And on the back of this announcement, I just did a search on Alexa and found out that Nairaland has just surpassed Punchng.com - as of December 2007, Punch was ahead of Nairaland and was also the most trafficked Nigerian site, after Google NG:

http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=NG&ts_mode=country&lang=none

Once again, good job Seun!

I prefer to stay off the <p> tag, it gives me headaches when checking against browsers (mozilla/netscape) Versus MSIE
Hard to figure until i replace them with <br> and spaces

webdezzi, please expatiate as I don't understand.

P tags are the semantic way of presenting paragraphs and are much more SEO friendly. Not to mention, though not always noticeable, P tags save a few bytes compared to using 2 BRs, over time. If I understand what you mean though(if not, I stand corrected and await what you actually mean), there are differences in the way P tags are rendered b/w browsers. That is okay. You can always use CSS to modify the default margins. Also, if you are really a stickler for ensuring that everything looks picture perfect in all browsers, you can always right a hack for specific browsers

I hope this helps.

africanboy,

Just to clarify:
If you read my statement again, you will see I said "code for the lowest common denominator (LCD)", and not "800x600". If you wanted to take that literally, then you would also need to use web-safe colors. What I meant was, if your LCD is 1440x900, code for them. I would assume that before deciding what that value is, that you are either up-to-date on the latest research (which actually shows that majority of people surf on 1024x768) and/or you look at your web logs to see what resolution your visitors surf with.

Having said that, based on my experiences browsing in Nigeria (both at home and at cafes), if your primary audience is in Nigeria, I would say make your LCD 800x600. If that is still "so yesterday" to you, then make your site flexible or fluid by using %ages and not actual widths. That way, if the LCD tomorrow is say, 2000x1000, your site grows/shrinks with it, as opposed to you having to redesign the site again cos it looks so small on the screen.

Finally, whenever a site is up for review, it is okay for it not to be complete. In that case, you should let us know what's missing so that we don't state things that you are already aware of. That saves both parties a few characters and probably reduces stress levels as well

As always, my 2 cents.

webdezzi,

wdnt u say that both parties have a hand in the crime? In other words (unless I don't get what you mean, in which case, by all means let me know), would one party exist without the other?

As they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

webdezzi,

I guess either I am lucky and/or I am yet to meet such clients cos whenever I am approached the the request to make a site "interactive", the first thing I do is ask what they mean. Many atimes, from my experience, I have discovered that such clients say "interactive" because it is what they read somewhere or have seen on another site.

At the end of the day, 95% of the time, I convince them that an animation isn't the way to go or worse case, 1 simple animation is better than one that appears to have been coded with an infinite loop. If th ey insist, I simply explain to them that more time will be involved and it will cost extra (especially, if I don't know how to do what they want and have to source from an outsider). Again, 9 times out of 10, they retreat on the animation request. If it means losing such a client (and it has happened a few times), so be it. There are many fish in the "I need a website" sea.

- Why is it that when I click links to "selected clients", I don't get at least a pop up of what the site looks like?

- I c u r using lightbox for the "references". Kudos. however, I would reduce the size of the thumbnails so it can be viewed within the screen's limits. I hv a 1024 screen and still couldn't see it all. You should code for the lowest common denominator at all times. Take a look at how I did mine at: http://www.acewebdevelopment.net/ace-portfolio/

I hope these help.

So, it's late and I am bored. I decide to try my hand at a new trade - writing non-fiction novels. I remember a rumor I heard some time ago about the Bayelsa State Government's website costing N30million so I say to myself, "let me go check it out". I do know the person who did it and so I figured I would see the company name, assuming that is, that their version of the site is still up. So I visit and notice that the site has undergone a redesign. So I say to myself, "wow! N30million later, they probably decided to dump the old site and go for a N50million website". No ya wa, nothing spoil. Read on please.

