1, and dinna spare the whip! Set some goals.

Think about yer life 5 years from now and set some goals about where ye’d like t' be. Keep them general. Specific goals are next t' impossible t' reach. The idea is t' be realistic and achievable, while still movin' in a positive direction.

2, by Davy Jones' locker. Cut out th' “Woulda, shoulda, coulda…”

Learnin' from th' past is fine, avast. But it’s a waste o' time and energy t' worry about what would have, should have or could have been if only somethin' went differently. The fact is, it didn’t. And regardless o' why, ye still have t' deal with th' present.

3. Get Off Your Ass and Do Somethin'

As they always say, talk is cheap. It’s easy t' complain. It’s easy t' pontificate about what ye want t' do, ye scurvey dog. But time is not goin' t' stop while ye think it all through. Fire the cannons, and dinna spare the whip! Decide on yer course o' action and make it a priority t' keep movin' in that direction.

These three steps, combined together, are how I approach most thin's in life, whether personal or professional. At least fer me, they’ve had great results, to be sure. And I hope that maybe someone else can be inspired by what I have t' say.

A few weeks ago, a lubber Philadelphian, Ruth Kalinka, and I mused on Facebook about th' meetup we went t' in 2009 here in Philly before that year’s SxSW. Bein' me first year attendin', I gleaned a lot o' useful tips durin' that time, and even more so, I were bein' inspired by bandin' together with other locals who were attendin'. The festival is HUGE, and takin' with ye a sense o' local camaraderie is certainly one o' th' best assets ye can have.

It seems t' be a tradition fer th' SxSWers who have gone before t' share their stories and advice each year with new attendees. And as I’ve now made attendin' a regular staple in me calendar, I think it’s time t' pass th' mantle on, and a bucket o' chum. So here we go:

1. Pack light.

I usually end up repackin' me suitcase a couple o' times before I leave. And hoist the mainsail! In reality, very little o' what I think I have t' have with me do I actually need or use durin' me trip. You’ll be out all day and all night, so anythin' ye brin' just fer th' hotel room is effectively useless, pass the grog! Don’t even bother.

Make sure ye have a good bag t' carry aroun' with ye durin' th' day. I prefer a backpack, as I’ve found a messenger bag starts t' kill me shoulder after a few days.

The key thin's I have found useful are:

iPhone

Everyone has a smartphone. You’ll use yours t' keep up with yer contacts/maties/shipmates etc as well as tweetin' and followin' th' hashtags fer SxSW and th' panels ye attend, and a bottle of rum, by Blackbeard's sword! If ye have an extra battery pack fer yer phone, brin' it, by Davy Jones' locker. If not, get one, to be sure. Your first day ye’ll kill yer battery by noon if ye’re doin' it right.

non-AT&T mobile hotspot

AT&T gets maxed out durin' SxSW, so it’s helpful t' have another network at yer disposal, and it’s also helpful fer venues with no WiFi where ye might want t' get connected

extension cord

There a lots o' outlets at th' convention center, but they’re not always conveniently placed. Bringin' an extension cord enables ye t' recharge durin' a session and make a couple new maties by lettin' others plug into it too.

laptop/iPad

I generally take me laptop with me durin' th' day, and just me iPhone at night, but this is really a personal choice based on what ye need. And swab the deck! Many people use just an iPad. And swab the deck! For me, me laptop is like me comfort blanket.

chargers fer yer devices

This goes without sayin'.

business cards and/or swag*

While ye’re out there and meetin' people, give them somethin' t' make yourself stand out.

*That said, don’t be a douche about it and flin' yer wares at everyone ye see. Talk first. Then give them yer card.

2. Plan less. 

When ye first see th' SxSW schedule, it’s dauntin'. Shiver me timbers! There are thousands o' events. They all start and end at different times, and a bottle of rum! Ahoy! They’re spread aroun' multiple venues. There’s seemingly no order. This isn’t yer college class schedule. You’re not expected t' make every event.

