General Information « Pete Reum on the Web

July 14, 2010

The Devil is in the Details

Filed under: General Information — Tags: details, pete reum — Pete @ 4:12 pm

Most parts of my job entail details. Whether it is writing code correctly or helping a client choose meaningful keywords for them details do matter. As a long time programmer I learned a long time ago that details matter. If you misplace a semicolon in some languages then all sorts of things can go wrong. When someone says that they just changed this one thing (usually in code) and it should not affect anything else, my ears perk up.

Some recent examples of details that were ignored: the dead battery on the emergency cut off valve on the leaking oil well in the Gulf; goals that were missed/wrongly awarded in the world cup; the iphone 4 antenna placement; volcanic ash and airplane interaction. All of these issues has to do with details. Everyone has different skills and one of my skills — I think anyways — is details. Now I cannot spell very well as all my clients can attest to but getting the text into the right place at the right time, I can do that.

Here are a couple of details that I have had recent success with. I have done some research into why certain pages on a clients site were so slow to load. I had to dig into the code — the pages are generated with data from a local database and added into a mashup with google maps — and expose different layers where the slow issues might be found. At the end I found out that I had not added an index to a table in the database. Simple solution and the pages came back to life in the fast lane! That was a tough problem that I need a variety of skills and tools to find the issue. Details.

Another example of details in action was doing an evaluation of a clients site. This became a bit tricky for a variety of issues I will not get into here. The end result was that I was able to find a way by using Google Ads to direct traffic to their site using some keyword phrases that for some reason they were not currently using. Those keywords help to drive traffic up to their site significantly. They already had a click campaign running but — details — they had let this set of keywords phases slip away.

I am a details kind of guy and usually like digging in to figure out what is currently going on. So whether it is in code or evaluation of a site or an issue I like getting down to the details of what is really going on with a process. Sometimes this might take a long time and multiple tries. The issue I spoke about above with the database took me months to really figure out what was going on, the fix took minutes to implement. Your grandmother was right — “The Devil is in the Details!”.

pete reum

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December 23, 2009

Advocacy

Filed under: General Information,Search — Tags: advocate, pete reum, Search, social media — Pete @ 6:08 pm

Advocacy - the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support – according to dictionary.com. What are you an advocate for? Are you an advocate for your company? If not why not? I have been thinking about this of late. Word of mouth is so very powerful in generating new growth. I think that this is especially true in the small business community. I try to be an advocate for all my clients. I want them to grow and become better at what they do. I always am thinking of my clients first when I hear about any opportunities that might be a match for them. I would like to think that others think of me when they hear about an internet opportunity that might be a match for me.

need a handyman – I know someone
need commercial building work done – I know someone
need your carpets cleaned – I know someone
interested in home automation – I know someone

It has been my experience that the smaller a company is the more likely it is that employee’s are advocates for the company, and for other companies. Having worked in big, medium and small companies I found that my skill set was best utilized in a smaller business environment. I like doing a variety of things and have many different skills. Many times my clients do not even realize that I have a skill that they could use, until I am chatting to them about something else, and it will come up that I know how to do the task that they are in need of.

Search and social media come to mind when I think of skills that my clients might not know that I have. Social media is all the buzz right now. Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Flickr and all sorts of other sites. Ask me about it sometime and I will give you my 2 cents worth. I don’t think that just because you can means that you should — each business is unique and I try to speak to their needs. And not all social sites are a good match for all business operations. Search is a term that could have many different meanings for different people. Some might say search when they mean paid ads while others mean organic search. When clients are not sure of what they want it can be tough to speak to their needs. How do you handle this situation? I would love to hear about it.

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November 28, 2009

Mashup – Fun to Say Fun to Do

Filed under: General Information — Tags: google calendar, google maps, mashup, pete reum — Pete @ 10:44 pm

Mashup is a mixing of different data from different places all into one place. Everyone has seen one of these before but might not have recognized it as such. A good example of this idea – mashup – is to place a map, generated by google, onto a website that you own. RCI’s contact page here is an example. Many sites now use google maps as a great source of mapping information that they can access easily and reliably.

