Recently I was contacted by a good buddy of mine to do some poster art for an upcoming event in November. It focuses on Cyber Bullying and the harsh effects it has on today’s teens.

Here’s the link to the event if you’d like to go!  http://mixedcompanytheatre.eventbrite.ca/

It’ll be a great show. I’ve personally had the opportunity to see one of these shows live, and I was blown away. Great actors, awesome audience interaction, with a fun and upbeat vibe.

Here’s an excerpt from some of the marketing material that outlines what SHOWDOWN 2.0 is exactly.

SHOWDOWN 2.0 is an interactive, Forum Theatre performance that tackles the issue of bullying in a hyper-connected, ever-changing technological landscape. Developed in consultation with High school students, SHOWDOWN 2.0 is a hard-hitting and realistic portrayal of bullying, exploring how technology is influencing the actions and outcomes of violence and harassment.

First of all, we’ll need a list with checkboxes.

list.php

<tr class="row1">
    <td onclick="bulkSelect('leads-index.php', 'check1');" class="check1">
        <input type="checkbox" value="1" name="bulkAction[]" id="check1">
    </td>
    <td>List Item 1</td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
    <td onclick="bulkSelect('leads-index.php', 'check2');" class="check2">
        <input type="checkbox" value="2" name="bulkAction[]" id="check2">
    </td>
    <td>List Item 2</td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
    <td onclick="bulkSelect('leads-index.php', 'check3');" class="check3">
        <input type="checkbox" value="3" name="bulkAction[]" id="check3">
    </td>
    <td>List Item 3</td>
</tr>

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session_start(); //start session
 
if (!isset($_SESSION['bulkSelect'])) {
    $_SESSION['bulkSelect'] = array();
}
 
/* STANDALONE FUNCTION */
/* CREATE A LIST OF SELECTED ID'S */
//   Use this function to create an array of ids for rows that are selected. Used for bulk actions.
//   Sample array:
//
//		Array
//		(
//			[Email_Blaster] => Array
//				(
//					[1] => 34
//					[3] => 43
//					[5] => 45
//				)
//		
//			[Leads_Manager] => Array
//				(
//					[1] => 33
//					[2] => 34
//					[3] => 45
//				)	
//		)
 
if (!function_exists('bulkSelect')) {
	function bulkSelect($array, $page, $child, $type) {
 
		//Add to the array
		if ($type == "add") {
 
			//Check to see if the keyname exists, and if not, create it
			if (array_key_exists($page, $array) == false) {
 
				//The key does not exist, create it and add a child id
				$array[$page] = array($child);				
 
			} else {
 
				//The key does exist, check for an id
				if (in_array($child, $array[$page]) == false) {
 
					//ID was not found, push it to the current array (with associated page name)
					array_push($array[$page], $child);
				}
 
			}	
 
			//Add everything back into the session
			$_SESSION['bulkSelect'] = $array;		
 
		} 
 
		//Remove from the array	
		if ($type == "remove") {
 
			$pos = array_search($child, $array[$page]);
			unset($array[$page][$pos]);
 
			//Add everything back into the session
			$_SESSION['bulkSelect'] = $array;
 
		}
 
		//Return a JSON formatted string (for use with jQuery)
		if ($type == "return") {
 
			//{"html":["45197","45196","45078","45077","3424"]}
			$return = '{"html":["';
			$total = count($_SESSION['bulkSelect'][$page]);	
			for($i = 0; $i < $total; $i++) {
 
				$return .= $_SESSION['bulkSelect'][$page][$i];				
				if ($i != $total-1) { $return .= '","'; }
 
			}	
			$return .= '"]}';
			return $return;
		}
 
		//Kill the session and start over
		if ($type == "kill") {
			unset($_SESSION['bulkSelect']);
			$_SESSION['bulkSelect'] = array();
		}
 
	}
}
//END FUNCTION///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Leads_Manager", "111", "add");
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Leads_Manager", "444", "add");
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Leads_Manager", "333", "add");
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Leads_Manager", "222", "add");
 
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Leads_Manager", "222", "add");
 
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Email_Blaster", "111", "add");
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Email_Blaster", "222", "add");
bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Email_Blaster", "333", "add");
 
echo '<pre>';
 
print_r($_SESSION['bulkSelect']);
 
echo '<br/><br/>JSON ENCODED STRING<br/>-------------------<br/>';
 
echo bulkSelect($_SESSION['bulkSelect'], "Leads_Manager", NULL, "return");
 
echo '</pre>';

Returns 

Array
(
    [Leads_Manager] => Array
        (
            [0] => 111
            [2] => 444
            [3] => 333
        )

    [Email_Blaster] => Array
        (
            [0] => 111
            [1] => 222
            [2] => 444
        )
)

JSON ENCODED STRING
-------------------
{"html":["111","444","333"]}

.

