Le letture dei CoCo v3

iomeneandrei: 3 Free Cross-Platform Multishooter Games That Resemble Worms 2

Jackson Chung — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

When I was still using a PC, Worms 2 was one of my favourite games. I was never an avid gamer nor did I have the world’s longest attention span. I’m not really the sort of person you’d expect to be glued by a mission-based game with a long and twisted storyline. I’m more of a “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” sort of gamer.

Driven by nostalgia, I went on a search to look for Worms-like games for Mac on the Internet. It sure took me a while but I did find three clones of the game I used to love. In my article “16 Free, Fun, Simple & Addictive Games to Take the Edge Off“, I touched on Wormux – but since then, there have been quite a few updates so I’ll tell you all about it again.

If you don’t know what Worms is, it’s a turn-based 2D shooting game. Each team comprises of several players and everyone takes turns to select their weapon of choice to eliminate the opposing team. For more information on the Worms lineup, visit the developer’s webpage.

So, here are the three Worms clones that I found and they’re all cross-platform!

Wormux

The latest version of Wormux was released in September 2009 and to be quite honest, I found it to be probably the most refined Worms clone available. Instead of earthworms, the characters in the game have been replaced by avatars of popular free apps like GIMP, Pidgin and a few other random cartoon characters.

The selection of weapons is slightly modified from the original and tweaked to be different but the general gameplay feels about the same.

The game is still turn-based, no changes there. Network gameplay through LAN is an option, and so is playing online via the Wormux server. However, the server isn’t accessible if you connect via a proxy or if you don’t have the port 3826 forwarded to your computer.

Hedgewars

I’m actually very surprised at how much this clone resembles Worms 2. The map design, weapons selection, voiceovers, as well as the overall feel of the game is uncannily similar to the original game, it’s hard to believe until you actually play it. The only real noticeable change is in the characters.

In Hedgewars, you play a pink hedgehog dressed up in all sorts of different costumes. It may look weird, but once you’re over it, you’ll be absorbed by the game itself. If I am allowed one complaint, it’ll be about playing online. They didn’t really put much effort (I think) into designing the GUI and as a result, searching for an available game online is such a pain. But as I mentioned earlier, once you’re in a game and start to play, you’ll be totally immersed and eventually forget about its shortcomings entirely.

By comparison, Hedgewars isn’t as refined as Wormux. However, it does offer more original “Worms” gameplay.

Teeworlds

I have to state for the record that Teeworlds is a little different from the original Worms game in the sense that it’s not turn-based — it’s real time. This means that instead of one player controlling a character at any given time, everyone is allowed to play at the very same time! It’s chaos!

The motif is still the same — eliminate the opposing team. However, the gameplay and weapons are modified. There are three types of game modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture The Flag. It takes a little getting used to because again, gameplay isn’t classic Worms but to be brutally honest, I have to say that I prefer Teeworlds when I’m feeling like a bit of fast-paced action — I don’t have to wait my turn, I respawn after being shot dead, and I just play until the timer runs out or a team wins. Then the game starts again.

Worms purist may not enjoy it though. But who cares? These games are just for fun.

Wormux – Download
Hedgewars – Download
Teeworlds – Download

I hope that you find these games entertaining and a bit of fun on a dull, autumn evening. Are you a Worms fan? Which clone did you enjoy the most? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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iomeneandrei: Growl for Windows Updates to 2.0 [Downloads]

Whitson Gordon — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: Over 50 Free, Must-Have Open Source Resources

Sam Dean — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: Google Chrome OS: 5 Ways It’s Completely Different

Ben Parr — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Earlier today, Google revealed new details about Google Chrome OS, the search giant’s attempt to redefine the operating system and push society and technology even farther onto the web.

We’re here live at the Google Chrome OS press conference, and from what we’re hearing and seeing, this thing is different than any other operating system before it. It is fundamentally different than Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

But now you may be wondering “How exactly is it different?” We were curious about that as well, so we analyzed the information that’s been revealed so far to provide some of our biggest takeaways from what we know about Google Chrome OS. There are just a few of the ways that it is completely different than any other OS on the market:

1. The browser IS the OS: This is the fundamental tenant of Google Chrome OS. There is no installation of Firefox or IE – Chrome IS both the browser AND the OS.

2. It’s designed to fix itself: Chrome OS really focuses on security. Applications run on Chrome OS are placed in their own “security sandboxes,” which is designed to prevent malware and virus attempts. Another cool feature is that Chrome OS verifies the integrity of its code and, if it finds that it is compromised, reboots and fixes itself.

3. All apps are web apps, no installations: Speaking of apps, there will be no installation of apps. No Microsoft Office, Adobe AIR, TweetDeck, or Digsby. This also means no installations. Even Android apps won’t run on Chrome OS.

4. Chrome OS doesn’t support drivers and will not run on your laptop: The Google operating system won’t be running on your Dell or Macbook anytime soon – it only works with solid-state hard drives. It is meant for netbooks. Many hardware manufacturers are going to have to tweak their netbook designs to support Chrome OS. In the future though, Chrome OS could evolve to support drivers. Today, they said it will handle printing, for example, based on some “innovative technique.”

5. Super-fast startup speeds: Google cares deeply about speed, and Chrome OS is a shining example. They took out anything they deemed “unnecessary” to speed up the boot-up. You can be browsing the web “in seconds.” In fact, they’re so obsessed with it that they’re asking the hardware manufacturers to use specific metals that make Chrome OS faster.

Reviews: Digsby, Firefox, Google, TweetDeck, adobe AIR, linux

Tags: Chrome OS, Google, google chrome, google chrome os

iccudrac: Come trasformare la vostra webcam in una telecamera di sorveglianza!

daniele — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Vitamin D è un programma ancora in fase beta che permette di trasformare la vostra webcam in una telecamera di sorveglianza! Come? Vi da la possibilità di settare la vostra webcam in modo che quando viene rilevata la presenza di movimenti sospetti, la webcam si accende in automatico per registrare tutto! Programma a mio parere utilissimo!

iccudrac: Come leggere file .flv con Windows Media Player!

daniele — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Come già saprete, i file .flv sono le estensioni dei video che guardiamo e scarichiamo da YouTube. Per poterli vedere, molte volte dobbiamo installare programmi oppure convertirli. Oggi però vi presentiamo un plugin per Windows Media Player che permetterà infatti di vedere qualsiasi video flv vogliate senza installare programmi o altro! Il suo nome è Playflv!

iccudrac: Skål: il mediaplayer interattivo dalla Norvegia

intweetion — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Minimale, coloratissimo, semplice come i giochi tradizionali e davvero splendido a vedersi, Skål è un player disegnato per la casa, che permette di interagire con vari tipi di media utilizzando oggetti tridimensionali.

