₦airaland Forum

It serves it's purpose, don't get me wrong, but it could be a massive hindrance in many cases.
We are all talking as learned 'webmasters' right now, but what happens to the
average user? And what about cross browser and cross platform compatibilty issues?

@olushola
Please explain yourself in reference to the above peradventure you again, rushed to state something. I will say this though, your last question can be answered simply as: Graceful Degradation and Progressive Enhancement. Check those 2 terms out before posting back here. Besides, that's what the various javascript libraries prevent.

As for seeing me at the javascript thread, sure, depending on how you frame the argument, I will be there

@webguru

Yep, there are companies making major pepper overseas doing nothing but testing. Per validation, you should always validate, whether its numbers, xters or both. Take email address validation for instance, a simple regex test can take care of that. Worse case, as you have said, just google for what you need, copy, modify as necessary and paste. That's all.

@olushola
1) So what is wrong in using javascript to "achieve all that"?  Isn't that the whole point?  You are to validate both on the front and back ends.  If they dodged using it for whatever reason, then they aren't worth their salt.  Period!  For someone to code a bank's site tells me that they should be pretty good at what they do.  No caution should be thrown to the wind, that's all.  They should use whatever to make whatever more appealing to the user and more user-friendly. You make it sound like using javascript is hard work. Come on man

2) webmasters of africa isn't my site.  I am only a member.  Perhaps you should contact the guys involved via "contact us"?  Just wondering.

@texas
you too need to read the tea leaves

I read what you said and was addressing whomever, not just you. In the end, if anyone has concerns about a monopoly, all they have to do is not download/use it. However, judging from the posts on this issue, it seems we r too late

@texas
you do have a choice you know. I mean, it's not like google held a gun to your head

@charliebiz

I think you are talking 2 different things - uploading photo and querying db for info, but I could be wrong.

Be that as it may, it sounds like u want to do something like Phantom has. All you would do is specify via text to the user the dimensions of the photo and file extension and on the backend, check to make sure the photo to be uploaded matches the criteria. I would then store the path to the photo, not the photo itself in the db, for space reasons, along with other fields. Then you query the db for a particular information and the uploaded photo, along with other fields, gets displayed on a results page.

that's how i c it

Well, far be it for me to put the proverbial sand in the garri but I don't see the big deal here.

Disclaimer: I never visited the old site and so I have no basis of comparison, design-wise

From a layout point of view, I think they could have taken more advantage of screen real estate. I mean, majority of online users browse with a 1024x768 resolution. They could have also centered the content area so that the right side wasn't "hanging".

A few other observations:
1) No form on http://www.zenithbank.com/contactus.cfm#email - besides, they could have grouped the branches together so as to prevent scrolling.

2) I filled out the form here: http://www.zenithbank.com/feedback.cfm, entered characters for phone number but the form submitted anyways. Not even back end validation

3) Each page has a big red rectangle as part of the header. To me, that's not necessary. They could save some real estate by at the very least, making it smaller.

4) I tried "eHellp". The window came up and I entered information, ready for a live chat. The window closed down on me instead

5) On FAQs page, it would have made sense to, once you click on one question, expanding its options, the other options close. Again, this would save real estate space: http://www.zenithbank.com/faqs.cfm

I will stop on these 5 make person no say I get bad belle cos, the developers probably put in a ton of time into this and most likely got paid beau coup money.

LESSON OF THE DAY:
Testing at ALL levels (unit, system and integration) is key to the success of any site. Having flashy things move around the site and dressing a site with a new skin isn't the only thing that defines a "better" site.

Here's what your peers have to say:
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-166608.0.html

@castrol

u rnt alone. I can't find it. Now bear in mind that as at the time I am writiing, those guys in california aren't awake yet, technically, so we shall see. In the meantime, if not already, enjoy the google chrome comic book:
http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/index.html

Will do, if I have the time

Finally,you lied when you said the form is not validating because you did not fill it properly and i have been using it for a very long time.if you are serious about training or designing a website go back and follow my instruction.

I thought the whole point of form validation is to make sure a form is filled out properly Yes, in order for me want to learn from you, I need to know that you practice what you preach.

Oh well, no more from me. Sorry to have bothered you.

Sorry, I actually wanted to contact you privately here: http://www.switchmaxdesign.com/contactus.html , but I couldn't - no form and I don't like copying and pasting.

Back to the training form: I noticed it isn't validating so I sent you a blank form:
http://www.switchmaxdesign.com/registration.html - I hope you don't mind.

Once you get my "information", you can hopefully schedule some time with me.

Thanks,

Oh boy!  Yet another browser to test for.  What is wrong with these guys?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/02/technology/02google.php

Page 1 of 2 (you can click for page 2 yourselves)

The browser war is back on.

This time, Microsoft's opponent is Google, a familiar foe.

On Tuesday, Google will release a free Web browser called Chrome that the company said would challenge Microsoft's Internet Explorer, as well as the Firefox browser.

In a curious twist, Google made its online announcement after its plans appeared as a digital "comic book" that was posted by Google Blogoscoped.com, a Web site that tracks the Internet search giant. Google said it had accidentally sent the comic book to the blog.