This new portfolio site could also take some time too, so I’m going to be using some simple yet effective techniques to present my portfolio.  I currently have 3 projects on the go, so once these are out of the door, I’ll be refocusing inwards again on Mancini Media (perhaps maybe another campaign like the last one??).

If you missed part one of Do I know a ‘guy’, head over to How to choose a web designer part one.

I’m going to cover a few more things to consider when going with the right guy.

A good ‘web guy’ will be able to fit your website into your marketing strategy if you have one. Sometimes you’ve already started a marketing strategy and you’re looking to continue where you’ve left off.  You might have a logo already, and printing material that you’ll want to work from.  In this case, finding someone that can fit into the mix might be a little difficult but it can be done.  You’ll need to look for someone that isn’t head strong and is open to suggestion. willing to roll with what you have already and make decisions based on that.  A good sign of this is someone who listens.  If you’re doing most of the talking during your meetings, that’s a good sign.  This shows that the ‘web guy’ is willing to sit back and let you stir for a bit.  Someone that cuts you off all the time is not going to produce something that you’re looking for because they are usually too busy trying to shove their ideas in your face.  Bad designer… NO!

A good ‘web guy’ won’t charge an arm and a leg, they will be fair.  This is always the ‘touchy’ subject when working with someone on a contract basis, and rightfully so.  It’s hard to trust someone that you just met to give you the best price possible.  Really, you shouldn’t.  The main rule here is going to be to look around, as with any contract work your best bet is to get more than one opinion.  There is a bit more to this though.  Lets just say that you like the person you’re working with, but you still want to get a second opinion.  If your business relationship is strong enough, you should present the cheaper price to your current ‘web guy.’  Be loyal and build a relationship.  I often give clients discounts based on their loyalty. I’m sure they will appreciate you bringing it to light so that they can have a chance to explain why they’ve quoted what they have instead of just dropping ship on them.  If you think the price is fair, but can’t afford it, consider bartering.

Finally, a good ‘web guy’ will work well with others and keep you in the loop throughout your project.  Not hearing from your web guy for a month is not a good sign (even two weeks!).  At the very least, the ‘web guy’ should be consulting with you twice a week to give you an idea of where they are with everything.  Things change and your ‘web guy’ should know this, so interacting with you throughout the project is important.  Please keep in mind though that web designers and graphic artists are people too and can go insane if you bombard them with changes.  Make sure you’re fair!

Sometimes you may need to look to 2 to 3 people to get all of these skill sets.  You could start with a graphic artist for your branding, design, and marketing strategy, and then switch over to a programmer to do the development.  But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a guy that can manage your whole project for you (I won’t mention any names).

One final thing to keep in mind when you’re looking for a designer.  There isn’t a ‘perfect’ guy out there that is going to be Great at what they do, Fast, and super Cheap. But out of the 3, you should get 2, in any combination that you’d like.  A great site, done quickly will probably cost more than what you’re willing to pay.  A fast and cheap website probably won’t be very good.  And a great site done for a cheap price probably won’t be coming to you very quickly.

Good, Cheap, Fast; pick the two you’re comfortable with and go look for your ‘web guy!’  I found a great graphic, I love the addition of Free…  awesome.

These are your options when getting your website created. Pingback: http://www.sanitaryum.com/2011/08/31/funny-written-stuff/how-would-you-like-your-graphic-design-chart/

Here is the recap of this 5 part series:

• First of all, do I have domain name? If not, what should it be? What is my niche market and why is this important?
• Do I have a hosting provider?
• Do I know a ‘guy?’  Part One | Part Two (This Post)
• Who should I hire if I don’t know anyone?  Where should I look for web design services?
• What should my website achieve?  Do I have a product to sell?