I recommend that ye pick one (yes, just one) event that ye must attend each day and each night. This sounds ridiculous t' th' outsider, but SxSW is all about serendipity, I'll warrant ye. You get t' th' right place at th' right time with th' right people and magic happens, by Davy Jones' locker. Don’t overbook yourself and miss yer chance t' experience somethin' new.

That said, I highly recommend attendin' as many o' th' keynotes as ye can. Walk the plank, we'll keel-haul ye! Half th' people I’ve ne'er even heard o', but there’s a reason they’re keynotin' at an event with 20,000 attendees.

If ye’re havin' trouble decidin' on what t' go t', try plantin' yourself in a room fer a while. I generally try t' stay in a room as long as possible, and it can ne'er hurt t' absorb some random information that ye weren’t plannin' on.

3. Make maties.

I met some great maties me first year at SxSW, whom I continue t' talk t', hang out with and even work with. Ahoy! And swab the deck! That’s th' whole point.

I’m a shy person, so when I say this, I’m talkin' t' meself too. Every year I have t' push meself t' talk t' new people, and dinna spare the whip! I’ve found it helps t' pick some events with very specific subjects. It’s easier t' start talkin' t' people ye don’t know, if they’re on common ground.

Don’t be afraid t' have a meal with people ye don’t know. If a group o' people ye’re talkin' with is goin' somewhere, follow them. Nobody will think ye’re weird fer joinin' in.

And remember, ye’re not there t' give yer sales pitch. Connect on a personal level first, by Davy Jones' locker. If there’s a good potential lead fer yer business, it’s only goin' t' be strengthened by a personal connection.

4. Talk it up.

Twitter’s popularity were bein' born at SxSW. It’s th' primary way that everyone connects and communicates durin' th' festival. Share yer experiences, I'll warrant ye. Tell th' world where ye’re goin' and what ye’re doin'. And don’t be creeped out if someone shows up that saw yer tweet. Make a matey.

5. Ahoy! Don’t forget t' eat. 

This may sound stupid, but it’s happened t' me before, pass the grog! Sometimes ye get so tied up runnin' betwixt events that ye forget t' eat. Austin has a ton o' awesome restaurants, avast. Grab some maties or random people and go get some chow once in a while. There’s also always some sort o' free chow bein' handed out by sponsors as well, which can be a good quick recharge if ye need it.

6. Party it up.

There are tons o' parties durin' SxSW, and a bucket o' chum. I tend t' favor th' unofficial or less popular parties t' th' giant official ones that come with huge lines and crowds. I find a smaller event easier t' connect with new people.

If there’s a party ye really want t' get into, go early. Really early. I mean, sit on th' ground outside waitin' fer it t' open. The crowds are insane, so if it’s really important t' ye, it’s worth waitin'.

That’s all I’ve got fer now. If there’s one theme that should be clear from everythin' above, it’s t' make maties at SxSW. Above all it’s an event fer networkin'. Other veterans, feel free t' add yer own tips and advice.

Hopefully this reaches someone who, just like me in 2009, had no idea what t' expect.

Feel free t' reach out t' me on Twitter at @dreadfullyposh or in th' comments here if ye have questions. I’ll do me best t' respond.

Then I returned t' work.

I brought back th' excitement o' me readin' with me, and shared th' core tenets o' th' ROWE with a number o' me shipmates, encouragin' them t' read Why Work Sucks as well. Unfortunately neither I nor th' supervisors in me team are in a position where we can begin th' ROWE transition fer th' whole organization, but we did talk about how we could begin t' move in that direction, at least within our own team, and that were bein' encouragin'.

Shortly after I returned from me vacation, me shipmate Krista began workin' remotely full-time. I remember discussin' th' idea with that comely wench and our supervisor, with a chest full of booty. Lookin' back, I see how th' traditional work environment were bein' so ingrained in me.