Il contenitore viene collegato alla TV, poi è sufficiente posizionare gli oggetti all’interno per vederli riprodotti sullo schermo. Skål supporta ogni tipo di file e formato. Filmati, canali di Youtube, i photostream di Flickr, gli streaming audio online. Le forme vengono riconosciute attraverso un sensore wireless, che sfrutta una tecnologia chiamata Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

Basta applicare le rispettive etichette sull’oggetto scelto e queste verranno identificate trasformando qualsiasi forma in un controller per gestire ciò che si vuole vedere. I creatori ci tengono a precisare che Skål è norvegese (significa “palla”) e si pronuncia [sko:l]. Maggiori informazioni nel video.

iccudrac: Autografik, l'archivio vintage della grafica automobilistica

Giulia — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Su Flickr, il gruppo Autografik raccoglie immagini relative alla grafica di vecchie automobili e furgoni aziendali. I veicoli, prevalentemente americani, inglesi e tedeschi, offrono uno sguardo molto interessante su questa declinazione così specifica della grafica modernista, per un bellissimo effetto vintage. Inserito anche del materiale d’archivio relativo a vecchie pagine pubblicitarie o supporti diversi relativi a libretti delle istruzioni, manifesti e schede tecniche.

Via | Swiss Miss

Autofrafik, l’archivio vintage della grafica automobilistica

iomeneandrei: Refine Your Image Search With Google Image Swirl [Image Search]

Lisa Hoover — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: In difesa di Antonio Tabucchi

Internazionale — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

“Le democrazie vive hanno bisogno di uomini liberi”, si legge in un commento sottoscritto da una lunga lista di intellettuali pubblicato su Le Monde. “Hanno bisogno di persone coraggiose, indisciplinate, creative. Che osano, provocano e danno fastidio. Come gli scrittori, la cui libertà d’espressione è imprescindibile dall’idea di democrazia. In Italia questa libertà è messa in pericolo da un attacco smisurato contro lo scrittore Antonio Tabucchi. Il presidente del senato, Renato Schifani, gli ha chiesto un risarcimento di 1,3 milioni di euro – una somma esorbitante – per un articolo pubblicato dall’Unità, in cui Tabucchi s’interrogava sul passato, i rapporti d’affari e le frequentazioni ambigue di Schifani. L’obiettivo della causa legale è chiaramente quello di intimidire una coscienza critica”.

La rivista settimanale Veja parla del caso giudiziario di Cesare Battisti che ora dipende dal presidente Lula. “Il tribunale federale supremo del Brasile ha approvato, con cinque voti favorevoli e quattro contrari, l’estradizione di Cesare Battisti, condannato all’ergastolo in Italia per aver assassinato quattro persone tra il 1977 e il 1979. È stata così accolta la richiesta del governo italiano, secondo cui Battisti deve essere estradato perché è stato condannato per crimini comuni e non politici. Ma la vicenda non è ancora chiusa. Il tribunale ha anche lasciato l’ultima parola al presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Questo perché la questione Battisti chiama in causa le relazioni diplomatiche tra i governi di Italia e Brasile. Secondo molti Lula non si opporrà alla sentenza, ma potrebbe comunque ritardare l’estradizione”.

iomeneandrei: Wikis in the workplace: a practical introduction

editors@arstechnica.com (Alan J. Porter) — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: OpenShot, non-linear editor per video

Lpt on fire! — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

OpenShot è un editor video non lineare GTK+, cioè un programma che vi consente di elaborare filmati senza operare direttamente sulle fonti originali.

La codifica/decodifica è basata sul rodato ffmpeg. Dopo il salto potete trovare dei filmati dimostrativi. Tra le caratteristiche di questo software ci sono:

Modalità multitraccia
Transizioni video con anteprima in tempo reale
Watermark e sovrapposizione di immagini
Creazione di titoli
Animazione KeyFrame
Zoom digitale
Cambiamento della velocità, esempio: slow motion
Effetto Ken Burns
Oltre 20 effetti video

Via | LinuxJournal

iomeneandrei: Dell's Multimedia Mini PC Ships With Ubuntu

Sam Dean — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: Add Remember The Milk to your Google Calendar sidebar

Emily Boyd — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

It's no secret that we're big gadget fans here. Waaay back in 2006, we launched a feature that enabled you to add a daily gadget to Google Calendar: clicking on a checkmark icon would bring up your tasks for that day.

The problem with that daily gadget is that it requires clicking to see your tasks (and everybody knows that the more work required to get to your tasks, the less likely it is that they'll get done!).

Today we're launching a new gadget for the Google Calendar sidebar that can be added to any Google Calendar account. The gadget displays to the right of your calendar, so no more clicks needed to see your tasks!

As with the gadget for Gmail (upon which this gadget is based :), the gadget allows you to review your upcoming tasks for the week (including any overdue), add new tasks and edit existing ones, easily complete and postpone tasks, and customise the display (show tasks from a particular list or Smart List, and optionally show tasks with no due date).

The gadget also supports Smart Add, so you can add tasks quickly with properties, e.g., "Pick up the milk tomorrow", "Order stationery #work", "Return books in 2 weeks @Library", and more.

Ready to add the gadget?

Just click on the button below to add the new Sidebar Gadget to Google Calendar. For more details, including instructions for adding to a Google Apps account, please check out the Sidebar Gadget page.

iomeneandrei: Top 3 Sites To Help You Become A Linux Command Line Master

Susan Linton — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

The truth about Linux today is that one may never have to actually touch a terminal or issue a single Linux command in order to run some versions of this flexible alternative operating system. While there are times when using the Linux command line could be expeditious and the benefits of possessing the ability to use it are numerous, many users can be intimidated by the prospect.

They may think it’s too difficult or too much to remember. But once a user becomes accustomed to using the command line interface, it soon becomes the preferred method in many tasks. Not only is it much quicker to accomplish just about any given task at the command line, it opens a whole new world of possibilities. It allows the user to begin to understand how an operating system is structured and functions. It gives the user very powerful tools to do the things graphical interfaces will never be able to reproduce. And best of all, it’s just fun.