Cheers,
Hammer Bro
@ManciniMedia

Yup… for real.  Click the picture to hit the Facebook page to participate.

Cheers,
Hammer Bro
@ManciniMedia

I started looking for "Super Nerds" online and got stuck on this website: http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2009/12/super-nerds.html, enjoy.

Today I’m covering “How to choose a web designer.”  This is a crucial step in the whole process as this will directly effect your online business.  In the end, the website that the designer creates is going to either bring in business or just stay stagnant, contributing nothing to your business whatsoever except a loss of money on building the thing in the first place.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the title “Web Designer” is sort of a vague title.  It encompasses so much and anyone who is on the web contributing to the creation of websites will probably consider themselves a “Web Designer.”  So it’s not going to be the title that matters, and in this case you simply cannot judge a book by its cover.  It’s going to be the type of work that they can produce and what they know about the web that differentiates the good from the not so good.  I’ll give you a few important things to consider and from now on I’m going to be calling this person, the ‘web guy/girl.’  But really just ‘web guy’ so it reads a little better.

A good ‘web guy’ will be able to help you determine the overall look of your website.  Starting from a brand you already have, or creating one from scratch.  This will include typography, imagery, page layouts, white space, colours, navigation and will usually come in the form of a Photoshop PSD file.  If they start with questions like “Do you already have a logo,” or “is there a specific website that you’d like yours to look like,” is a good sign.  It means that they are making this website for you and not themselves.  Keep in mind though that the ‘web guy’ shouldn’t be copying another website (and you shouldn’t ask them too either!), it’s simply used as a guide to help the designer get inside your head so that they have an idea of what you’re looking for.  This will usually be stage one in a meeting: the design.

A good ‘web guy’ will be able to create interactivity for your website.  Once the look of the website has been determined, the ‘web guy’ should start asking about functionality.  They should be asking something like “What sort of things would your like your customer to be able to do on your website?”  This is a good place to start.  It really is hard to determine the quality of the programming side of things since it’s all under the hood but there are ways.  Usually at this point if you’d like, for example, an ecommerce website so that your customers can purchase your product online, the best thing you can do is ask to see a project in their portfolio where they’ve accomplished the same task.  This goes the same way for other specific things you’d like to see on your website.  If they’ve already created one, they can do it again.  Another thing to consider is that a good programmer will develop a website with Search Engine Optimization in mind.  They’ll follow W3C guidelines and make sure that their code is neat and tidy.  A good sign to look for in code (if you’re going this far), is comments.  This is a good indicator that the programmer is thorough and is a great habit to get into, every programmer should comment!

Since this post ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated, I’ve decided to split it up into two parts.  Part two to come tomorrow!

Here is the recap of this 5 part series:

• First of all, do I have domain name? If not, what should it be? What is my niche market and why is this important?
• Do I have a hosting provider?
• Do I know a ‘guy?’  (This is a common question that many people ask themselves) (This Post)
• Who should I hire if I don’t know anyone?  Where should I look for web design services?
• What should my website achieve?  Do I have a product to sell?

Cheers,
Hammer Bro
@ManciniMedia

This guy started with a little bit of HTML.

Today you get to see 5 funny things that have made me actually laugh in front of the screen… yup, an actual LOL.  So if you’re reading this with your coffee, drink, then read and laugh.  Not read while drinking and spit all over the screen.  Or you can try it and let me know the results.

The first gem is the Do’s and don’ts with babies.  I’ve added a preview to give you a taste of what’s after the link.  This is worth about 15 minutes and someone needs to continue this series.  As per the website, the end has a blurb that mentions that the pictures are from a book by David and Kelly Sopp. Here’s the book, great for new baby owners.

Next up, Lolcats.  I mean… if you don’t know what lolcats are, you’re probably new around here.  Here’s the run down though; in short they’re user submitted images of cats in various poses with community voted captions.  The result?  I can has cheeseburger.  I know there are others… but I can has cheeseburger is the best one out there.  I can easily kill an hour on this site.

Three,  xkcd.  I’ve never actually looked into why it’s called what it is… but it doesn’t matter in the end.  The comics are set as my home page, every day it loads up a random image, great way to start the day.  Use this link for a random image; http://dynamic.xkcd.com/random/comic/ you can set this as your homepage too.  The simple interface lets you get to the next comic in seconds… another site that’s good for hours.