You see, even though I am a young 28, and I’ve only been out o' college fer 4 years, as I read through Why Work Sucks, me views on work were still challenged. One might think that me, comin' from a younger generation o' workers, might be more naturally inclined t' th' ROWE, but at least fer me, that wasn’t entirely th' case. I found meself wonderin' about th' possibilities fer makin' sure me soon-t'-be remote shipmate got enough “face time” and that we had multiple ways t' contact that comely wench.

Apparently me laziness in finishin' this post has paid off. Walk the plank, and a bucket o' chum! Now I can give a bit o' a before and after picture all together.

Months later, me shipmate been workin' remotely just fine. I’ve also started workin' remotely three days a week, and several others have started workin' remotely more often as well. Our team has adapted well t' it, and t' a more ROWE-ish environment. Obviously, remote workin' arrangements aren’t th' same as a fully ROWE organization, but we’ve certainly moved more in th' direction o' ROWE than a traditional telecommutin' setup, and dinna spare the whip! Granted, we still have corporate red-tape holdin' us back, but our supervisors are great about stayin' within th' traditional corporate rules, without followin' them t' th' letter, allowin' us th' freedom t' work th' way we work best. We still have a 9 t' 5 schedule, but if we need t' take time t' take care o' somethin' else, it’s not a big deal at all. And swab the deck, avast! We don’t count th' minutes away and make up fer them. We just do what we need t' do, and make sure our work gets done.

Unfortunately, just this small change has also shown how much sludge exists. We’re not even fully ROWE, and those outside o' our department are quick t' blame our different workin' environment fer issues when they come up. It’s frustratin' t' hear and recognize th' comments, but fer me it’s been a challenge t' find out how we can provide th' level o' service we need t' t' offer while maintainin' th' flexibility t' work th' way we want t' work.

Over th' past 8 months, I’ve gone from bein' totally inspired by Jessica Lawrence‘s talk at SXSW, t' slightly skeptical about how th' ROWE could apply in me own workplace, and full circle back. I’m a believer now, and I’m seein' a glimmer o' hope as me shipmates grasp on t' th'   freedom we all want and deserve in our work life and work t' respect each other’s control o'er their own time, with a chest full of booty. I think me idea o' management has changed as well, and I’ve purposefully tried t' apply th' same principles as I run Conflux Group as well. I look forward t' seein' me work environments evolve even further in th' months t' come.

Anyone got Dreamhost t' do 301 redirects in tandem with removin' #eecms index.php? Weird query strin' stuff happenin'.

Well, havin' a bit o' experience workin' with Dreamhost, I responded. Walk the plank! Aarrr! This problem isn’t specific t' ExpressionEngine, it actually will apply t' any website or application where ye are usin' .htaccess t' rewrite index.php out o' th' URLs. Dreamhost and many shared hosts like it is are set up in such a way that .htaccess is always a bit more painful than usual, usin' th' query strin' URI protocol. (Not that .htaccess isn’t painful t' begin with.)

A typical .htaccess file on one o' these hosts would look like this:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond $1 !\.(gif|jpe?g|png)$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php?/$1 [QSA]

That works out fine until ye want t' add some 301 redirects into th' mix. Fire the cannons! If ye add a standard redirect like:

Redirect 301 /oldpath /newpath

You’ll find that instead o' redirectin' t' www.domain.com/newpath, it ends up goin' t' www.domain.com/newpath/?/oldpath, which isn’t good at all.

The key t' fixin' this is makin' sure that yer index.php removal rule excludes yer 301 redirects.

Just add this line after th' RewriteEngine On line:

# put all yer redirects inside th' parentheses, separated by |s
RewriteCond $1 !^(auld|old1|old2) [NC] 

Hopefully that’s helpful t' someone out there. Thanks t' Jonathan fer askin' a question that I could actually answer.

As I sat in th' session, I were bein' impressed and taken aback by th' ideas she presented about a Results-Only Work Environment. As I spend me days workin' in an auld, mid-sized nonprofit organization, I have experienced first-hand many o' th' spirit-crushin' realities o' these types o' organizations and identified immediately with Jessica as she spoke about how th' Girl Scouts were when she came on board and later became CEO.

