Why seeed rather than seed–I'm not sure but it sure is memorable (because of the peculiarity). Seeed.org is a new web development community started by the Litmus guys. I've enjoyed talking with fellow web devs and the people behind a lot of web app startups. Issues range from usability to marketing–definitely worth while if your developing a web app.
The end is in sight. The bulk of the functionality is coded. It's time to start marketing Homeschooling Together. We've had a holding page up for a while but nobody knows about it (well, not exactly: one person put in his email address). I've finished developing the blog and I've written a short post to introduce the website (with some screenshots.)
Now we'll start telling people about it.
300+ new features in Apple's new operating system? Unconvinced? Apple has set up a web page that details each feature. While most of the features have already been discovered and previewed on other websites, this is a good way for those of us who haven't been paying a lot of attention to catch up. I found out quite a few useful features that I hadn't heard about before like Automator's UI recording and playback and Spotlight's web history search.
I have used Blogger to manage most of my blogs over the years and have been mostly satisfied with the site. For the most part, the site is very easy to use.
Problem
Blogger likes to use pop up windows. For example, when you click the image icon (to upload an image) a pop up window guides you through the process. I generally dislike pop up windows but tolerate them. That all changed today... I decided to put a list of links up on this blog. It was easy enough to figure out–I just go to the template tab and add a new "links" element... Arggh, a pop up window...thats okay, I'll just fill this form out and add the links. 5 minutes later–I'm done! Okay, press "save changes".
Your request could not be processed. Please try again.
No! Seven valuable minutes wasted. [closes window]...Try again, with fewer links. Same error. Try again. And again. Boom! Works. Finally, the popup window says it works. [go back to template section]...
???
There are three link elements. The first list was gone but the second, third, and fourth lists all went through (even though the pop up window said "try again"). Why all the confusion? Because of the pop up window. Popups provide desynchronization, interface disconnect (what if I close the "templates" window?), and usually a slower interface. Blogger, could you quit using them so extensively?
Apologies for the rant.
UPDATE: Solution
Since Blogger has already committed to javascript, why not go all the way and let me edit my link list inline in the template window? Why not let me add elements right there on the page instead of opening up an unreliable popup window? Blogger devs, if you want a mock up of what I'm talking about, I'd be obliged. There may be something I am overlooking here but it just doesn't make sense to use popups in the way Blogger is using them and it seems old fashioned and sluggish in this ajaxy age that we live in.
I'm going to contact Blogger and let them know about my problems with popups (I know they care what their users think). If enough people contact them, maybe they'll do something about it.
My family has been working on a Homeschooling related startup for a few months now. We are getting semi-close to launch time so we are about to begin telling people about the website publicly. I've been working on the blog and teaser page for the last two days (I'll post the links here very soon).
I recently re-read 37 Signal's Getting Real book (a great read) which inspired me to do a "hollywood" launch (with a teaser site, then a preview site before launch so that when launch comes, you have a database of email addresses to which you can announce the site's launch). So I've been scouring the web for experiences and techniques from people who have actually used this tactic (most "web 2.0" websites). I could barely find anything. Maybe I just need to learn what key words to use, but any how, I'll do my best to blog the my experiences (from developing the pre-launch site to what the reaction is like).
This via TechCrunch. Sketchcast.com, a tool that allows users to make "sketchcasts", just went live. A sketch cast is like a digital whiteboard presentation with optional audio commentary. Aside from the obvious limitations of using a mouse for sketching, the tool worked very well. Its actually a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure I'll find some practical use for it in the future.
I've embedded the sketchcast of the sketchcast.com founder explaining what sketchast.com is and how it can help.
UPDATE: [Removed embedded sketchcast. It was causing flash to run slowly.]
I've been so busy with school and my latest web application that I've found it hard to justify blogging time. I hope to post more once I'm able to speak more freely about my latest web application.
What I've been working on is for a very specific market. As the teaser below makes pretty clear, the market is parents who homeschool. My family happens to know quite a bit about that market because we happen to be a homeschooling family. We've had a lot of ups and downs. A lot of success and some failure. But we've recognized a need and we are working on meeting the need in a way that will help homeschooling families in general as well as provide a nice family business for us. The cost to us is mainly time as we are designing and developing the app completely in house... Literally. The main cost to us will be hosting and that is relatively cheap.
Progress? We are getting fairly close to being able to show what we've been working on. I expect to launch something publically before the year is out (no promises).
Below is a little teaser. It is a snapshot of one of the later mockups I've been working on.
Thoughts, developments, and updates on web stuff—UI, social web design (especially as it applies to universities), Rails, and probably a lot more by Jeremy Olson, a student going to UNC Charlotte and working at Skookum.