A really, really, REALLY long time ago
EPISODE LXIII
A New Start
That's Episode 63 for those that don't speak roman numeral.
It was a period of relaxation. All things were right in the world.
All of a sudden, or suddenly if you prefer, things didn't change. How could that be? This required investigation.
Something is not right in the universe. Change is the only constant.
After several seconds of analysis utilizing the worlds largest quantum computer the problem was determined.
Or in other words, I thought about it for a second and determined the problem.
It was horrifically abhorrent!
I don't know how to tell you...
I didn't keep up my coding for a few years! GASP! What should I do?
Start coding of course, what did you think?
So now I am using my platform for play again. Hopefully I will keep coding even just for fun. I really love doing this crap even though it drives me crazy.
Now...
Use the source!
Or Is that
May the source be with you
I need a job
Thanks to sitepoint.com
Notice how your PC gets slower and slower? This happens over time but there are things you can do. I clean up many things, including your browser, old programs, registry, and more. I can also install new programs, setup maintenance schedules, tune options for a better experience, remove various popups and unwanted extensions plus so much more.
Architecture is the ground floor in the computing world. There are all types of architecture but there are a few qualities that are essential for any good architect.
Without quality architecture you are building on quicksand. It is that simple.
The real problem with quality architecture is having vision and the ability to quantify it's value, then integrate that vision into the current environment. This is no easy task. It is easy to create an architecture for today. There are already diagrams of most common architectures that can be adjusted to fit your needs. What you need is someone with vision. Someone that sees what is coming. Here are some architecture recommendations I have made over the years and when I first made them. You be the judge...
I have made a few mistakes... ALX had to be converted(but not rewritten), script libraries have become a necessity, Linux not BSD is most used Unix OS, and I bought Nortel stock at $24.
It is easy to architect if you only think backwards, you need vision. As an architect you need to pick the standards then acquire the best tools for those standards. Picking resources that will be around for more than 2 years and will scale to any requirements is critical and takes vision.
I have demonstrated I make the right choices when it comes to enterprise architectural decisions. Let me help you make yours.
I love to build things. I can work within your predefined requirements or we can meet and define exactly what you need. The choice is yours.
Usually when I start with a customer we talk business. What exactly do you want to accomplish? What value is it going to give you in tangible and intangible assets? Since I have experience with many platforms and tools I usually assess your needs and recommend the best tools for the job. Of course you may have corporate standards that must be considered before final recommendations are made.
Once development starts I primarily use Responsive, RAD(Rapid Application Development) Á KISS(Keep It Simple Stupid) methodologies. KISS is critical to improve workflow and optimization. Although a user may be computer illiterate KISS realizes the user is smart, they demand the easiest solution for themselves. KISS is a mindset that is used throughout the products life. My automation background really helps with KISS. RAD's iterative design keeps the customer in the loop. You watch Á interect with the solution as it comes together. First the design/layout, then validation with test data, finally live data. Adjustments are made immediately rather than waiting for the end product. Web developments allow the customer to watch remotely as each form is put in place.
Development tools that I have used include most Internet technologies (ASP, ASP.Net, JavaScript, CGI, ISAPI, HTML1-5, CSS1-3, JSON, XML, NET(C# Á VB), Perl, IndexedDB, SQLite, SQL Server, MySQL, IIS, Apache, Visual Studio) and many others. See my resume for a more comprehensive list.
Optimization has provided enormous value to me over the years but more important is the intangible benefits. Tangible benefits of optimization are easy to quantify. How much CPU, disk, bandwidth, time savings and other physical items are relatively easy to calculate.
One of the key intangible benefits is customer satisfaction. Customers want to be able to do what they need to do quickly. Preferably being entertained as much as possible during any delays. Since the majority of Internet users are under 30 patience is at a premium. Making things faster means the user waits less time. Exactly how much is that worth? The customer now prefers your solution over the competition. Hard to quantify that! On the web it could be an individual customer or a large corporation choosing your service.
On the web few realize how critical optimization is and have forgotten there are people without broadband. I personally have seen sites where their home page could be reduced from 1,500kb to 135kb and still look exactly the same to the customer. If there were 100,000 visits to the home page this month the bandwidth would be 150gb versus the 13gb optimized page. Plus the server has to send and customers have to download an additional 1,115kb to see the same page! Others make excessive calls to the server. The result is customer dissatisfaction. Something none of us can afford.
Optimization requires diligence. I constantly re-evaluate optimization on my site. If you are just starting the key is to find the spots that slow you down the most and tune them first. Then create standards and code reviews to follow the optimization guidelines. There will always be something slowing you down, optimization just reduces the wait. The balance between optimization and cost is a constant battle.
This site is an example of some major file optimizations. See Local File Store demo for more info.
For the benefit of all of us, please optimize your site.
* March 2010 - Google has really done a good job with their new V3 Chrome browser. Everything is done to minimize stuff you have to do. They also optimized screen real estate to maximize page display area. Meanwhile eliminating browser crashes(a tab may crash but it won't hurt the other tabs/windows). Google is 10.2 times faster than IE in JavaScript. I applaud Google's attention to performance and simplicity while ensuring Chrome is a robust browser. Could they do better... Of course... In the next version ;)
* November 2020 - Even Microsoft has switched their browser to use the webkit engine. Chrome is now at version 86. Don't trust Chrome to save your sensitive data. Anyone with access to your device can see all your data.