There are several shells, the interface between the user and the system, with their own set of built-in functions and commands. The most popular is probably Bash, which is an improved clone of the Unix Borne Shell. Not only does Bash include lots of handy built-in commands, but a user can execute (or fork) a multitude of other application executables from within it.

There is a short list of commands that one can learn to get started. With this short list, you can begin to build your toolbox and with the help of a few good reference sites, become a command line master yourself. Not only will this enable you to feel comfortable running just about any Linux distribution available, but every programmer working today began with that first command.

But how might one go about trying to use the dreaded command line? Once open, the user stares at the prompt wondering what to do first. They know folks work from the command line all day every day, but what do you do? Fortunately, you’re not on your own. There are a plethora of sites with all the information you’ll need to take you from beginner to advanced user or anywhere in between.

LinuxCommand

One of the best places to get started is LinuxCommand. This site gently introduces the first time user what a shell is and how to use it. Then, if desired, it will instruct the user on how to write their first shell scripts.

The homepage of this site is very relaxing. It merely shows an image of a terminal and reassures the user “Don’t worry, we’ll show you what to do.” Its Table of Contents addresses usage in an task oriented manner. Instead of listing the command and explaining what it does, it lists an operation one might want to perform.

For example, the first thing any user might want to learn is navigation. With a reference to the graphical hierarchy, it begins the user with the first babysteps of moving around their system with the command line.

Then one is taken on a tour of the Linux filesystem hierarchy and shown how to manipulate files such as renaming, moving, or deleting, and permissions. Once you learn this beginning information, you are already on your way to fixing a Linux system on which the Graphical User Interface is broken.

Next the site gets more involved walking the user through writing shell scripts, first easy then more and more complicated. If you finish this latter section, you are already almost a master.

O’Reilly’s Linux Command Directory

O’Reilly’s Linux Command Directory is a wonderful quick reference chart-like guide. This page lists not only the built-in commands, but also many little utilities commonly included in all Linux distributions. This is great for the beginner or even more advanced users as the listed commands are links to full information as to what the command is and how to use it.

While this information may be available right on your system as Main pages, it comes in handy for those who forgot the command or perhaps doesn’t know which to use. For example, you’d like the current system date and time, so you visit this page and see the command time. This must be it, so you click on it and find out that time is actually used to measure the elasped time of a given process. So, you know that isn’t it. Then you scroll down and spot date. Ah yes, that’s the one. What was that command to quickly check to see if a certain word or phrase is in a file? Oh yes, you remember now that you see the command grep listed.

By clicking it you’ll find all sorts of ways it can be manipulated to output just what you need. A favorite activity is just reading through the list for unfamiliar or forgotten commands and learning what they do. This is just a particularly handy site to bookmark.

The Linux Cookbook

The Linux Cookbook fits in somewhere between LinuxCommand’s Learning the Shell and Writing Shell Scripts. It takes the user from logging in to as deep as they want to go.

However, its best resource is its intermediate instruction. After learning a few commands one might want to know how to edit a file and the cookbook features introductions to common text editors. It also tells a user things such as how to change their password, listing directories in color, and how to understand help files and documentation.

Later, it instructs on how to configure the X Windows System, how to start X, and all other aspects of using X. Then it even goes further into using the graphical interface and includes things like audio, printing, networking, and communications. It basically gives the user a full overview of using Linux.

This site is the online version of a hard copy book sold in many stores and featured on Amazon. Once you complete this book and the LinuxCommand.org instruction, you’ll be a Linux Kung Fu Master.

Do you have any favourite websites for mastering the Linux command line? If so, let us know about them in the comments.

Image Credit : Slashcrisis

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iccudrac: 20 New High Quality Free Fonts

Smashing Editorial — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Every now and again we take a look around, select “fresh” high-quality free fonts and present them to you in a brief overview. The choice is enormous, so the time you need to find them is usually the time you should be investing in your current projects. We search for them and we find them, so you don’t have to.

In this selection we’re glad to present you Madawaska ExtraLight, Apparatus SIL, League Gothic, Contra and many other high-quality free fonts. Please read the license agreements carefully before using the fonts — the license can change from time to time.

New Free Fonts For Your Designs

Madawaska ExtraLight
Madawaska is a rugged slab-serif font in 7 weights with fractions, old style numerals & lining numerals. When you’re using Madawaska Jeans or Madawaska River styles in an OpenType savvy application, common letter pairs will be automatically replaced by custom pairs for a more realistic, gritty effect. Madawaska ExtraLight is available for free download and use.

Apparatus SIL
The Apparatus SIL fonts were designed to provide most of the symbols needed to reproduce the textual apparatus found in major editions of Greek and Hebrew biblical texts. The fonts include the basic ASCII character set plus some international characters, Superscript characters, Certain Greek, Hebrew, Gothic (Fraktur) and other letters used for manuscripts and special punctuation. The font family consts of 4 weights: Regular, Italic, Bold and Bold Italic. It was designed for optimum clarity and compactness when printed at small point sizes.

League Gothic
League Gothic is a revival of an old classic Alternate Gothic No.1. It was originally designed by Morris Fuller Benton for the American Type Founders Company (ATF) in 1903. The company went bankrupt in 1993. And since the original typeface was created before 1923, the typeface is in the public domain. This font is a display sans-serif, available for free download and use in personal and commercial projects. Designed by The League Of Moveable Type.

Contra
This legible font family comes in 2 weights: Regular and Italic. It works best for headlines and in large sizes.

Sorts Mill Goudy
A ‘revival’ of Goudy Oldstyle and Italic, with features among which are small capitals (in the roman only), oldstyle and lining figures, superscripts and subscripts, fractions, ligatures, class-based kerning, case-sensitive forms, capital spacing. There is support for many languages that use latin script. Currently there is no bold, but artificial emboldening by a web browser isn’t especially offensive with these fonts. Serif text/display-font, designed by Barry Schwartz.

Calluna Regular (registration is required)
Calluna is a typeface with flow. Calluna supports a very wide range in languages and is a very complete OpenType typeface. Each font has overall 723 glyphs. To download the free regular weight, you’ll have to register at MyFonts.com. Designed by Jos Buivenga.

Goudy Bookletter 1911
A classic vintage serif font, based on Frederic Goudy’s Kennerley Oldstyle. Designed by Barry Schwartz.

Public Gothic Family
Public Gothic Family is a little industrial, little vintage, little condensed, little bold. Public Gothic is a new font family, free to use in all your designs, commercial or non commercial. PB family members are PB Square, PB Vintage, PB Circular, PB Federal. It’s compatible with any OS (Mac T1, Win OTF, Win TTF).