I then decide, out of curiosity, to visit Timipre's campaign site. I figured I would see if my assumption that his site would look better than the state's site would hold true. As far as I can tell, his site does look better. Judge for yourselves, granted that isn't the point of this post (http://www.timisylva2007.org/ vs http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/website/ - to me, the latter is a prime example of a site that shouldn't have been implemented with a CMS tool, proof of which can be seen on the developer's own site, but I digress). Please bear with me and read on.

Then I do what I do best - click links at random. I happen to click on the "Tell a friend (bottom left - I wanted to tell that my buddy that it seems his site has been erased ) and voila! This is where the story begins:

http://www.timisylva2007.org/tellafriend.html

So I then say, okay let me check out the developer's site and I see this (notice the right side of the logo):

http://www.skindigitals.com/

Totally bewildered and perplexed, I ask myself, "So, does it mean Timipre deserves a site better than the one he had before or is the developer confessing that Timipre deserves a site much better than the nonsense the developer probably charged millions for?" Am I that bored? As Faze sang in one of his songs, "make una hold me o! If una no fit, una go join me, come on make we mentaaaaal! (or something like that)"

Okay, chapter 1 ends. Depending on response, I may start writing chapter 2. Enjoy!

okay, I remember it now. Make una go to: http://www.nigerianfilms.com/

If you fit do anything (clicking, ordering, paying, viewing articles, etc) on this site, make I naked baff for bafroom!

Sorry for the 2bl post but I didn't want this to get lost among modifications:

For reusability, easier reading and abstraction purposes, you might also want to consider putting your DB calls in a generic DB function and including that on your pages. So you could do something like so:

$variableName = dbFxnCall(pass in name, server and password).
if($variableName)
do stuff
else
do other stuff

your dbFxnCall would then handle connections, etc. That way, you are writing the connection stuff once as opposed to copying and pasting which could get ugly. Imagine if you are doing DB stuff on 20 pages then I come back and say, "the server name has changed". You would need to change the name in 20 places. With a function call, you change it just once.

LOL,

Bakenda, nice creativity.

Here are my pointers:

1) You need to indent your code man. It is hard to read as is. I would go for tabbing. So, it would look something like this:

<?php
     $con=mysql_connect("localhost","name","pass";
     if(!$con) {
          die('Sorry,our server is on Easter break:'.mysql_error());
     }
     mysql_select_db("nairalanddb",$con);
     $action=@mysql_query("select * from nairaland where category='webmaster' and sense_of_humour='ON'";
     if (mysql_num_rows($action)!=0) {
          echo"<strong>HAPPY EASTER</strong>.\n\n";
          echo"<em>And remember, we are alive today due to the price He paid on the cross of calvary.</em>";
     }
     else
         echo"How come";
     mysql_close($con)
?>

2) no semi-colon after "mysql_close($con)" on last line.

3) I would probably take out the "strong" and "em" tags and use spans, then declare a class and/or id that would handle this in the CSS. You want to separate presentation from content as much as possible. Sure, if it is a one-off situation, inserting it in the HTML is fine, but so as to get used to it, I always try as much as possible to let CSS handle such.

4) It is common practice to make your SQL reserved words uppercase (SELECT, AND, WHERE)

5) Personal preferene: Even if there is only one line of code within an if and/or else statement, I like to enclose them regardless, so as to avoid possible confusion, within braces. Looking above, you might agree that it is possible to lump the close connection code with the "how come". Remember, you code so that others can modify without difficulty in the future instead of spending time scratching their heads trying to figure out what is going on.

6) Personal preference 2: Due to server performance (or whatever you want to call it), I like to give control to the server only when necessary. In other words, if all I am doing is printing HTML, I let the browser do that and not the server. Example:

<?php
    if (mysql_num_rows($action)!=0) {
?>
        <p><strong>HAPPY EASTER</strong></p>
<?php
    }
?>

Note that the HTML indenting is different from the PHP's, again, for easier reading. Also, note that I am using "P" tags as opposed to the carriage returns, again letting the browser handle the breaks.