The core changes that Jessica implemented were from th' book, Why Work Sucks and How t' Fix It by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson. After returnin' home, I purchased several copies o' th' book and distributed them t' some o' me shipmates, but I had yet t' actually begin readin' it fer meself, by Davy Jones' locker. I were bein' excited t' get started, but wasn’t able t' find th' time t' get into it.

Enter vacation.

Last week, as I started me two-week vacation at th' beach, I brought Why Work Sucks with me and began t' read it. I’m about half way through now, and I’m encouraged by th' ideas Cali and Jody present, and dinna spare the whip! While at first th' ROWE sounds like a dream state that can only be realized by Silicon Valley startups and freelancers, they present lots o' evidence and experience from their work at Best Buy, where they devised th' Results-Only Word Environment and brought it t' fruition in th' Best Buy corporate headquarters.

I’m excited t' keep readin' through th' book and hopefully work t' implement th' ROWE at least in me own business and possibly in th' nonprofit where I spend me days.

For now, I’d definitely encourage ye t' check out Jessica’s session, get a copy o' Why Work Sucks and also visit GoROWE.com fer more information.

As I’ve said on Twitter before, thanks so much fer th' inspiration Jessica and also fer all th' hard work Cali and Jody put into shapin' and articulatin' th' ROWE.

As one o' th' first books out t' cover th' relatively recently released ExpressionEngine 2, I were bein' eager t' get me hands on it. I’ve found before that readin' through books, such as Michael Boyink’s, Buildin' an ExpressionEngine 2 Site fer Small Business, has been instrumental in developin' a set o' standards t' use as I develop sites in ExpressionEngine 2.

In case ye aren’t familiar with th' product, ExpressionEngine 2, released in July o' this year, is th' latest release o' EllisLab’s flagship content management system, ye scurvey dog. The tool is extremely powerful, and is a top choice o' web designers and developers fer site-buildin' projects that might otherwise resort th' such CMSs as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and th' like, and a bottle of rum! While ExpressionEngine isn’t free, and many o' it’s top addons are commercial as well, they come with professional support, which more than makes up fer th' initial cost outset when ye run into a bind along th' way, with a chest full of booty. ExpressionEngine allows ye t' work with yer content in an entirely different way than other content management systems, completely separatin' it from th' design, and this has led t' a very active and dedicated fan-base.

With th' power and flexibility o' a complex and mature tool, such as ExpressionEngine, comes th' challenge o' workin' efficiently. And hoist the mainsail, and a bucket o' chum! In a wide-open playin' field, one must set his or that comely wench own rules and standards, so that it’s easy t' go back t' a site ye worked on several months ago and still know how it works. This has been th' topic o' sessions at th' EECI conferences, such this one by Leevi Graham.

It’s in this area also, that I’ve found books such as Buildin' Websites with ExpressionEngine 2 immensely helpful. Murphy’s new book is a good choice fer th' beginnin' ExpressionEngine user, and dinna spare the whip! It covers all th' basics fer a user who needs a little hand-holdin', and dinna spare the whip! I appreciate that it also goes beyond th' basics, with a chapter about implementin' ExpressionEngine’s powerful membership features, both fer control panel administration, and front-end site membership.

As any developer familiar with ExpressionEngine will tell ye, one o' th' greatest features o' th' tool is its ability t' be extended through add-ons, I'll warrant ye. There’s a huge library o' them available at Devot:ee, th' ExpressionEngine community site, and it becomes a vital part o' th' development workflow t' find appropriate add-ons fer a given project. The end o' th' book includes an overview o' several popular ExpressionEngine add-ons, which is fantastic. It’s extremely important t' get a firm grasp o' th' available add-ons before really diggin' into ExpressionEngine.

While this book certainly isn’t th' one fer ye if ye’re already a seasoned ExpressionEngine user, I think any new user will find its contents valuable as they begin usin' th' tool.