ArtBrush
A brushed script font for informal occasions. The @font-face-kit is included.

FFF Tusj
A distinctive, original script font that is supposed to be a handwritten version of Georgia. The font works best in very large size.

ITC Chino Bold Italic
International Type Corporation released a new text family ITC Chino that consists of 10 fonts. One weight, Chino Black Italic was released for free.

Burnstown Dam
An original playful typeface that can be useful for family-related websites. Available in the OpenType format.

Deibi
An original, playful free font, created by Wete, a Spanish type designer.

Tex Gyre Schola
A clean, strong, academic sans-serif font that can be used for formal documents and scientific works.

Juvelo
A font family from The Crud Factory, inspired by Diethelm-Antiqua, and named ‘jewel’ in Esperanto. An italic is being developed.

Programming fonts: ProFont for Windows, Mac and Linux and Anonymous Pro (thanks, Chris Apalodimas).

Sovereign™ Regular
Sovereign is a highly original serif family from G-Type’s Nick Cooke. Available for Mac and Win.

Experimental Free Fonts

Groteska
A blocky experimental font by Alberto Rodríguez.

VAL

Digitica
Another geometric font by the French type designer Samuel Delabarre.

Layer Cake and Soraya
Layer Cake (the first screensot below) is an isometric multiple layered type with capital letters A-Z, available only in Illustrator AI format. Soraya (the second screenshot) is half serif, half sans serif with capital letters A-Z, also available only in Illustrator AI format. Designed by Jakob Nylund.

Badabum
Where does typography become art? Well, for instance in this font. The letters are difficult to read, but geometric forms are abstrac and captivaning. A creative font by Jonathan Calugi.

Free Font Amadeus
A playful, @font-face compatible free font by the foundry Bright Ideas.

20 Dingbat Fonts That Are Actually Useful

Reminder: Download fonts from our previous posts

Chunk Open Source Typeface [ Download the .zip-package ]
Chunk is an ultra-bold slab serif typeface that is reminiscent of old American Western woodcuts, broadsides, and newspaper headlines. Used mainly for display, the fat block lettering is unreserved yet refined for contemporary use. OpenType. Designed by Meredith Mandel. (via Graham Smith).

Titilium [ Download the .zip-package ]
A very legible, beautiful academic typeface that perfectly fits to every corporate identity design, magazines and headlines of corporate web-sites. The typeface is available in various weights: text version, title version, extra-black version and full-version.

Rough Draft Regular
A legendary TrueType typeface by Harold Lohner. Contains 189 characters in 9 ranges. For $5 you can buy the complete set which includes separate Outline, Clean Fill, and Solid Fill fonts.

Nilland
A beautiful slab-serif typeface, designed by Manfred Klein. The family consists of 6 weights, regular, bold, extra bold, black, small caps and small caps bold (link and images via DerSven.de).

Aller Sans [ Specimen | License | Download ]
Dalton Maag design team designed a beautiful sans-serif Aller Sans, sponsored by Danish publishing company Aller (hence the name). The typeface was designed as part of the Danish School of Media and Journalisms new CI and is now available for free use and download (via).

M+ Outline
These fonts are free software. Unlimited permission is granted to use, copy, and distribute it, with or without modification, either commercially and noncommercially. Designed by Morishita Coji. The fonts are regulary updated, work in progress. Caution: Japanese language.

Andale Mono
Andale Mono is a highly legible monospaced font which was originally distributed as part of the Internet Explorer 4.0 add-ons page as Monotype.com. It distinguishes well between the zero, and the O. You can find 4 further monospaced fonts in Hamish Macpherson’s article The Typography of Code.

Credits: Hamish Macpherson

Junction [ Download the .zip-package ]
Designed by Caroline Hadilaksono, Junction is a humanist sans-serif typeface. It has elegant, clearn and very sharp glyphs, but contains only 100 most common symbols. Like Gentium it perfectly fits to body copy, but can also show its strengths, balance and beauty in headlines. Here are some insights from the designer:

Vegur
This humanist sans-serif family is available in OpenType-format in three weights: ExtraLight, Regular and Bold. The typeface can be perfectly used both in body copy and in headlines.

iomeneandrei: wfh (working from home)

Zack Sheppard — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Working from home today? Show them how it’s done in the telework / telecommute / work-from-home group.

Photos from mccun934, sean dreilinger, jocelyndale, Bareg L Noor, limahuli, lwaldal, and wrumsby.

iomeneandrei: Weave Sync 1.0 Beta 1 released

ragavan srinivasan — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Hey everybody – we are very happy to announce that we have just released the first Beta of the Weave Sync add-on. You can download it here and read all the details on the Weave blog!

– Ragavan Srinivasan, on behalf of the Weave team

iomeneandrei: WordPress Wins the 2009 Overall Best Open Source CMS Award

(author unknown) — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: You're Backing Up Your Data the Wrong Way [Backup]

The How-To Geek — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iomeneandrei: 5 Sites To Find Free Alternatives To Popular Software

Varun Kashyap — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Everyone who spends a fair amount of time on the computer has a few favorite applications, the ones you like for one reason or another. Maybe they help you get your work done faster or you like their looks and feel or perhaps because these are free.

And sometimes there are software you find irksome and think things could have been better. In any case, I always like to try out a few alternative software choices before I settle with any particular application mainly for two reasons: One, you would never know how good or bad the one you are using is until you try some alternatives and two: a bit of choice and competition can only be for the good of us users! Your motivation might be different: perhaps you want to find a free software that does the same task as the paid software you are using or maybe your favorite Windows application is not available on Mac or Linux.

Whatever maybe the reason, here are some sites that you can use to find alternative software and suggested applications.

LinuxAppFinder

Missing your favorite Windows or Mac application on Linux? Try LinuxAppFinder. It provides a listing of popular Linux applications. Apart from that, it also lists popular Windows and Mac software and the Linux applications that can be used for similar purposes. Clicking on an alternative software listing will show you its description, rating and other related software. LinuxAppfinder is a great way to discover Linux software if you are new to Linux.

AlternativeTo

AlternativeTo lists a large number of Windows, Mac, Linux software. Click on the ones you use or need to find alternative software for, and you will be presented with a list of software with similar functionality. Likes ala Diggs are presented alongside each listed software, that lets you gauge the popularity of the software. Additionally, you can filter the mentioned alternative by platform, likes or recent popularity as well. AlternativeTo also lists webapps like Dropbox and Evernote, just in case you are looking to shift to the web!