Know what a meme is?  No?  Awesome.  Do you know how to say it?  No?  Neither do I.  Know your meme is a good place to get informed.  Tons of content, and videos too.  You’ll spend hours here regardless of your bed time.  As a side note, the one to the left is the Xzibit Yo Dawg series… annnnnd apparently he’s super pissed off about it.

Last but certainly not least, and I mentioned him in a previous post of mine, is The Oatmeal.  This guy takes the win.  His comic style is unique and his humor actually makes me laugh out loud, sometimes in a hunched-over position.

Thanks for stopping by! And don’t forget to comment!  Cause apparently there is too much time in my day… HA!

Cheers,
Hammer Bro

Alright, back on topic we go. In the first post within this Startup Series I talked a little bit about how your domain name ties into your niche, and how to choose a domain name that is right for your business in the online world.  I covered a couple tips when it comes to choosing and gave you a couple tools to use along the way.  Nothing over the top, but just enough to get you started.

You’ve come up with an awesome domain name and now you’re wondering what’s next, right?

Well person on the other side of the screen.  Your next step is going to be finding a place to store your website files so that people can look at them.  At this point we hit the next phase of the Startup Series and another question comes up that gets a little bit more technical.

“Hosting, do I even have a hosting provider?” And “What language should my website be in?”

I don’t mean English, French, Polish or Klingon.  I mean programming language and more specifically, server side programming languages.  Generally most web hosts will support the programming language you want to build your website from.  Just to give you an idea of what I’m talking about, an example of a server side language would be PHP (which actually stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, weird right?  It’s an acronym within an acronym within an acrony… you get the picture).  You might also hear ASP.NET or just .NET being tossed around, which stands for Active Server Pages, and uses the windows based .NET framework.

“Woah woah woah… I was promised kittens.”

Ok, I’m sorry, too technical.  Here, this should hold you over.

Click the pic to head over to "Post a picture of the cutest kitten you can find." Ironically posted by a member known as "Time For Destruction!" What?

Ok, so lets skip that techie part.  I didn’t really want to get into it but my nerd took over and for that I apologize.  I did want to bring this up briefly however, because this is something your computer person is going to have to know.  In the next post I’ll cover a bit about what questions you should be asking them.  This is something that you as a client have a right to ask.  Basically, “Can you please find out if my web host can run the programming language you’re going to use to build my website with?”  Moreover, if your website is going to have a database (again, this is something your computer person should know), then they’ll have to find out if your web host can support it.  MySQL server and MS SQL are common database platforms that you might hear being tossed around.

Hold on, hold on.  Just look at that cat’s face and try not to laugh.

So, back to the original question, do you have hosting?  Well, if you’re not sure what it is, then probably not.  As a rule of thumb, in my personal opinion, I try to stick to the local guys here in Canada, I’ll also do research through Google.  Something like “[Insert company name] Reviews” should do the trick.  So far I’ve used three providers in my development years.  Netfirms, GoDaddy and Host Papa.

Netfirms has a really nice administration area, it’s relatively easy to navigate, and they’ve just upgraded their tools.  What I found about them though was that the customer service wasn’t anything spectacular, and things took a bit long to get going.  GoDaddy on the other hand has amazing customer service (in my experience), BUT, for some reason WordPress websites take FOREVER to load and their tools are way too complicated.

This brought me to Host Papa.  Canadian, fair prices, great interface with easy to understand tools, and best of all, they run on Green Energy (energy provided naturally though wind turbines and solar panels).  I haven’t had to deal with their customer service yet, so we’ll see about that.

When it comes down to it, you’ll probably be paying around $100/year for hosting, and about $10/year for your domain name.  You can probably find a bit cheaper, but given the service that Host Papa provides, they are worth it.

As a recap, here’s what’s in this 5 part series:

• First of all, do I have domain name? If not, what should it be? What is my niche market and why is this important?
• Do I have a hosting provider? (This post)
• Do I know a ‘guy?’  (This is a common question that many people ask themselves)
• Who should I hire if I don’t know anyone?  Where should I look for web design services?
• What should my website achieve?  Do I have a product to sell?

Cheers,
Hammer Bro

Best amateur video effects guy on Youtube.

Check out his channel; http://www.youtube.com/freddiew