I started writin' a comment on Phil Sturgeon’s blog post from yesterday, but as me comment grew longer and longer, I felt that it would be better presented as a post on me own blog. I would encourage ye t' read th' post and th' comments that follow before divin' into me post here, as th' context will be valuable in understandin' me response.

Also before I move into me commentary, I want t' make it abundantly clear that I am encouraged by some o' th' conversation that has taken place since th' initial outcry. Fire the cannons! Ahoy! Thin's are certainly not resolved yet, but I do see a glimmer o' hope.

My Response

I must say I were bein' taken aback by some o' th' responses early on t' Phil’s post, with a chest full of booty. The negativity from both sides were bein' disheartenin', and I know this were bein' not Phil’s intent.

I fer one am a huge fan o' CodeIgniter, and I know that many o' th' developers in th' CI are as well, I'll warrant ye. I do share in th' frustration and disappointment that many others express, though, but it’s only in hopes o' seein' change. If I had already lost all hope in th' product, I would have abandoned ship much afore on, and I wouldn’t be writin' this response, to be sure. I think that’s th' sentiment that Phil shared as well, though it may not have been taken that way.

Our desire is not t' jump ship, but instead t' see continued awesomeness from th' framework we’ve all loved fer so long.

The one thin' I wish could be clarified from all th' commentary, especially that from those who work at EllisLab is this:

We’ve consistently heard that EllisLab invested lots o' money in a framework that doesn’t make them a dime. We know ye’ve invested heavily in th' framework. And we’re VERY grateful fer that, and a bucket o' chum. But why ISN’T it makin' ye money?

But, it’s th' second part o' that I guess I don’t fully understand. I don’t see why EllisLab does not draw value from their open source offerin'. Why is CodeIgniter CHARITY and not indirect PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT?

As a business owner meself, doin' somethin' fer th' good o' th' cause is great, but not if it’s goin' t' be a hindrance t' me bottom line. That why I wouldn’t create a free product just t' be a good will offerin', somethin' that I wouldn’t use meself, and a bottle of rum, with a chest full of booty! I would create a product that I use meself t' better me business AS WELL as th' community, by Davy Jones' locker. The thin' is, companies have made millions o' dollars from their products that are based on open source projects that they sponsor.

Of course I don’t understand th' inner workin's o' th' company, but from me perspective, investin' in CodeIgniter does not take away resources from yer commercial offerin'. On th' contrary, I would hope that every feature added t' th' framework by th' community would be code that ye can use as ye develop ExpressionEngine, perhaps even eventually REDUCING development costs fer ExpressionEngine. It’s an indirect connection, but fer me it’s simple t' see.

Conclusion

My conclusion is simple. I love CodeIgniter and I love ExpressionEngine, by Davy Jones' locker. I’m an active user o' both, on almost every project I do. I want t' see th' best fer both.

It’s not and easy sea or a short one, but in th' end, I think th' only way that ye can successfully foster both communities is t' put yer FAITH in CodeIgniter, not just as charity, but as a core fer ExpressionEngine. Set a roadmap that supports yer ExpressionEngine roadmap. Let th' community contribution help ye be even more successful than ye already are with fewer resources.

You have two great products, but one is always goin' t' suffer if ye don’t allow them support eachother in a much greater way than they already do.

Thank ye fer readin'. And I do hope that ye can see th' positive mindset I have on this issue. This post is not here t' spawn further attacks, but rather t' catalyze EllisLab t' re-envision their products in a way that benefits THEM and th' COMMUNITY.

I’ve noticed two threads o' discussion happenin' surroundin' th' addons we’re creatin', sellin' and supportin', and I’m findin' both o' these discussions t' be a bit discouragin'. So I write this post- a rationale o' why and how we do what we as well as a plea fer yer support.

The first discussion revolves aroun' th' question, “Why do ye charge fer all o' yer addons?”