Osalt

Osalt is yet another popular site that offers similar functionality. It lists Open Source applications as alternative to popular software that you might be paying lots of money for. Many of the open source software have come a long way in functionality and usability and they cover almost every purpose you can use your computer for. Mostly open source software are also free, so you should definitely check out osalt and see if you can find some good open source software that can replace the ones you are already using.

Wakoopa

Wakoopa takes a somewhat different approach. Wakoopa is a community where people share their favorite software. You can view most popular apps that other people are using on the Wakoopa home page. For personalized suggestions, you would have to signup and create a software profile listing the software you are presently using. In addition, you can also track how much time you are spending using each application.

MakeUseOf

Actually, this one goes far beyond suggesting alternative software! However, we also do our part when it comes to reviewing interesting or new applications. You should always check out the MakeUseOf directory that lists hundreds of useful web and mobile applications that you can use for a variety of purposes.

Do you have any applications you wish to switch over from? Sound off in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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iomeneandrei: The Font Kingdom: Search, Explore, Create, and Download Fonts for Free

Orli Yakuel — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Being a blogger, I often find design elements on the web for my posts or my blog in general. It’s becoming a very common experience for bloggers to know a thing or two about web design. I’m guessing it is the web that taught us to be quasi-designers by offering us lots of easy-to-use tools that help us create just about everything we need: photo-editing, widgets, logos, buttons, and yes, fonts as well. Fonts are a big focus of the Web2.0 era—they are now bigger, cleaner and smoother, especially when it comes to logos.

Can you imagine Techcrunch’s logo looking like this? It’s all dependent on font choice. (in case you were wondering BTW, Twitter’s font is mostly Pico created by Maniackers Design)

Regardless of the fact that the web makes it easy for everyone to be more creative (i.e., logo above), it becomes a paradise for designers themselves who seek new tools & inspiration. So whether you’re a professional graphic designer, or an amateur web publisher this list of font tools might come in handy (eventually).

myFontbook is an online font viewer and manager based on the font available on your computer. It allows you to organize your font collection and gives you all the tools you need to do so. Once you open the demo, myFontbook will render all the fonts in your computer, and display them together in an easy to view mode. While all the files are actually open, it makes it easier to browse through them and see the fonts in several sizes. You can also make lists of fonts, tag & favorite the fonts that you like best. The font viewer renders your entire font library super fast. Just compare the rendering time to other font management tools. And there’s nothing to install—it works from your browser. If you want to save all your activities for later use, you’ll need to register. But don’t worry, it’s free.

With BetterFonts, an online font database, you can quickly preview and download thousands of fonts. Navigate the massive collection by alphabetic order or browse the fonts by their categories. You can change the preview text of your desirable font and instantly download it for free. Although the site provides an impressive list of fonts, for the quality ones you’ll need to pay. But they have a deal of a 500-font package for $2.77. Please note that there’s no preview of the font list in advance—which might be a risky deal if you want something in particular (but then again, it’s cheap).

Most of us usually use only one font (probably Arial), ’cause unless you’re a designer, you don’t give much thought to fonts. But hey, there’s a world of fonts out there that is just waiting for exploration, and FFonts is a good site to start with. FFonts has a huge font library and it allows you to navigate easily, and download any font for free. All the fonts on the site are listed on the left side menu for easy access, and clicking on a font gives you information plus a satisfying preview of the font. Overall, the site hosts more than 10,000 fonts!

If you don’t find anything you like, and are still looking for that special font to make an appearance, you are more than welcome to create it yourself with FontStruct. Sign into the service and with FontStruct’s font-building tool & editor, you’ll be able to create fonts constructed out of geometrical shapes, which are arranged in a grid pattern, like tiles or bricks. Once you’re done building, FontStruct generates high-quality TrueType fonts, ready to use in any Mac or Windows application.

You can share your creations with the world or save it for yourself, but FontStruct actually encourages you to share your fonts with others, this is why they’ve created a gallery where people can share and discuss fonts, and download them for free. A quick look at the community taught me there is a lot of going on there—definitely worth the visit if fonts interest to you.

Fawnt is also one of the largest free fonts archives on the web today. With a pleasant design and an easy to use navigator, you are one step away from finding the perfect font. Browse the fonts by category or alphabetically, or use the search function. All the fonts have large and customizable previews, and character maps. Be aware though that while all of the fonts in Fawnt are free, they might have some restrictions. Some may be free for personal use, others for commercial. When you visit a font link make sure to browse the page for any fine print or usage terms.

With 62,000 fonts, Myfonts has the world’s largest font database. Not only can you search for fonts, explore everything in their gallery, and download the fonts to your computer, you can also find fonts based on a picture with their service WhatTheFont. Simply upload a file, or specify a URL, and myFonts will find the font used in the picture you uploaded (or at least, give you some close alternatives to this font). If you’re a designer, I’m sure you can see how important a service like this can be to the industry.

myFonts recently released a great iPhone app that does the same thing and helps you find a font while on-the-go. You can snap a photo with the app, and save it to your gallery. For iPod users, you are asked to upload a file from your iPhone gallery, then myFonts will process and optimize the photos and provide you with the font’s details.

Finally, it allows you to receive or send the results by email. For a free & direct download click here.

Another free iPhone app is FontGenie – The app displays all available fonts on your iPhone and allows you to keep track of ever-changing font families and their font types.

A super cool idea is to actually create a font with your own handwriting, so you’ll be able to insert it wherever you need to place your signature on the web. Luckily, Fontcapture took the idea and made it possible, which means you can create your handwriting font right now if you want to, all you need is a printer and a scanner.

How it works: First, you need to download the font template, print it, fill it in with your own handwriting, scan it and upload it to the site. Then you’ll be able to preview and download the new font to your font library, located on your computer.

Abstract Fonts is not very different than the other font directories suggested here but it has a very convenient interface. Abstract Fonts lets you type in text to view font examples, opens a unique menu for each font which summarizes the information you need to know about that font, see the character map, and display users’ comments. Abstract also gives you the ability to see similar fonts, which I think is an absolutely brilliant addition.

Last but not least, here’s something to look for in the future:

Typekit, a new font editor will offer designers more control over fonts on the web.

Today, almost all Web fonts are protected by copyright, and very few of them allow for linking via CSS or redistribution on the web. Typekit has been working with foundries to develop a consistent web-only font linking license.