This is a personal preference. I am sure there are those who would say that opening/closing too many server-side code sections is equally tasking on the server.

Overall? Nice sense of humor and thanks for pioneering an actual code review. Hopefully, there is more to come.

LOL,

Cactus, this is terrible but I have seen worse but the site doesn't come to mind. I will post it once I find it.

kenflipper (I could do as you did and say, "or kenslippers" but I won't sink that low),

There is no need for ad hominem attacks. Stick to the issue. I could go personal but I will hold my fingers just this once.
Besides, personally, considering the amount of blasting you have done with respect to announcing your company site, I think you should be banned permanently - 1 simple post could have done that effectively. But I digress.

If you take a look at say, 100 websites, I bet 99% of them will have a name that is reflected in their URL. It is a fact that it helps with you page ranking. Besides, and I am speaking personally, if I go to a site and the title bar is very much different from the URL, I will smell a rat. I probably would stick that in the meta tags or in your content somewhere but not the title bar. What you have done it tantamount to trickery, like it or not. When I saw the name difference, I did a google for "marshall michigan" and saw it is a city in michigan, so spare me the geography lesson.

Though I stand corrected, I still insist that you should make your title bar reflect the actual URL, no matter which you choose to use. Think about it. If you had me and Afam fooled (danteweb, like you, I am human and from time to time, despite my best efforts/Naija genes, will fall for 419 every now and then), how many other people out there have you fooled as well?

Whether you choose to admit it, there is a disconnect and a sense of suspicion when one sees "kennweb" at the top of the page but then scrolls down to see "marshall web design" further down. When I saw that, the first thing that came to my mind was, "hmmmm".

2 Lessons here:
1) Always stick to the point of a post.
2) Don't mass-broadcast on a 1000 posts. You are lucky Seun hasn't banned you already. He has done it before.

As always, my2cents (in case you are wondering, the name implies what I say here is my own opinion and shouldn't be believed unless one has independently verified the information to be true for themselves, so get the name right, or else)

Na wa o! Just because our leaders haven't done what they are supposed to do, we are suffering in a country that we spent a lot of time fighting for, in terms of eradication of apartheid. For the video, visit:

http://www.akwaibomnewsonline.com/videos/ and click on "Nigerians in South Africa".

Watch, learn, and spread the word!

It's possible, in which case I say the company name and "Marshall, etc" don't match or at least look familiar.

I guess my point is, how can the site say, "kennwebdesigner" yet the title says "Marshall Michigan"? Both should read the same thing, regardless of which is to be used.

For example, my company name is "Ace Web Solutions". That URL was taken so I went with acewebdevelopment.net. Not the same, but at least "Ace" and "Web" are part of the company name and URL.

I hope I am making sense.

but i need little comment on if the intro pass any message to viewers

Sorry but I don't understand this. Please expatiate and get back to us.

digital,

Many atimes, it doesn't suffice to just look at someone's website and say, "wow! what a job". You have to read the tea leaves. The internet does allow for, as I read in some article some time ago, "benevolent plagiarism" but be smart about it.

Kenflipper in a bid to announce to the world that he is the latest developer in town has pasted this same thread in at least 30 places. He obviously copied from somewhere cos in his haste to launch his site, he forgot to take care of the contents of the title bar. Take a look at the site again, note what's on there then see what is on the title bar.

It takes a discerning eye to catch something like this and Afam definitely has a couple of those.

Still missing something? If so, let us know

So, I have been looking at this topic for a few days now:

Technology Roadmap: Where Is Africa’s Silicon Valley?
http://www.independentngonline.com/?c=127&a=12745

However, each time I go to read it, I get nightmares. Why? See for yourselves. Suffice it to say that whoever published this article needs to be flogged. Let's just hope it isn't a web developer.

