Jeff Blackler | Blog

Kindle

Jeff — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:09:10 +0000

I have finally entered the digital book age. This Christmas I asked for, and received, a Kindle. I got the very basic lowest version (without ads) because of the simplicity and lack of distractions. I wanted something to read books but also relatively small. I already have a computer and smartphone that enable me to read on the go but neither seem ideal.

I found, to my surprise, that it is great for reading. My eyes don’t get that burning/dry eye sensation that I get from reading too long on a computer. I also am a huge fan of the price difference in e-books versus print. Some books I will still buy in print (like Steve Jobs that I just finished) but the low cost, and sometimes free, has encouraged me to try new books and genres. I really think that I will read more often.

CompTIA A+ Certification

Jeff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:59:45 +0000

I recently passed both exams (Essentials and Practical Applications) and became A+ certified! This was something I’ve been considering since starting college as a way to verify my knowledge in computers. I was surprised to see how many jobs out there actually require both a degree and certifications.

For the majority of my studying I used a great book in the Exam Cram series pictured. It provided many practice questions to help me prepare. I also used Professor Messer’s free videos and the legendary “Upgrading and Repairing PCs” by Scott Miller to get more information on the sections I didn’t fully understand.

Verification: http://verify.comptia.org | code: PBB9C3HKTD11564L

Professor Messer’s Videos: http://www.professormesser.com

Reading Books

Jeff — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:33:28 +0000

I have been doing a lot of research for a startup I have been involved with. Most of my spare time has been spent reading books on better programming techniques and what to avoid when developing software products. I have come across a few great books that have helped me develop on a different level.

Books I Recommend:

The Passionate Programmer – Chad Fowler

Why Software Sucks – David S. Platt

Designing with Web Standards – Jeffrey Zeldman

General Reading:

Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs – Carmine Gallo

The Millionaire Next Door – Thomas Stanley

Intro to XML

Jeff — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:07:59 +0000

Over the past few days I have been introduced to the simplicity of XML. So far I have found it to be far less time consuming than setting up a database for everything. I have found that you can use it in almost any case and it is scalable to accommodate most mid size business websites. The syntax is written by the creator and has no restrictions as long as it is consistent throughout. For more advanced implementations, like Content Management, the hardest part is creating the JavaScript code to connect and pull the data.

So far I think this will change a lot of things that I do with websites. It will also allow me to provide a better system for my clients to update their website on their own. I didn’t have to learn anything new so it was just a matter of someone telling me. That’s the downfall of not taking classes I guess.

Great Lectures

Jeff — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:27:55 +0000

Once I graduated from college I decided I wanted to start some research projects in areas that are new to me. There are some products out there that use new technology which wasn’t covered during my college career. I found a series of sites that offer online lectures, industry speakers, and entrepreneurial incite that are very informative.

Some of the best colleges in the country offer free lecture videos including MIT, Harvard, Standford, Carnegie Mellon, etc. MIT invites some of the leaders of the technical industry to speak about their experiences. All of them are great ways to learn about something at a collegiate level.

Here are some sites:

iTunes U - http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/whats-on.html

Academic Earth – http://www.academicearth.org

Most lectures can be found through these two sites. Both of them cover a variety of topics.

Free Books!

Jeff — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 06:53:20 +0000

A lot of my free time is consumed by reading up on new things. I have found a great website for downloading free computer related books (provided be publishers) covering program languages, IT, Open Source, and computer hardware. Most of them are in the teach-yourself format.

Here is the link:

http://www.onlinecomputerbooks.com/blog/

Also, I just found this website that is run by the Internet Archive:

http://openlibrary.org/

Useful Web Design Links

Jeff — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 01:40:39 +0000

I have spent endless hours over the past 10 years trying to learn everything I can about web design. I have found that the best tool for learning web design is…THE INTERNET ITSELF! Better than any books I have used since you can get real working examples of techniques and solutions.

Here are some some links that I have found useful:

Tutorial9.net – Web Design, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Photography Tutorials

CSS-Tricks.com – Good CSS reference

jQuery Tutorials for Designers – Good examples of what you can do with jQuery

I will add more at a later time.