Website Focuses

Creating a website, in my own opinion focuses on a few things.

• Speed: how fast it loads. so therefore try to keep it compact.
• Looks: as well as looking good, so people are interested.
• Market: who its aimed for. age group? 
• Layout: Always keep things neatly placed, well presented and not confusing to find.
• Neatness: not too much junk everywhere.

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Hard Disk Drives

HDD (Hard Disk Drives) also known as HD (Hard Drives) as we call it theses was invented back in 24th December 1954 by IBM.
It is called a Hard Disk Drive, due to it having a stiff disk or disks inside called Platters. It is coated with magnetic material and a magnetic head to writes data to the surface to be read from.

Back when i was involved with more of a technical side in computers. I remember pulling out an 80mb hard disk drive and 1mb of ram from a server. Quite funny since now days it is in gb.

source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive

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DMZ and Securing your Web Server

What are DMZ’s and how can they contribute to securing your web server?

A DMZ is a 'Demilitarized Zone'. Its just an area outside your firewall, like the front yard of your house. It belongs to you and you may put some things there, but you would put anything valuable inside the house where it can be properly secured.
Most software firewalls available will allow you to designate a directory on the computer as a DMZ if you have multiple computers on your network.
Once you have a firewall in place, you should test it.
A great way to do this is to go to www.grc.com and try their free Shields Up! security test.

source:

• computer.howstuffworks.com/firewall4.htm
• windowsecurity.com/articles/Secure_Architecture_SQL_Web_Server.html

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Security and measurements

Why is security important?
If you dont want the world finding out about something about yourself or others or even information with a system (for example your web server) then its recommend to secure it and it is private.
What security measures can you make to secure your website?
You can use SSL (Secure Socket Layer), which;

• Encrypts data sent between a website and the visitor’s computer. This means it scrambles it so nobody else can read it.

• It proves the identity of a website. SSL certificates are issued by trusted organisations which make sure a website is legitimate.

also the usual,

• Changing passwords often
• Scanning your servers for any Trojans or viruses.
• Up to date with
• Security patches
• Server patches
• Website patches
• Software patches
• Make a Google Webmaster account linked to your website. "Should you be hacked, Google will send you an email to tell you this and also which pages have been hit".

Never tell anyone your password!

Source:

• www.123-reg.co.uk/blog/interviews/ssl-certificates-secure-your-website/
• www.webdesignlessons.com/your-website-and-security/

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Measuring Website Performance

Q. How could you measure the performance of a website, in particular your website.

As a web designer or developer. it’s better to first check similar competitor websites to help you make a design and development decisions. 

Knowing what websites work and which ones can give you insights and inspiration on what design elements to use and choose from, website features, and website content which is effective.

To analyse your own websites performance, there a free web tools on the internet to check out how your site is going.

Example tools below:

• Yahoo! Site Explorer

• Compete

• popuri.us

source:

• sixrevisions.com/tools/tools_monitoring_website_popularity/

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Usability Testing

What is usability testing?
It can be defined as, how easy interface's are used.
it is made up of 5 components.

• Learn ability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design? 
• Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks? 
• Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency? 
• Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?  
• Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

How can usability testing help your website?
If people find your website difficult to use, then they will leave. If the user doesn't know what the website is about on the homepage they will leave. But if your website has great level of usability the user will stay and thus spread the word. Your website needs a great deal of information to attract the user, not just a boring plain old website.

source:

• http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html

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Analytical software

What information can you get out of analytic software? How can analytic software help understand how users view and use your website?

These types of software will allow you to find out, how many hits, visits, average time on site and many more.
It will tell you if people know about your site or not.

Therefore advertising is a must! Get yourself out there!

Source:

• www.google.com/analytics/ 

  
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Benchmarking

Why would you benchmark your website against your competitors?
You can find out, to see how well your competitor's are going and also evaluate how your own is going.
Till will allow you to find out, if your getting more clients than your competitors.

Source:

• http://www.ekam.ie/website_competitors.php

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Browser's

What web browser do you use and why?

I use Mozilla Firefox. It feels faster and looks better than any other browser ive used and i use ad dons with it.

Is your web browser standard compliant (does it pass the Acid2 Test)?

Yes.

Why is it important for a web browser to be standard compliant?

So it can work on all other web browsers without a problem. For example, it may looks all pretty and exact in Firefox, but someone may use, Opera and find that you website looks horrible and lose a potential client.

Is it important that a website render correctly in a web browser?

Yes, otherwise people won't think it's trustworthy and won't go on it.


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The difference between a Windows web server and a Linux web server?

A web server is a computer that deliver web pages up. Every web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name.

Windows and Linux have a lot of Similarities involving the use of                               

• HTML, JavaScript and outgoing mail server (SMTP server)
• CGI (Common Gateway Interface) also known as Shell Scripts involving computer languages, (for example PERL, JAVA).          

Differences is that;

• Linux is uses FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to upload files onto the web server whereas windows uses Telnet.
• PHP a Server Side Script is for windows servers but mainly for Linux based.
• ASP and ASP.net (newer) are for Windows. It provides access to VB.net (Visual Basic) and the VB Scripting language. ASP can be used on Linux but it is very rare and unlikely.
• MySQL Database is Linux based and Access is for Windows based web servers. Other Databases are mainly for Windows based.

Source: 

• http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Web_server.html
• http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/webmaster/article.php/3473441/Windows-vs-Linux-Hosting-Services.htm
• http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/webmaster/article.php/11158_3473441_2/Windows-vs-Linux-Hosting-Services.htm

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Website Up!

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Follow me for updates on progress and interesting articles!

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Are web standards importants to web development. Explain?

It is more to then just creating the layout for your client or customer. It is more about the joy for the work, sometimes it may get abit dry and repeating.
If the client isn't happy with the work your doing for them, then your destroying your own business. Keep the client is a key, the more happier they are the better your business will be, as they would recommend you to others.

Source: http://dustinbrewer.com/why-web-standards-are-important-in-web-design/

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