Mashups can add a variety of information to a page. RCI has a client that has a need to see a collection of information all in one place. Here is a partial list of their requirements:

Map of the different regions in their system.
Location of their suppliers, in the region of interest, on the map.
Location of their vehicles in the region.
Location of their open trouble tickets in the region.
The ability to zoom in and out and move around the map.

To provide this mashup I collect information from the clients GPS provider from their web interface. I then collect the suppliers geo-information in the requested region from the data base. Then collect the open trouble tickets in the region from the data base. At this time I am ready to create a page that will display all of this different information. On the page I use google maps to create the map that the client will be able to zoom in and out and move around as required. I then add the geo-data onto the map thus creating the mashup.

Map showing Mashup

You can see from the image to the left that there is all the information showing up in a map that you can use to change the look and be able to see all the required information at a glance. The client is able to click on an icon to get more information about that particular item. They can also click on the icons above the map to just see those icons on the map. This gives my client the ability to handle dispatch duties based on their current view of where their vehicles are and the priority of the trouble ticket. It is a very versatile item in their tool box for the dispatchers.

Another mashup is to add a google calendar into a clients web page. This is also a very simple thing to do and provides my clients with a great calendar that is then viewable on their web site keeping their sites look, feel and navigation. Google calendar is very easy to use and has a powerful set of features. Anyone who has a gmail account with google has the calendar function available to them. They can then add/modify/delete events and add other information that they want to share with others into the calendar. I then add the calendar into a page on their web site creating the mashup.

Calendar Mashup

You can see that all the information on the calendar is available and viewable by the client on their site. This mashup provides a great calendar that is integrated directly on the clients site. This mashup is a great solution for a client that is looking for a powerful calendar at a low cost to them (free). All the data for the calendar is located on the servers at google and the display integrates this information into their look and feel. The calendar has all the features of calendar programs and is modified by the user from their gmail account. The changes are immediately available on their site. Links, details and maps can all be added easily and quickly from the google site.

Mashups can be fun and are able to provide a variety of information into a consolidated page that has your sites look and feel. This is the power of mashups — your site looks like it contains all the information — even if it comes from a variety of places. Mashups are a great information consolidation tool.

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November 21, 2009

Tools of the Trade

Filed under: General Information — Tags: java script, pete reum, PHP, web developer — Pete @ 3:03 am

While talking to a client some time ago, they asked if I knew any “programers”. Digging into the requirements that she shared with me about her needs, I realized that she did not understand what I was capable of. She needed a method of job scheduling that would work for her particular needs. She had looked at a variety of product offerings and had felt that none of them provided exactly what she was after. I then offered to create a bid for my solution to her stated needs. She had not thought of me a programmer, and I thought maybe others might be thinking the same thing. Thus this post.

Programmers tend to talk about the languages that they know. For web development I use 2 main languages, PHP and java script. PHP is a server side scripting language. What that means is that the computer where you make the request for a web page — the server — can run this language to create a page that has dynamic content. An example would be a list of links on a site that is stored in a data base. PHP is able to ask the data base what links it has and then create the display that would go back to your browser, maybe sorting the links in alphabetical order. This language allows me to do a number of different tasks that help display many different groups of information in many different ways. In the previous example, the web request client would see a list of the links displayed. However, they would not be able to modify those links. An administrator on that same site would be able to add, modify and delete links as needed as the links changed. I am able to provide a web interface to data that is stored on the server and let my clients be able to modify it without me being involved. More costly at design time but much cheaper than having me modify content that changes frequently.

The other language that I often use in web development is called java script. It is a language that is run on the web clients computer. This language allows me to change the look of a page and to update information on a page without having to reload the entire page. An example of this type of code is when you are inside of a page that is displaying a map from google. As you move around in the map, say zooming in or out, that is the only component on the page that is updated. The main body of the page is not forced to reload to update the map portion. I have explained the difference between PHP and java script in this way. If you display the time using PHP it will show the time that is currently set on the server. If the web server is located in California and the web browser is located in New York the time would display a 3 hour difference. However if the time is displayed using java script the display will show the time that the local computer is set to. Thus, no matter where the server is located, if the time is displayed using java script it will show the local computer time even thought the page came from a California based server.