Typekit will give you access to their protected library of high-quality fonts. You’ll just need to add a line of JavaScript to your markup, tell Typekit what fonts you want to use, and then craft your pages the way you always have. Except now, you’ll be able to use real fonts.

There’s still not enough information about this new service but based on the above, Typekit might definitely change web design. Unfortunately, the site is in closed beta (invitation only) so designers make sure you sign up for an invite. Meanwhile, check out the full list of fonts already available at Typekit. Also, Typekit has some interesting investors: Evan Williams, Ron Conway, Caterina Fake and True Ventures.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

iomeneandrei: 423 – Flow-Charting the Ring Trilogy

strangemaps — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Designed by J.R.R. Tolkien’s son Christopher and included in most editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the map of Middle-Earth is one of the best-known examples of fantasy cartography. The iconic map shows the fictional continent in which the action of the three books takes place, from Forodwaith in the north to Haradwaith in the south, and the Gulf of Lune in the west to the Sea of Rhûn in the east (was Middle-Earth deliberately framed to rhyme?)

Equally delightful, if not as yet as iconic, is this flow chart of Lord of the Rings. It charts the itinerary of the story’s main characters, individually and in group, showing when they meet, separate and rejoin each other. The progression is from left to right, not only in tune with the traditional (Western) reading direction but also mirroring the trajectory in the story itself, which starts in the Shire on Middle-Earth’s western edge and leads to Mordor in the east.

The geographic parallel only partly holds up: at the very end of the story, after they have returned to the Shire, some members of the Fellowship board ships to the west, but their trajectories trail off the map on its top right (i.e. northeastern) corner.

The map is however an excellent tool to identify the different strands of the story as it progresses. The main thread, in yellow, follows the Ring itself: first with Bilbo as Ringbearer and then Frodo, who carries it to Mordor to be destroyed. The trajectories are also colour-coded to identify the different races: green for Hobbits, grey for Wizards, light-brown for Men, dark-brown for Dwarves, light-blue for Elves, dark-blue for Ents. Sauron, the Evil One, is a dark red. Black is for the Orcs, Uruk-Hai and his other minions.

Battles, events and important episodes are indicated by a light grey background; the attack at Weathertop, the Council of Elrond, the Breaking of the Fellowship, the Battle at Helm’s Deep, etc.

This map is one of several movie narrative charts designed by and shown at xkcd, the marvellous webcomic of sarcasm, math, and language (the other charts being of the original Star Wars trilogy, Jurassic Park, Twelve Angry Men and Primer). The excellent work of xkcd often has a cartographic slant (as shown earlier on this blog at #118 and #331). This Lord of the Rings flow chart is reminiscent of the Minard map (#229). Other Tolkien-related maps are to be found at #121 and #204.

Many thanks to all those who sent in this map.

PS – please note, as several commenters have pointed out, that this map is based on the cinematographic work, which is not a literal retelling of the literary original.

iccudrac: Interview With The Founder Of Icon Finder Martin LeBlanc

TimothyBlake — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

An interview with Martin Leblanc the creative genius behind Icon Finder, An amazing interview where Martins shares why he set up icon finder, future plans for the site and his marketing strategy for promoting Icon Finder. Leave your thoughts within a comment about what you think of the interview and also Icon Finder.

1. Can you give us a brief insight on who you are and what you do ?

:My name is Martin LeBlanc Eigtved and I’m 27 years old. I’m an web designer and developer and the founder of Iconfinder which I have designed and developed. I also work as a consultant at Glassbox (http://www.glassbox.dk) which I co-founded last year. My job at Glassbox is in optimizing websites to increase sales – often based on analysis of web statistics such as Google Analytics and ClickTale. Our clients are web shops or other companies who get a large part of their revenue directly from the Internet.

Besides that, I am currently studying computer science and business administration on my last year at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. Before that I finished a two year design education in 2004. I currently live in Copenhagen with my lovely wife (we married in September).

2. What was your motivation behind creating icon finder?

:The motivation came from a personal need. In 2004-2005 I was working as a full-time web designer, where we used KDE for Linux (I had an extra computer for Windows and Photoshop though). When you use KDE you have all the icons for folder, files etc. on your hard drive in PNG-format. All the files where named e.g. user.png so I started using the OS search functionality to find the icons on the hard drive if I needed an icon in a web design or as inspiration for icon design.

Frustrated of the performance of searching with the OS search, I decided to built a database and have the icons indexed, so the searching would be easier and faster. I made a simple web interface and at the end of 2006 I bought the domain, Iconfinder.net, and started working on the public website.

It was launched in 2007 and got on the front page of Digg and on Lifehacker and Smashing magazine. So it really got a good start. I was lucky to launch the first icon search engine, so it got a lot of attention, that you wouldn’t get today.

3. What are your favourite design blogs?

My favorite is Smashing Magazine, although there’re a many great design blogs out there.

4. What’s your marketing strategy to help build Up Icon Finders awareness across the Design Community?

‘: Definitely word-of-mouth. I believe if you make a remarkable product and you can deliver the best service around, the word will spread. Of course you can help spreading the word, which I do by using Twitter, when new icons are added.

In May 2009 Iconfinder got it’s new robot mascot as a logo, which also helps people remember and relate to the site. The logo was created by the incredibly talented Turbomilk (http://www.turbomilk.com).

I also work with link-bait. E.g. when Iconfinder reached 100,000 icons, I made a special page with all of the icon sets, shown on a single page (http://www.iconfinder.net/ultimate). Compared to banner ads, this can be really a very cost-efficient way to get traffic. That page alone has been visited 50,000 times.

SEO is also important, especially for targeting new users and the segment outside the design community, who don’t know the site. People who just want to style their desktop often comes from search engines.

I have bought some banner advertisement through BuySellAds, and will buy more in the future. They offer an excellent service.

5. Have you got any future plans or project your currently working on ?

:The plans for Iconfinder is, of course, to grow, not only in the number of Icons, but also in the numbers of users. One way is to create translated versions of the site in Spanish, French and Chinese. That would help increase the number of users in the non-english speaking countries. Revenue-wise, selling icons is a natural next step for Iconfinder.

Iconfinder will also be sponsoring the Annual Design Awards in 2010 (http://www.annualdesignawards.com/), which I’m pretty excited about. You will probably hear more about this event soon.

:At the moment I’m also working on a mobile application for Android called Gigbox (http://www.mygigbox.com) which is not related to Iconfinder. Together with two computer science students from University of Copenhagen, we built the application for the Google Android Developer Challenge II. Right now it’s the 350 most downloaded app of 10,000 and we just launched it last month.