From lack of paragraphs to use of a small font, this article wreaks with, "please modify me immediately!" How do I go about reading this? Where do I start? Maybe this happened or not, but in general, after we are done with such a site, we need to sit down with the business owners and go through some sort of training as to how to use the application. Personally, even after deploying a site, I visit them regularly and if I see anything wrong, I let the client know. Sometimes they get fixed, sometimes they don't but at least I let them know. Why? Cos when someone visits a site, chances are, they are not asking for who, as in this case, published the article but who developed the site.

okay, It's friday and I am off my soapbox now

E b like say naija dey dia o!

http://blog.meebo.com/map

For those who don't use meebo and prefer to log in to various IM services or for those who don't have admin rights on their computers (which means you can't install the various IM services), I suggest you take a look a meebo (www.meebo.com). It is web-based and allows you to log on to YIM, AIM, MSN and Google Talk simultaneously. As long as you aren't prevented from getting to it via a filter/firewall, again, it wouldn't hurt to give them a try, if you haven't already.

Pretty cool, huh?

As my Dad used to tell me many, many years ago, "Education isn't for everyone". The statement sounded harsh back then but as I have grown older, I can see wisdom in it. Now, extrapolating this statement to the internet, making money via the internet isn't for everyone.

Lesson: If you can't seem to make it via the internet, find another way. Just as there are many roads to get into Lagos, I am sure there are many roads to success.

As always, my 2 cents.

ooookay,

As soon as you have something other than a red, gigantic, rectangle on the site, do let us know

bakenda,

I could be wrong but I think golden was asking for free icons. So far, based on your 3 URLs above, 2 of the 3 (iconalcohoic was down as at the time of this writing) require some form of payment. Or am I missing something?

yeah, I am thinking it is a ploy by adobe to advertise itself. After all, I am sure they have piracy problems in China as well. I could be wrong, but I don't hear MSFT complaining either.

Just wanted to get your thoughts

1) A lot of broken links - find and fix them. I blv there are utilities online that can help you find such links

2) News: It would be nice for the news to scroll to a particular item, stop for a few seconds, then scroll again, as opposed to how it is now.

3) Clicking submit on each form leads me to a page that doesn't exist

4) Font color: On some pages it's blue, on others it's black. For consistency, stick to one color (preferably black).

5) About us: You put the word doc links above the menu thus shifting the menu down and making it inconsistent with other pages. I would move the docs to the content area. Spking of docs, I would convert those to pdf as not everyone uses word. It would then be nice to provide a link to adobe reader for those who don't have it and provide within the link, pdf size as well.

6) About us: It is the only page with the page title on the left side. It is inconsistent with the other pages.

7) Events: Are services the only thing the church provides? It would be nice to provide an actual calendar of events so that other events (crusades, etc) could be included. There are many utilities (like google calendar) that you can use for free and plug in to the site.

8 ) Departments: It would be nice to provide a "back to top" intra-link after each department. This would also help demarcate the departments better.

9) Home Center/Services: I think you should choose another set of colors for the rows. www.colourlover.com or any other site can help with this.

10) There are some unintuitive image links (one to what seems like webmail and the other, I have no idea). I would take them out altogether or get more intuitive images and place those in the top left corner of the content area. That way, as much as possible is above the fold on your pages.

11) There is a weird-looking (to me) border around your page content areas. Although it looks fine and dandy, it's height is inconsistent on each page. To that effect, I would say take it out or use, rather, a left border and set that to a fixed height.

I hope these help. Also, I assume you will at least take a look and implement at least 80% of these, otherwise, my typing has been all for naught.

prodgalson,

Do/did you have anything to do with this?

http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4887&Itemid=0

Yes indeed. It is quite impressive. Kudos to Seun!

here, here Afam!

In addition, for those who have websites, make sure that the website is up and running otherwise don't advertise it at all. I am going down the list and I see at least one person with an advertised business (I presume) website that isn't up and running.

I personally would rather not have a website than have one that isn't working.

As always, my 2 cents.

in the words of dbanj (or skibanj as his jamaican friends call him ):
why me o! u dey try me o!

