session of my Expression Web Video series we will learn how to make hyperlinks and bookmarks to specific sections of a page.

Web Resource - OldApps.com

At one time or another, you have probably needed an old version of a program, or, you wished you hadn't upgraded to the latest and greatest of your favorite software.

While it is typically very easy to uninstall software. It can be really tough to find old copies of some programs that you need to reinstall. A web site called OldApps.com may be the answer to your problem. With just a quick scan of the site I quickly found old versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and Windows Media Player. The software on this site tends to be free or shareware programs and not expensive programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop.

Most software companies don't want you to use old versions of their software because they may contain bugs or security flaws that they would rather you not have on your computer. This is not a point to be taken lightly. Usually there are very good reasons to upgrade to the latest versions of the software that you use. By using older versions of software you might expose your computer and personal information to bugs, viruses or other malware that could result in your computer running slowly, your personal privacy being invaded or even identity theft.

However, aside from these obvious drawbacks, sometimes you simply need an old version of an application.

Currently there are almost 3000 old versions of nearly 200 different software programs, and they are broken down into categories for easy browsing. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Expression Web Video Series - Video 4 - Using Style Sheets

In this session of my Expression Web Video Series we will look at how easy it is to work with Cascading Style Sheets in Expression Web.

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Dropbox

If you routinely email files to yourself, share files remotely with others or copy files to a thumb drive to work on elsewhere then listen up. 

Dropbox is a new online service that allows you to store, share and backup files in an easy and intuitive way. After you download and install the software, Dropbox walks you through creating an account that is linked to your email address. 

Once your account is setup (it takes just a few minutes), Dropbox creates a folder on your MAC or PC that allows you to drag and drop files that you can then access from anywhere. 

So if you need to have access to work files at home, simply drag the file(s) to your Dropbox folder on your work computer, and when you get home you can open that same file. And, here's the best part, if you make changes to that file while at home, Dropbox syncronizes that file so that when you get back to your office the next day, that file has all your latest changes. 

If you delete a file, Dropbox will give you the opportunity to restore it. Dropbox also has a photo gallery folder that allows you to share your photos with anyone of your choosing. In fact, sharing files with Dropbox is simple. All you need to do is enter the email address of the person with whom you wish to share your files or photos, and Dropbox will send them invitation to view those files online.

Dropbox offers a free account for up to 2 GB of storage, for $99 per year you can get 50 GB, or for $199 per year you can get 100 GB of space. Give it a try and let me know how you like it?

Expression Web Video Series - Video 3 - Adding Text and Images to Your Pages

In this session of my Expression Web Video Series I will show you how to add text and images to your pages.

Badda BING...

No...not that Badda Bing! BING.com is the name of Microsoft's new search engine and apparently it has Google taking notice. BING is touting itself as a "decision engine" rather than just a search engine. It has features that help you make decisions in areas like travel, shopping, health, local traffic and more. 

For instance, if you want to know the status of a flight you have coming up, BING will allow you to search that flight number and will display the information right on the search results page. If you want to know the lowest price of an item you are interested in buying, BING will show in its search results, the lowest price it found for that item, where you can buy it and some reviews about it. It also has a traffic link on it's maps page that will show you if there are reported traffic problems along selected routes in your area.

While it's not revolutionary, I think BINGs approach to searching for, and finding information, is unique. It goes a step further in helping you find what you are looking for or making a decision about something, by offering a deeper level of information rather than simply pointing you to the correct web site(s).

Will BING end up being serious competition for Google (which now claims better than 60% of all Internet search)? I think time will tell on that question, but I do like the unique approach. And, one thing that BING allows you to do much easier than other search  engines, is search within a set of results. For example if I search for "cheap flights to europe", and I want to then search within that set of results for something more specific, all I need to do is clicked the 'Advanced' link and enter words to add to my search. To me that is a great feature that must just get me to switch? Give BING.com a try and let me know what you think?

Expression Web Video Series - Video 2 - Creating New Page

In our next Expression Web Video we will see how to create new web pages based on an existing template. This video assumes that either your web designer has created a template for you to use and that it is stored on your web server, or that you want to create a new page based on an existing page.

Expression Web Video Series - Video 1 - Logging In

For those of you who are using Microsoft's Expression Web software to edit your sites, I have created a series of "How To" videos. These videos will cover the basics from logging in to your site, creating new pages, adding text, photos and hyperlinks, and using stylesheets. In this first video we see how to use Expression Web to log in to an existing site.

iPhone or Blackberry

I have been a die-hard Blackberry user for 3 years. Most of you that know me, know that I don't go too many places without my Blackberry. Recently I bought an iPod Touch which has pretty much the same functionality as the iPhone, except no phone. I am loving all the different apps you can download, and of course the music/videos too. 

Recently I began using some apps that only work if I have a Wi-Fi connection. There have been several occasions now where I wished I had access to those apps even though I was not in Wi-Fi range. So naturally I am thinking about switching to the new iPhone 3GS that Apple just came out with.

The dilemma is that the Blackberry is much better for emailing. I can type much faster on the Blackberry than the iPod touch screen. But the user interface and experience with the iPod/iPhone is so much more compelling. When factor in all the ways you can extend the use of the iPhone with the apps available, and that it will actually consolidate two devices, it makes it a strong alternative to the tried and true Blackberry.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has used the Blackberry and made the switch. 

E-Newsletters vs. Online Newsletters

A question I get frequently...."Is there a difference between an online newsletter and an E-Newsletter?". The answer is...probably....it all depends on how you are delivering it. If you are creating a newsletter page on your web site and expect that your visitors will use a typical web browser to view it, then your "online newsletter" is no different than any other web page. If you want to deliver your newsletter in an email and you want to use graphics, links and photos, then you will need to create an HTML-based email newsletter (E-news).

Most of you have probably seen in the email newsletters that you subscribe to, a line/link that says "Having trouble viewing this email?". If you click that link it opens a web browser (like Internet Explorer or Firefox) and brings you to an online version of that email.  The reason that just about every online marketer offers this line is because the delivery and proper display of HTML-based emails is sketchy at best. Each email program has a different level of support for HTML and CSS. Its like that old days during the browser wars where Internet Explorer and Netscape displayed at the same web page very differently.

The next question on this topic is typically...."Well can't I just take my online newsletter and copy/paste it into an email?" The answer is a resounding NO! Most email programs like Outlook, Outlook Express, Groupwise, Thunderbird and Eudora have very poor, or no support for, CSS. So if your web designer used CSS to create your online newsletter, chances are it will NOT display well when viewed in an email program. 

What about webmail programs like GMAIL, AOL, Yahoo and Hotmail? 

While technically these email providers are displaying emails in a web browser there are still some problems with getting them all to display your E-newsletter in a uniform way. 

So what's the answer?

Forget everything you have learned about styles, stylesheets and CSS when it comes to HTML-based emails. Instead we need to go back to the old days of using table-based layouts and deprecated HTML tags like and "font" and "center".

Here are some general guidelines for creating your HTML-based E-Newsletter:

1. Use tables for layout rather than CSS.

2. You can use CSS for presentational purposes, but use inline styles.

3. Avoid Javascript

4. Be sure to code all links and images with the full address including the http://.

5. Store images in a separate folder on your web server and be sure not to delete them. People tend to save emails for a long time.

6. It's better to use fewer, larger images than several smaller sliced ones. Some email programs will split sliced graphics.

7. Test! Be sure to test your email in as many different email programs and webmail programs as you can.

Once you get a layout that works well you should save it as a template for later use.

Getting the word out or marketing via email great, but if your email doesn't display well, you have wasted your time.