Yes, this, as it is, is still the basic MovableType style, however, I am in the process of designing and implementing a new layout for this site. Well, I shouldn't say new, because it will be the primary and initial layout. I plan to implement technologies such as CSS and XHTML. I may, eventually, implement PHP back into my site designs as I have had with others. It all depends though. I may not opt to go for PHP as I would have to consider exactly what I plan to be using it for. Of course, I could always go with Perl as I need something new to learn. In the meantime, I won't have much content on this site until I complete my design. Until next time, have a nice day.
Web design has a unique appeal to me. At least, when I'm motivated to work on it. The way I do things is rather different from what most others would probably do. This is a live, production site. I'm developing my pages for all to see. So, if you check back regularly, you may even find me making mistakes. I strive to keep my designs standard compliant, in this case, XHTML 1.1. If you were to run it to through the validator at the very minute I posted this, it would fail due to my affiliate link. However, by the time most of you read this, it will no longer be an issue. What I'm trying to get at now is how I'm slowly and steadily making progress. The main index for this site, where you're likely reading this entry, is almost complete. Now I need to adapt some other things from older designs, and then move onto archives and entry pages. Well, I still need to get back to work.
Maybe I'll do a daily status update until I finish completing the new web design. I'll have everyone know that I am trying to make this as cross-browser compatible as possible. Ultimately, I will end up catering to consistency. I know the side renders well enough in Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. As of this posting, I haven't tested Opera as yet. I'm practically done with the front page, I now need to update a number of the various other templates. Namely, individual entry templates, date-based archives, category-based archives, and comment previews. After that, it will be completely based on a "as I see them" routine. Though I should strive for completion, for the time being, I could settle for 90%.
Ultimately, I will be apt to cater to Firefox and Internet Explorer. By far, this design displays best in Firefox, though Internet Explorer does an acceptable job of rendering it.
After the overall site design, I need to focus on getting forum software installed. I'm likely to aim towards phpBB, though I'd like to wait until 3.0 is released. Of course, I'll do my best to integrate the color scheme into it.
Time for another daily status update, 12 hours early!
Click the permalink titles, you'll see the fruits of my labor. What's best, it's still standards compliant. Individual entry archives are now completed. The remainder of my work involves: Date-based archives, category-based archives, and comment preview templates. Those are my primary goals, then I've gotta look at what's what. Look for tomorrow's daily update post.
One of the many things I planned for this site are various articles that I'd write on a wide variety of topics. Among the first will be a series of articles on Windows Vista from the eyes of a tech savvy consumer. My intent for these articles are to explain Windows Vista to the people that may be on the fence, or dead-set against it. I do not pretend to know everything, or be an expert on all things. Nor do I pretend to be an avid Microsoft fan; in fact, I'm rather against Microsoft when I can be. I only intend to express my views on various topics relating to Windows Vista as an early adopter. In this first post, I intend to focus on my general experience, and touch on topics that I will devote whole, specific articles to.
I have two major templates to ultimately finish converting, which should be fairly simple as I just need to copy and paste a few things here and there. As you can see, I've written my first article for the site, and I know it may seem a little long winded. I'll make things a little interesting, next week's article, due Wednesday, right at midnight, is about the element that turns most people off to Windows Vista: UAC. Believe me, if you think the pilot was long winded, read my one on UAC when it comes out.
In other news, I would like to mention a few things specific about me, and about what kind of content is going onto this site. Firstly, the about me topic is strictly for providing a basis, and a justification behind my "Notes from a Vista User" series. When you read these articles, take them from the point of view that I am a Windows user who uses Windows because there are things that I do that that I can only do in Windows. I am the person that, if I could switch over to Linux tomorrow, and still do everything I have been doing, the way I've been doing it, and I can drop Windows entirely, I would. This should add a little weight to my analysis on Windows Vista. Secondly, the articles and content that will appear on this site will probably be random. When I do a series, I plan to have them release weekly, but when I'm not in the middle of a series, you may find articles about anime, computers, Linux, Windows, games, or even the regular software I use. You may find posts that are just off-the-wall, or posts that are just my brain droppings. The point I'm trying to make, while I intend to keep the site oriented towards the technical (Computing and Gaming) and a bit towards the media (My interest in Japanese media primarily, anime and manga), there may be moments when something interests me so much that I just decide, on a whim, to write about it.
With that, I bid you all a good night (as it's quite late at the time I write this) while I sleep.
Part of my update listing for the site. I spent the better part of an hour completing a number of template conversions. Well, three.
A full listing of template conversions is as follows:
Main Index
Individual Entry Archives
Category-based Archives
Date-based Archives
Master Archive Index
There are a few more odds and ends to wrap up, then I start focusing on getting other things set up. Namely static pages, forums, and whatever else I can dream up.
User security, particularly in the home market now, is becoming one of the more important aspects of computer security. One of the best ways to prevent malware from doing any significant damage to a user's system is to run as a user with limited rights. These limited rights, as the name suggests, limit what the user is capable of doing. One of the disadvantages, however, is the need to occasionally run as an administrative user to perform certain tasks, such as configuration changes or software installation. Linux has a program called sudo, Windows XP has the "Run as Administrator" option, however, the most controversial of them all is Windows Vista's User Account Control (UAC), a technology aimed at allowing users to run with limited rights will maintaining the ability to perform administrative tasks without having to log in as an administrator. As we will learn in this first real chapter of "Notes from a Vista User," UAC, for its potential merit, has some major failings.
Continue reading "Notes From a Vista User - Chapter 1 - UAC" »
"Issues in Gaming" is a new series of articles that I wanted to write. Unlike "Notes from a Vista User," "Issues in Gaming" is going to be a longer running series of articles. My topics will change from week to week, but will ultimately be focused on contemporary issues in the gaming community. There are a number of issues, political and ethical, that exist in the community. There are also practical and philosophical issues that Jaxel, over at the Elitist Gamer’s Journal, writes about. For me, however, this week, I intend to focus on one of the issues that the media is having a field day with: Take-Two’s Manhunt 2. I do not intend to focus strictly on Manhunt 2 however; I will also focus on Take-Two’s other titles, relate them to this current issue, and show how their present situation could herald dangerous times for the company. I also plan to relate Take-Two’s circumstances to the situation that has been growing in the gaming community as of late.