Using these programming tools I am able to create sites that will display and use dynamic content that the user, my clients, can control and update to a certain extent. My clients are all unique, and by using these tools I am able to give them a web based interface, that can be accessed from anywhere Internet access is available, to control content. My clients love this ability and once they understand what I am able to do for them the requests start coming in sounding something like this — “I know we can change this [insert feature], but can you add the ability to change this [insert new feature]“. I enjoy when my clients start to “get it” that I can add all sorts of features, I just have to understand what their requirements are, or their how they have implemented their current procedures.

I have so far talked about programming but I also have other skills. That will have to wait for a different post however.

Hopefully this will give a better idea of the web development programming languages that I use daily to help keep my clients happy. I do love “Happy Clients”.

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November 15, 2009

Thoughts on Problem Solving

Filed under: General Information — Tags: pete reum, problem solving — Pete @ 11:21 pm

Another winter storm has hit Denver, and has me pondering problem solving. If there is enough snow then it becomes an issue for people to figure out what to do with it. There are many different methods that I have seen over the years. Each person tends to choose a method that suites them, and sticks with it over time. Problem solving when it comes to snow, begins with — do you do anything at all. There are people that just let nature do its thing and never lift a hand to shovel snow. There are others that choose a to use a mechanical advantage. That might include a snow blower or atv type snow mover. Other still choose the manual method.

Snow blowers come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. We generally don’t get enough snow in Denver to need the really heavy duty sort. Most of the machines here are the small to mid range of blowers. Shovels also come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. I have seen people use a regular garden type of shovel while other choose the “back saver” versions. These tools are best to have in place long before a storm starts. Choosing the right tool for you is important.

Once you decide that you are going to move the snow, and have chosen your tool of choice, now comes the interesting part for me. How do you tackle the pattern that you use? Some use the same pattern all the time. Others “wing it”, choosing a different pattern every time out. I would define one type of pattern like this. Start on your driveway and go across it side to side removing snow as you go. Another pattern might be to create a path from the top to the bottom of the driveway, thereby splitting the removal terrain into 2 different sides. Then move down one side at a time and remove from the path you created to the edge.

Another part of the problem is when to start to remove the snow. Do you wait till it stops snowing or try to stay ahead of the storm and remove the snow as it comes down. Each has it merits. If it snows large amount over time if you wait untill it stops snowing there is a larger volume to move at one time. However if you try to stay ahead of the storm then the wind just might kick up, making it look as though had not done anything at all.

We all work this problem every time that it snows without too much thought going into it. The tools are usually available before hand, unless you have just moved, or they are lost or broken. So there is a bit of prep work but not too much of that is required.

I have found myself being a very methodical person using the same method on each storm. It generally works well for me and it is a task that I can complete pretty quickly unless there is just a ton of snow.

I also think that I use a similar methodology in web development. I have a method for certain tasks and tend to do them the same all the time. I have my tools available before hand and they are well broken in and trustworthy. Now one thing different is that in web development there is almost always something new that needs to be learned or implemented. I really like/hate this part of my job. For me it is always very cool to learn new things. I have found that keeping ahead of the storm with web development can be a big challenge. I use many different types of learning material. I really like podcasts. I can walk the dog and still be learning something fun and informational. I also try to keep up with news on the web via twitter. There is almost always someone who is chatting about something new and different. Choosing the right tool to listen to the stream has helped me filter out what it is that interests me from the stream.

I often think of my job as solving problems all day long. The problems differ but still need to be solved. Each of my clients have a different need and I try to stay mindful of those differences. I think that I am pretty good problem solver be it snow or web related issues.

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November 8, 2009

New Iron

Filed under: General Information — Tags: dell, reum, windows 7 — Pete @ 7:20 pm

The boss has let me upgrade my workstation. I was able to order some pretty good “iron”. I now have a new dell 546. The cool part is that I now have 8 gigs of memory with a 750 gig harddrive. It came with 64 bit Windows 7. I had some experience with Vista in the past and was not very impressed with it at all. I have had this new system for a bit less than a week and just love it.

My old system had worked quite well for me for about 3-4 years. However it had been getting bogged down when I had numerous applications open and trying to do multiple things at once. The waiting for completion of tasks had started to become an issue. I must say that when I am looking at getting things done I want my machines to go as fast as I can. That was becoming an issue with the old setup.