6. Icon Finder has amazing traffic each month could you share some stats with us ?

:Including search refinements there are about 6,3 million searches per month. It’s increasing with about 10% every month at the moment.

About 50% are from direct traffic from – probably from because of bookmarks. 25% are from search engines and 25% from referring sites where Stumbleupon tops the list.

This Or That

1. Twitter or facebook ?

:Twitter

2. Superman or batman or Spiderman ?

: Batman (because of the last movie)

3. Photoshop or illustrator ?

hotoshop (I don’t have Illustrator installed at the moment)

4. Vectors or brushes ?

:Vectors (I never really use brushes)

iccudrac: OpenOfficeMouse isn't free, isn't pretty

Donald Melanson — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

iccudrac: Blood Energy Potion, bevanda energetica per aspiranti vampiri

mavala — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Appare decisamente sconsigliato alle persone impressionabili questa Blood Energy Potion, una bevanda dall’elevato contenuto energetico che presenta non solo lo stesso colore del sangue ma anche stessa consistenza ed apporto di nutrienti quali ferro, elettroliti e proteine.

Al sapore di frutta (non è specificato quale), la realistica sacca di trasfusione con cui è presentato è richiudibile e riutilizzabile, se non sapevate ancora cosa organizzare per halloween e l’idea vi sfizia sappiate che potete trovare Blood Energy Potion qui in preordino a $5.99, poco più di 4 euro circa.

[via likecool ]

iccudrac: Sony pronta a scommettere sul 3D col suo prototipo

mavala — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

Anche se si tratta ancora di un prototipo di sicuro ha destato non poco interesse questo strumento mostrato in anteprima alla Tokyo Digital Content EXP0 tenutasi pochi giorni fa in Giappone, ideato da Sony, in grado a quanto sembra di creare un’immagine tridimensionale.

L’immagine che lo strumento mostra è stereoscopica a 24 bit che misura esattamente 96×128 pixels e che presenta l’utile caratteristica di non dover necessitare per forza di appositi occhialini per poter essere apprezzata a pieno, il che apre le porte a molte possibili applicazioni della tecnologia per esempio nelle TV, nelle cornici digitali e, perchè no, nel settore videludico.

Ancora sono purtroppo noti solo pochi dettagli sull’argomento, staremo a vedere cosa bollirà in futuro nel calderone delle varie aziende, certi che la lotta nel campo del 3D è appena agli inizi.

[via dvice ]

iccudrac: How To Identify and Deal With Different Types Of Clients

Robert Bowen — Fri, 13 Dec 1901 12:45:52 -0800

In business, being able to read people and quickly get a sense of who you’re dealing with is an invaluable skill. It turns your encounter with a client into an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the upcoming project and how it will need to be handled. It is one of the building blocks of a professional relationship.

In today’s digital age, the arena has shifted to the Web, and the online office space that most freelancers inhabit limits personal interaction. Though sussing out a client’s personality via online communication is difficult, it still remains an invaluable tool in your arsenal.

Image by Salva Barbera.

In the freelancing field, you will encounter a range of client types. Being able to identify which you are dealing with allows you to develop the right strategy to maximize your interactions with them, and it could save your sanity. Below is a list of the most common personality types and the tell-tale signs that will tip you off.

The Passive-Aggressive

Image by John Philip.

This is the client who is very passive when you ask for initial input, but when you submit the finished product, they aggressively attack it, demanding a lot of detailed changes, both major and minor. They had an idea of what they wanted all along but kept it mostly to themselves. Even though they showed appreciation of certain ideas and elements throughout the development process, do not expect the passive-aggressive client to keep any of them as they send revisions your way.

Identifying Characteristics

Communication is mostly one-sided and unhelpful during project development.
Makes statements such as:
- “I’m not really sure what we’re looking for.”
- “Just do something that would appeal to us generally.”
- “You totally missed the point of what we wanted.”

How to Deal

Patience is the key. Expecting the last-minute requests for revisions may soften the blow of the client’s aggressive behavior. Keep your original layered design intact so that you can easily refine and change it later (not that you wouldn’t, but it does happen). Also, make sure your contract specifies a limited number of revisions.

The Family Friend

Image by Celiece Aurea.

This is the client whom you have known for years either through personal or family interaction, and this connection has landed you the job. The relationship will be tested and perhaps marred forever by what could very well be a nightmare of a project. This family friend believes he deserves a “special” price and unbridled access to your work. They will sometimes unwittingly belittle your work or not take it seriously because of their personal connection to you.

Identifying Characteristics

These clients are easy to identify because… well, you know them.
Makes such statements as:
- “Could you just throw something together for me?”
- “I don’t want you to think that just because I know you I want you to cut me a deal.”
- “You’re going to charge me what?! But we go way back!”

How to Deal

The way to deal with this client depends on how well you know them and how much you value your relationship with them. But remember that anyone who would take advantage of such a relationship is not truly a friend, so respond accordingly. An honest approach could end up saving the relationship. But start off with a professional, not personal, tone, and they may follow your lead. Of course, if you truly value the relationship, you may want to pass on the job altogether.

The Under-Valuer

Image by Maxime Perron Caissy.

Like the family friend described above, this client will devalue your creative contributions. But there is a difference: you do not actually know this person. There is no rationale for their behavior. They feel they should get a “friend’s” pricing rate not because they want to be friends with you, but because they do not see your work as being worth that much… even if they couldn’t do it themselves. Not coming from a creative background or even having had exposure to the arts can mar someone’s appreciation of the work that you do. After years in our field, we make it look easy, and that is what the under-valuer sees.

Identifying Characteristics

Does not respond to questions in a timely fashion.
Makes such statements as:
- “It’s not like it takes much effort on your part.”
- “Couldn’t you just throw something together for me?”
- “How hard can this really be?”

How to Deal

Confidence is key here. You know what your work demands and how well you do your job. The under-valuer will recognize this confidence. Don’t back down or concede a point to the client when discussing your role in the project. Standing firm will establish the professional and respectful tone you deserve. If the client does not respond in kind, cut your losses and decline their project.

The Nit-Picker

Image by Bob Smith.

This client is never fully satisfied with the work you do and will constantly pick on minor details here and there that they dislike and want changed. Do not be surprised if they ask you to change these same details over and over ad nauseam. It is not a sign of disrespect (as it is with the other clients), but simply the nature of the person. They may have been burned in some other project and are now unsatisfied with everything in their path, including your work.

