Improvements
I’ve been doing more and more web development stuff recently, and I think it is going to become a more major part of my business than I first thought. I was browsing Teabass and I realised that I had not finished it and Fishbitt is in a bit of disarray at the moment too.
I can’t go promoting my web development and design skills with half finished websites!
At the moment with my current situation I can’t just fix all these things in one big hit, my day is so crammed up with my temporary day job, driving lessons and something always going on in the evenings and weekends that I’m going to have to make it a gradual process.
I started with Laurens photo website, LaurenF.net, which I finished a while ago but never tested it too much, so I did some browser testing and optimization. It is working really nice and has valid XHTML and CSS. Once I have a bit more free time I want to move it onto rails and setup up a simple backend to allow Lauren to upload photos to it easily.
(I just noticed it needs a favicon and a 404 error page!)
I’ve also been tweaking Teabass as you “should” have noticed, changed from green to blue, made it fit properly inside an 800×600 window and removed the bubble from all but the front page. I still have a few small tweaks to do as well as adding some content in the about section and a page or too. I’m going to be doing a little bit to it every night this week.
(Favicon, png hack, validation, flickr, about and some usability issues still to fix/add)
Once Teabass is sorted I can start to add content to Fishbitt, at the moment it is 1 page and some css on my desktop. You can keep up with news and updates on the Fishbitt developments over at the Fishlog.
I’ve gotten my motivation back, and I’m going to make the most of it.
The website I was sposed to be starting in a weeks time for a big company has decided they wish to do it “in-house” (read big business didnt want to pay relativly cheap web programming costs, I offered a site at £20 per hour, instead wanting someone who will do it for less than £8 per hour), but it is their loss not mine.
It took me a few days to get over my anger at how the business asked for my ideas and then told me they would only employ me a stupidly low rate, after feeling like a doormat (a feeling I know very well) I have got over it and learnt from the experience greatly.
This post is getting on a bit so I’ll cut it there. Thanks for all your helpful advise and great comments, you regular readers will be rewarded soon enough 
Stick with it matey!
Your time will come!
Taoski on July 26, 2006 9:49 pm
hoping for the best bro as usual! Be happy your sites aren’t getting hacked!
stabani on July 26, 2006 10:32 pm
You’ll get there eventually. £8/hour, who do these people think they are?
Billytheradponi (Nick Barrett) on July 27, 2006 10:16 am
oh what a company.. taking your ideas without paying for it
Patrick on July 27, 2006 2:43 pm
Thats not on…I would be livid, stick at it and get a better job and in the end that will show them
Damien on July 27, 2006 3:31 pm
Sorry to hear this m8, it is bang out of order. Wa***rs.
On a good note, nice van!.
Nick.
Nick on July 29, 2006 5:56 pm
I am very sorry to hear about the website contract going down the tubes!
On the bright side I have to say it is probably better that you found out on the front side of the deal instead of going in and doing a bunch of work and then having them NOT pay you. This has happened to me on multiple occasions and it is something that you will need to prepare for. It stinks and it is really painful but it happens.
Dewayne Mikkelson on August 2, 2006 7:42 pm