Anyways, on a serious note, I have never had a personal request so I feel honored and humbled to do this one in particular. I however don't like giving reviews based on one page as the secondary pages will most definitely look different from the home page. Be that as it may, here it goes:

1) I like the logo
2) I think you should tone down the blue and red colors. Right now, those 2 are screaming at each other, literally.
3) The Nigerian flag's size is not based on the original and it looks a little grainy. Find another flag. Also, get rid of the animation. I think it's distracting.
4) At the top of the page, <%@ Language=Inherit from Web site %> is showing up
5) Unless it is intentional (and I can't see why it would be), the thick gray border appears to be broken on the left-hand side
6) The 4 boxes in the content area. I see u used tables. Technically no problem. But I noticed that the the header section appears a little wider than the bottom section. Specifically, I am talking about the left, right and bottom borders of those tables. If you used CSS, you could have taken care of this easily by tweaking the CSS classes/ids but now you will have to modify your tables which cd b a pain. Also I think making the borders a different color from the headers looks a little tacky.

Once again, I am honored to get a personal request and I hope the above help. In the meantime, I think you would be doing a better justice to yourself by putting up some secondary pages, as static as they may be, and letting us review those as well.

Thanks, and good luck!

You cann't be a good programmer if you don't know of them let alone use them

klass, I will respectfully disagree with the latter part of your statement. Sure, you can know about them but you don't necessarily have to use them to qualify you as a "good programmer". For one, you can always come up with your own. These patterns were developed by fellow humans. As a fellow human, nothing stops not using any one that is out there. Using your football analogy, I am aware of the various formations, but nothing should stop me from experimenting with a formation that hasn't been tested. Who knows? You might just come up with something new and have others learn from you. Or am I misinterpreting the statement? If I am, sorry about that.

To answer the question: being in the web dev realm, assuming it counts (considering this is the programmers forum), I am into the YUI design patterns.

What version of PHP is ur upload code in? what version of PHP did your former web host support? What version of PHP does your current web host support? Could it be in how you are linking to your file(s) (as in, absolute or relative path)?

See if you can obtain answers to the above? If it still doesn't work, get back to us.

bas,

I think your link might not work? Why? I see a "_private" there. Is that a directory you created or what came with your web hosts? Just curious. Also, I would tack on a "target=_blank" within the anchor tag so as not to remove focus from your site when a visitor clicks to download the zip file. Chances are, it will open in a new window anyways, but being a paranoid person, I always tack on the target attribute. Besides, a few extra characters won't add a considerable amount of MBs to your sites bandwidth anyways.

Other than the issues stated above, I don't see any reason why that link wouldn't work.

I am glad to have been of usefulness.

paste the code for ur form pls. Provide a link to the site with the form as well.

I don't want to make any assumptions, but if its what i think, it may have to do with outlook being the default mail application on ur box. If it isn't what you use for email, then you need to get the name of your outgoing mail server and use that.

If this doesn't help, again, pls paste the code for ur form and provide a link to the site with the form.

greatdbanj (or skibanj, as your jamaican friends may call you ).

You can optimize ur images via your graphics software program. I happen to like and use photoshop and so the solution I will give you here is based on photoshop. If anyone uses fireworks, post the similar process for accomplishing this:

1) Open file in photoshop

2) From the menus above: Image -> Image size

3) In the popup that you see, make sure that "constrain proportions" checkbox is checked.

4) Play with the width either the width or height of the image to get the size you want.

Please note:
1) for #3 above, the "constrain proportion" ensures that whatever height/width you choose is automatically and proportionally resized by photoshop. You can always choose not to constrain but your image may not come out as desired

2) It is best to scale down a large image and not scale up from a small image, with respect to image quality

3) Assuming the image is the proper size but the file size is still large, then you:
a) Click on File -> Save for web.
b) Choose jpeg (preferably, for photos)
c) Play with the "quality" slider and note how the file size changes (at the bottom left of the window).
d) Save new file.

I hope these help.