Identifying Characteristics

Complains almost consistently about unrelated things.
Personal outlook comes with a scathing bite.
Makes such statements as:
- “How hard is it to [fill in the blank with any rant]?”
- “I’m really not sure about this element here. It just doesn’t pop!”
- “I don’t think you are really getting it.”

How to Deal

Once again, patience is important (especially if you have some sadistic reason for taking on nit-picking clients). Try to detach yourself from the project as much as possible, so that the constant nit-pickery does not affect you personally. It is easy to feel hurt or get defensive when your work is repeatedly questioned, and you may begin to doubt your skill. But understand that this is not about you or your talent; it is simply a personality trait of the person you are dealing with. And once again, protect yourself in the contract.

The Scornful Saver

Image by Ivan Petrov.

This client has similarities to the nit-picker and under-valuer but is actually impressed with your work and skill set. The criticize you merely to undermine your confidence in an attempt to lower your pricing rate. Unlike some other client types, the scornful saver understands creative people and their processes. But they are cheap and manipulative, and their scheme may have worked in their favor once or twice in the past. So, they continue to subtly abuse the people they hire in the hope of saving every last penny.

Identifying Characteristics

Compliments always come with a less-than-flattering qualifier.
Takes time to respond to questions, sometimes making you ask more than once.
Makes such statements as:
- “I really like what you’ve done overall, but I’m unsure about one or two things.”
- “You may not have gotten exactly what we’re looking for, but you’re close.”

How to Deal

Once again, it is all about confidence. Having a solid understanding of your field and being confident in your knowledge and abilities will keep this client’s manipulation in check. Standing your ground and even calling the client on some of their tactics could shift the balance of power over to you. Be prepared to walk away from the project if the disrespect and manipulation continues. There will be other projects and other clients.

The “I-Could-Do-This-Myself”-er

Image by Maria Beliakova.

Where to begin… When this client farms a project out to you, they make clear to you that they know how to do what they’re hiring you to do but that just don’t have the time to actually do it. They may be working at a firm or an entrepreneur; either way, you are there to pick up their slack. If they’re at a firm, you could be in for an interesting situation; they were likely hired for their particular style and proposals, and now you will have to please two sets of people: the person who hired you and the people who hired him.

Identifying Characteristics

Will generally be (or look) hectic and rushed.
Communication from them often takes the form of short bursts of information.
Makes such statements as:
- “I could easily handle this if my schedule weren’t so full.”
- “Really? Not sure that’s the direction I would’ve gone in, but whatever.”
- “Remember, you are filling my shoes, and they’re pretty big.”

How to Deal

The “I-Could-Do-This-Myself”-er will likely have recognized your talent and skill right away, which is why they hired you. They merely want you to know that this project (and thus you) is not above their ability. And though these reminders will grate on you periodically, they will let you run with your ideas, perhaps offering suggestions or feedback on the final design.

The Control Freak

Image by Michal Zacharzewski.

This client desperately needs to micro-manage every little detail of the project, no matter their qualifications. No decision may be made without their explicit input and approval. This tiresome client forces himself into your workflow, heedless of either invitation or protest, and will demand access to you at whim. The concepts of boundaries and strict work processes are easily lost on the control freak, who constantly disrupts the flow. They may also believe you lack dedication or preparedness, further reinforcing their need to interfere.

Identifying Characteristics

Initial contact is long, detailed and one-sided, with little input sought from you.
Your input remains unsought as the project pushes forward.
Makes such statements as:
- “This way we can keep in contact 24/7 in case you have any questions, or I do.”
- “I really know best what is right for the project and what is not.”
- “What do you mean, I’m distracting you? I am the only thing keeping this project on track!”

How to Deal

If you absolutely must take on this client, for whatever reason, resign yourself to the fact that you will not be steering at any point. You will have to detach yourself from the work because you will have no control at all. You will merely be constructing, not designing, so just let go and let it happen. You may want to exclude this project from your portfolio.

The Dream Client

Image by Piotr Lewandowski.

This client, widely dismissed as a myth, does in fact exist and understands the full scope and artistry of your work. They value your role and creative contributions and want you in the driver’s seat as soon as the project gets underway. They are timely with responses and payments… payments that they did not “negotiate” but rather accepted for what they are. They reflect on your suggestions and have confidence in your capabilities.

Identifying Characteristics

Is enthusiastic about the project and your involvement in it.
Communication shows awareness of and respect for your role.
Makes such statements as:
- “Here’s the brief we prepared. The rest is pretty much up to you.”
- “We like what we’ve seen and trust you’ll do great things for us.”

How to Deal

Don’t brag! Just enjoy the ride and hold on to them for as long as you possibly can!

Wrap-up

Being able to identify the type of client you are dealing with will prepare you for the job ahead. It will also help you decide whether to accept the job in the first place. Your contract will reflect the power dynamics of the project, so the more you know about the client, the better able you will be to adjust the contract as necessary. Have you come across other types of clients in your freelancing career? Please let us know in the comments.

Further Resources

Because contracts are such an important tool, here are some resources to help you draft them.

Using Freelance Graphic Design Contracts
An article by David Airey dealing with the whys and hows of using freelance design contracts.
Business of Design Online Forms
This website offers a number of useful forms, free for downloading and use.
Freelance Contracts
A great contract template that makes it easy for freelancers to fill in their own information.

(al)

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iccudrac: Interview With The Founder Of Icon Finder Martin LeBlanc

1. Can you give us a brief insight on who you are and what you do ?

2. What was your motivation behind creating icon finder?

3. What are your favourite design blogs?

4. What’s your marketing strategy to help build Up Icon Finders awareness across the Design Community?

5. Have you got any future plans or project your currently working on ?

6. Icon Finder has amazing traffic each month could you share some stats with us ?

1. Twitter or facebook ?

2. Superman or batman or Spiderman ?

3. Photoshop or illustrator ?

4. Vectors or brushes ?

Related Posts for Interview With The Founder Of Icon Finder Martin LeBlanc

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iccudrac: Sony pronta a scommettere sul 3D col suo prototipo

iccudrac: How To Identify and Deal With Different Types Of Clients

The Passive-Aggressive

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The Family Friend

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The Under-Valuer

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The Nit-Picker

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The Scornful Saver

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The “I-Could-Do-This-Myself”-er

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The Control Freak

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

The Dream Client

Identifying Characteristics

How to Deal

Wrap-up

Further Resources