In loading up the new system I found that windows 7 was pretty smart in adding applications. I use Adobe CS4 for development work. On my old system it could take up to 5-6 hours to get and install updates to it. I was able to get that same task done in less than a half hour with the new system. It has been very fun with this much memory to have the machine just fly through tasks that used to take a VERY long time.

In all I think that it took me about a day to get all — that I could remember that is — of my applications loaded and working on the new system. Very quick work and it all went very smooth. Start-up and getting ready to do work has gone from a couple of minutes time to something like a minute or less. That has me loading dreamweaver, smartcvs, firefox, thunderbird, skype and tweetdeck. I am very impressed, thank you very much.

As a developer I also felt that I needed to update my skills to keep up to date. My clients expect me to have experience on many browsers, operating systems and all things internet. This upgrade will allow me to be able to have updated skills on the windows platform. At this time I am very happy and I must say pretty impressed with Microsofts’ latest offering.

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October 30, 2009

Words on Words

Filed under: General Information — Pete @ 9:51 pm

As a reader you and I are consumers of words. I am finding that as a writer I am much more aware of words and their power. The old kids saying — “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” – is not quite as true as I was brought up to believe. Words have a power all their own and we all use them — sometimes without thinking things through — to do all sorts of things. Words can convince, hurt, sooth, clarify, obfuscate and so many other things.

Recently the “balloon boy” story caught my attention with an article in the paper. In the article they used a word combination that got me to thinking. They said that there could have been a “terrified 6 year old boy” in the balloon. Now at one time I was a 6 year old boy and the thought of going flying in a big balloon might well have seemed like tons of fun for me. I think that the author of that article was trying to bend the thinking of the reader to feel that it would have been terrifying experience. Without a real boy in that balloon however I felt that terrified was a stretch. That seems like a small issue but those are the sorts of things that I find myself looking at more critically of late.

I am noticing that the use of the adjectives can offer the author of the article a slant in how he reports information. Here are a couple of different directions that the balloon boy adjective could have taken

terrified
fun loving
inquisitive
stupid
normal
special needs

If one of these other words were used in conjunction with an article it might lead the reader to having a different picture of the young man in question.

When you read, do you read every word, or do you tend to skip around and maybe only read a lead paragraph and skim the rest? Do you question what you read? Are you always in agreement with information that you read? I think that these are all very good questions to ask yourself.

In working with a couple of writers for different things that I do here at RCI I have become very impressed with their ability to use words to meet different needs. Writing just for myself I am trying to be a better wordsmith and have some great examples of how the professionals take what is requested of them, and turn out a great product. I still have much to learn!

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August 15, 2009

Who Owns the Data?

Filed under: General Information — Pete @ 9:52 pm

You have just taken some great pictures and uploaded them to Facebook and Flickr. So who “owns” the copyrights to these pictures? You might say, “Of course I do!” Are you sure about that? I would guess that most people would think that they “own” the pictures. How many people actually read the EULA‘s for sites like these? Check out what the Facebook EULA says here.

Some time back a family was told of a friend seeing their family Christmas card picture in an advertisement in eastern Europe. Did they give the agency permission? No, it was a complete surprise to them. The Internet has a way of distributing information in ways that you might not understand of even think of!

Now a while back facebook got into a bit of a tiff with their comunity about some of their terms. As stated in this article facebook claimed to retain the rights to use the information. This set off quite a storm of protest and facebook did a re-evaluation of their terms. Again — who owns the data.

I just want you to think before posting up information. Do you retain your rights? Are you giving others the right to use your information? Are you giving away distribution or other types of rights? Do you even know how to figure out if you are giving away rights? Do you care? It is ok to not care but not ok for you not to know, in my opinion.

As an example here is a link to some good information about facebook and how to protect yourself. Did you know all the information? Could you have figured it out — or been able to search enough to find this information? Make yourself aware.

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June 28, 2009

Welcome to Pete on the Web

Filed under: General Information — Pete @ 10:24 pm

I want to get better at writing. This has been a goal of mine for a while now. I have been told that the way that you get better is by doing it. So with that in mind off I go.

I am hoping this is fun for me and not just more work!

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