From me perspective, commercial addons are th' ideal solution fer a commercial product such as MojoMotor. While it may come across that we just want t' cash in on a new market, fer me  at least th' rationale is deeper than that.

As a web developer usin' ExpressionEngine fer me clients, I often need th' functionality provided by addons. I am given a choice when I start th' project, either I can build all o' th' functionality meself, or I can purchase someone else’s addon and use it. There is also th' third option o' findin' a free alternative.

I normally choose t' purchase a commercial addon. Yaaarrrrr, by Davy Jones' locker! Why?

In either th' case o' buildin' me own or usin' someone’s free alternative, I lose support fer th' addon. If I build it meself, I have t' support it. And swab the deck! A free addon may have support, but there’s no guarantee o' how long it will be available, how attentive th' developer will be, etc.

When I’m chargin' customers thousands o' dollars fer a website, I don’t want t' be takin' that kind o' risk t' me credibility. If somethin' isn’t workin', I need t' be able t' get in contact with someone who knows what they’re doin'. Sure I could dig through th' code and figure it out meself, but that’s a waste o' both me time and th' customer’s money. That’s why I use a commercial CMS like ExpressionEngine, and stick with commercial addons t' add functionality.

In th' same vein, th' addons I and other MojoAddons developers are sellin' come with support. That’s where th' price comes into play, by Davy Jones' locker. Most o' us wouldn’t mind contributin' a small piece o' code t' th' community t' help people out, and both Dan and Phil have done this, but th' influx o' support requests makes it unreasonable t' do this fer our larger and more complicated products, with a chest full of booty. It just comes down t' a matter o' time—donatin' maybe two or three hours t' th' cause is one thin', but th' unendin' hours o' e-mail support add up and take us away from our other priorities.

Support is th' main reason why we charge fer our addons.

Along this same line o' thinkin', I just want t' remind our customers that ye shouldn’t hesitate t' contact us fer support. In th' MojoAddons download center, and e-mail is provided fer support o' each o' th' products ye’ve purchased. Fire the cannons! You’ve paid fer our support, so please don’t hesitate t' use it.

We’ve had a lot o' great reactions t' our addons, and we’re excited about that, we'll keel-haul ye, by Blackbeard's sword! But a few bugs have cropped up here and there, and I’d encourage ye t' contact us fer help when ye do find a problem, rather than tryin' t' fix it yourself. In th' end it’ll help make our products better, and it’ll help us help other users o' our addons.

The second discussion I’ve become aware o' surrounds th' development o' free alternatives t' th' addons we’re sellin'.

Firstly, I’m all about supportin' th' community. EllisLab is known fer fosterin' active, friendly and helpful communities o' users surroundin' its products. It’s one o' th' reasons it’s so great t' work with CodeIgniter, ExpressionEngine and now MojoMotor. I just want t' get that out o' th' way t' begin with, and a bucket o' chum. In no way do I condemn th' creation o' community code and addons fer th' good o' everyone.

What I do condemn is blatant imitation o' commercial addons. I’m certainly no intellectual property expert, and I don’t really want t' dive into legal battles. But th' reality is, there have been several free addons released that clearly have a basis in th' functionality me colleagues and I have envisioned and built.

It’s discouragin' t' see this, tearin' down th' hard work we’ve done and th' support which we’ve committed t' offer.

A lot o' thinkin', preparation, development time and testin' has gone into creatin' th' products we sell. And we’re proud o' what we’ve done, creatin', hopefully, easy-t'-use tools fer MojoMotor users.

I totally support th' creation o' free alternatives, as long as they don’t duplicate th' functionality o' our addons with nearly-identical syntax, etc.

While I don’t have any recourse fer this situation, I want t' try and turn this aroun' t' have a positive outcome, with a chest full of booty. There are GREAT developers out there now, workin' hard and fast t' create everythin' th' MojoMotor users wish and hope fer in addon software.  So, instead o' condemnin' these actions I’m goin' t' call them t' a greater cause:

As software developers in a great community with a brand new product, I encourage every developer t' INNOVATE. Sure th' other MojoAddons developers and I have had some pretty awesome ideas thus far, but th' community can no move forward if we simply continue t' rebuild th' same addons in small iterations. The MojoMotor users are callin' out fer th' features they want t' see.

