Jack Beaudoin's Blog (3)

I used to think that non-technologists didn't need to know anything about the code that powered their content management systems. It's like driving a car, I reasoned -- using a tired analogy -- you don't need to know how the internal combustion engine works, you just need to know how to operate the damn thing. I'm not convinced of that anymore. Now I think that if you are responsible for Web sites, you damn well better know how to read a little html, css, and [insert applicable programming lang… Continue

I have a love-hate relationship with the vendor community. There are some vendors I love to work with, and some vendors that I hate to work with (remember, don't hate the person, hate the action...). I'm always curious to understand the difference, and I think it comes down to this: the best relationships are symmetrical and the worst are asymmetrical. Asymmetries can apply to a variety of different experiences, but the one that ALWAYS leaves me feeling abused is project time estimates. You bui… Continue

I'm spending the Thanksgiving holiday(s) messing around with Drupal. I've installed the Acquia commercial release and using a multisite set-up, I'm creating a couple of proof-of-concept sites. As a former Joomla user, I have to say that Drupal is a lot more powerful, but somewhat less intuitive. As I'm doing this, I am thinking about my audiences at work, and the "social network" fatigue they must face. Somehow, things like OpenSocial seem like bandaid solutions and I fear that we'll end up wit… Continue