Got an email from Azrul today stating that they're going to stop developing for Joomla 1.0, now that Joomla 1.0's support end date is announced.  They will support products for Joomla 1.0 already out there and anyone under a support contract until the contract runs out.

Azrul writes great extensions like MyBlog, JomComment, and others. I'd recommend using his blogging software for any Joomla site actually writing a blog... rather than using the blog functionality to post press releases or whatnot.

Just another reason to upgrade to Joomla 1.5!

Recently, we've been dealing with some web hosting issues with our current company.  They've changed our tech support package on us, and they were bought out by another company -- all without one email communication to us. We found out after the fact.

The story has a happy ending, as we've found another great host, and we're in the process of moving our sites.

This isn't the first time in my web career that I've dealt with icky web hosts.  Some cardinal rules of finding the right web host:

For our fans, we haven't been posting much because... well, we've been awfully busy. We are thrilled with our first 9 months in business. We established a new company, just as the economy was tanking and gas and oil prices were going sky-high. Yet we've had plenty of leads, and plenty of work to keep us very busy.

Watch this blog over the next 3 months. We anticipate launching 4 large, substantial sites by the end of the year, all with various custom-coded components and modules, and of course all with custom templates.  We also have several smaller sites on the way.

Why are we so busy in this frightening economy?

I can't tell you how many calls and emails we receive each week that go something like this:

I'm a client without a lot of technical skills, and I have a Joomla site. Can you help me because:

1. My site is still under construction but my Joomla developer is nowhere to be found, won't return calls or emails, and I don't know what to do.
2. My site was built and launched, but no one ever showed me how to use the site and make my own updates, which is why I wanted Joomla in the first place.
3. My site was built and launched, and I don't know how to do X and I can't get my Joomla developer to help.
4. My site was built and launched, but now I want some more stuff added to the site, and my Joomla developer is gone.

C'mon developers, what's WITH you???

The first pane of the first page of the comic book on Google Chrome says this:

"Today, most of what we use the web for on a day-to-day basis aren't just web pages, they're applications."

Ok, pop quiz: How many people's favorite non-technical friend has any clue what a web application (or any kind of computer application) is? What is a definition?

Yesterday, Google announced it was releasing its own open-source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Microsoft, called Google Chrome.  The big links include:

• The main Google Chrome web page (link not working as of this writing)
• A comic book describing what Google is doing with this new browser
• Screenshots of what Chrome will look like.

My initial reaction?  Why the heck would Google want to release a web browser?  If they want to support an open source web browser, why not look at Firefox?

Now that I've thought on this a little longer, and seen the screenshots, and waded through the never-ending comic book, here's a few thoughts.

Know your team and you will come to know what it means to produce a quality product in an efficient manner. Capitalize on strengths, minimize the focus on weaknesses and put your egos aside. Make room for others and you will find that creative juices will flow and that education will abound.

Capitalize on Strengths:

Let those who are good at what they do just do their job. They will do it faster and better than you can if that is not your strength. For example: I have no graphic design skills whatsoever. Sure, I know what I do and don't like when I see it, but as far as developing concepts- not so much. I am ok with that and quite frankly so is my team.

The net's regulator, Icann, voted unanimously to relax the strict rules on so-called "top-level" domain names, such as .com or .uk.

The decision means that companies could turn brands into web addresses, while individuals could use their names.

A second proposal, to introduce domain names written in Asian, Arabic or other scripts, was also approved.

*snip*

The Phrase Long-Term Solution seems like it should be a bit backwards for the world of technology. With technology changing so quickly, how can anyone really look to the future?

Well, I would say that if your web developer is not asking you the right questions and helping you look down the road, then you are getting  short-sighted  service. Of course what is implemented today will be changing down the road, but the overall purpose of that technology should still be the same. 

 Here are a few questions your developer should be asking of you:

Do I really need to answer that one? Well, I will answer my own rhetorical question despite the fact that I am sure you already know... because the only place people are driving these days are to the web!

Before anyone is getting in their car to drive, they are considering the need and purpose of that trip. Clearly, the price of gas has everyone thinking twice about driving anywhere. It affects where they go and when, whether or not they REALLY need to go there in the first place, and which car they will take.

These are tough times for many, but it doesn't mean people can stop living. We still have houses to heat, kids to feed and businesses to run. These are the times that force us to consider our current business models and marketing strategies. If you consider it a time to really look towards the future, then your web presence might be the best place to invest.