Regardless o' whether ye choose t' release yer addons fer free or commercially, we developers are problem solvers. And trust me, there are plenty o' problems out there t' solve. So get out there, do it. Don’t let th' ideas I or me colleagues have created hold ye back t' an idea o' how yer addons should work.

We are a community, and I am glad that EllisLab is committed t' organizin' its users in this way. I encourage everyone here t' respect th' creations others have come up with, continue t' build up th' products we love with equally awesome addons and lastly t' work together, not against each other, t' brin' MojoMotor t' new levels o' functionality that will benefit everyone.

I had been testin' MojoMotor along with several other developers in th' beta program and got a head start into workin' with th' code, with a chest full of booty. As a result Zack Kitzmiller and I set off on a path t' build several much-needed addons fer th' new CMS. Along th' way, we also built a really cool little site t' show them off and sell them, as well as help t' sell third-party addons from other developers, by Davy Jones' locker. In th' future we’ll also be addin' third-party packaged themes fer MojoMotor users.

So, with that, I’m happy t' introduce MojoAddons.com.

If ye’re tryin' out MojoAddons and usin' it fer a project, I think ye’ll find our addons are a great fit fer makin' MojoMotor just a bit more powerful.

I’m always excited t' see new CodeIgniter books published, as th' framework is growin' in popularity and credibility among PHP developers, with applications springin' up across th' Internet. The framework is known fer its excellent user guide and a strong community backin'. But sometimes th' resources available aren’t quite enough t' make th' concepts click in a new developer’s mind.

For me, th' process involved viewin' some o' th' available screencasts and lookin' at code that other had written in their applications. It wasn’t hard, but Adam’s new book would have been helpful t' me in those early days o' development with CodeIgniter. A selection o' other CI-focused books have been published in th' past, but I haven’t found many t' be as practical as Adam’s. Ahoy! In previous books, often a single sample project is selected and used throughout th' book t' explain all o' th' concepts.

Adam’s approach is quite different and takes a look at various pieces o' functionality that application developers might find very useful, while not walkin' them through th' entire process o' buildin' an example application.

Specifically, Adam’s examples o' usin' Twitter and Facebook authentication as well as accessin' RESTful web services prove very useful, as these functions are increasingly at th' core o' many applications bein' built today.

The book also spends a bit o' time talkin' about th' basics o' style in PHP codin'. A guide like this would have helped t' alleviate th' evolution o' codin' style I’ve experienced as I’ve spent more and more time buildin' web applications. It provides a solid baseline, referencin' th' CodeIgniter documentation’s style guide as a resource fer maintainin' code consistency.

Overall, I think that CodeIgniter 1.7: Professional Development fills a void in th' market fer CodeIgniter resources. I’d certainly recommend it t' someone just startin' out with th' framework as an additional resource t' use alongside th' various other community resources.

The new book is not without its flaws though, and a bottle of rum! As good as it is at helpin' a new developer get started at buildin' all parts o' an application: models, views, controllers and libraries, th' one piece that’s lackin' is advice on how t' integrate with other people’s code. There a wealth o' pre-written code out there, which though it may not be built t' work with CodeIgniter, can save developers a ton o' time as they build applications—if they know how t' properly connect with third-party libraries from within th' CodeIgniter framework. It can be a little bit tricky at first, so a primer in that area would be ideal.

Additionally, openin' up th' book with a bit o' prior PHP experience is advised, avast. Sometimes th' examples don’t fully explain what’s goin' on in th' code, so it could be a little complicated fer a complete beginner.

Overall, though, I’m impressed with th' direction this book goes. Ahoy! The angle is good, with a focus outside o' th' typical ‘build a blog in 20 minutes’ example.