The browser is a universal doorway to the Internet, and the use of Internet software and services is rapidly growing. Increasingly, the browser is the gateway to the Web on cellphones and other mobile devices, widening the utility of the Web and Web advertising. Google, analysts say, cannot let Microsoft's dominant share of the browser market go without a direct challenge.

Google already competes with Microsoft in online search and Internet advertising. They both make operating software for cellphones. Google is increasingly competing with Microsoft head-on in software that handles basic productivity like word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and e-mail programs. Google has Web-based software in these markets that are low-cost or free alternatives to Microsoft's lucrative desktop software.

Despite the frequent clashes with Microsoft — including the role Google played in thwarting an attempted acquisition of Yahoo — Google has only come out on top in search and search advertising. But Google does not have to win the browser war. Strategically, opening yet another front against Microsoft forces it to divert resources to defend franchises.

Now, Chrome heightens the rivalry and marks a shift of course for Google, which has strongly backed Firefox, the open-source browser that has gained about a fifth of the market against the dominant Internet Explorer.

Google's browser project has been under way for more than a year, a person close to the company said.

In a brief statement, Microsoft welcomed the new entry and expressed confidence that people would prefer Explorer, which is on every Windows PC sold.

"The browser landscape is highly competitive," said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the Internet Explorer group. "But people will choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, puts them in control of their personal data online."

Google has clashed with Microsoft before, saying it had designed IE to gain ground in search, a market where Google is the runaway leader.

After Microsoft introduced IE 7 in 2006, Google complained that the browser's search box favored Microsoft's search service. Microsoft responded and made modifications, and a US. judge overseeing the antitrust consent decree against Microsoft determined the browser design was not anticompetitive.

The first round of the browser wars in the 1990s led to a sweeping US. antitrust suit against Microsoft for the tactics it used to stifle competition from the commercial pioneer in browsing software, Netscape Communications. A US. appeals court ruled in 2001 that Microsoft had repeatedly violated the nation's antitrust laws. Microsoft later reached a settlement with the Bush administration, which included some sanctions but left the company free to bundle browsing software with Windows, which runs more than 90 percent of all personal computers.

Microsoft recently stepped up its own browser development efforts, given the increasing importance of the browser and signs that Firefox is nibbling at its lead. Microsoft released a new version, IE8, last week to generally favorable reviews.

Microsoft still holds 73 percent of the browser market, according to Net Applications, a research firm. The market share for Firefox has climbed to 19 percent, while Apple's Safari has 6 percent.

Chrome also puts Google in competition with an ally, Mozilla Corp., which manages the Firefox project. Just last week, Google renewed its deal with Mozilla. Under the arrangement, Google Search is the home page for Firefox and Google is its default search bar, and Google makes substantial payments to Mozilla. The agreement runs through November 2011.

Google's cooperation with Mozilla, however friendly, meant that it was ceding control of the Internet's vital gateway technology — and the dominant supplier of that technology is its rival, Microsoft.

Given the increasing importance of the browser and its widening competition with Microsoft, Google's entry into the market is not surprising, said John Lilly, chief executive of Mozilla.

"It would be more surprising to me if Google didn't do something in the browser space," Lilly said. "After all, Google is 100 percent on the Web."

http://www.google.com/chrome/

I need lessons on web forms. I went to your site but couldn't find any forms, not even on the "contact us" page. Do you know anything about web forms? I would love to learn. If you do, why don't you have one on your site?

Thanks.

here here HC.

Also, IMHO humble opinion, one could equally say, "cars are no longer expensive". I mean, they have been mass produced for years. In your situation, here is what I would have probably done:

I would have asked him to explain himself. Then after that explain to him that he should see the expense as a necessary cost, what it takes to earn his company money in the long-run as he will now be advertising himself to the real world. Also tell him (depending on your level of experience) that there are websites and there are "websites". The art of web development is both a science and an art. It costs money to be a good developer. Finally, if you have a high demand for your services or the guy wants a website done in 24 hours, naturally by law of demand and supply, you have to charge higher. And let's not forget the following: because of those of us charging 10K for a site, it is only natural that clients will expect similar charges, not to mention, he might be using open eye to make you reduce your charges.

One thing's for sure though, there is no need for a union. The lower prices will either make you grit your teeth and stay in there or you leave the game entirely. My perception is that there are too many "webmasters" anyways.

I experienced something similar recently. A family friend in the states had a friend visit them from Nigeria and the visitor wanted a website for her goods in Nigeria. The first thing she said to me was, "I don't want a professional-looking website so go easy on the price". Right there, I knew what I would be dealing with and told her, "sorry but I can't build anything but a professional-looking website because I sign off at the bottom of all my sites and my reputation is on the line with every site that I develop". That pretty much ended that conversation. I mean that's like saying, "I don't want a professional-looking house so go easy on the prices". The builder might give you what you want but you probably don't want to live in such a house.

Conclusion: Let's be proud of our work. I know, given our economic situation, many might have to charge peanuts to afford their next meal. That notwithstanding, we have to stand our ground cos then and only then do we get the respect that we deserve. I personally code probably at the most, 5 sites a year but I rather do that at a high price per site than code 100 sites at 20K each.

If you have his personal details (name, address, etc) then I think a call to your local EFFC/Police Station are in order. For starters, if you feel you have a case, you could report him to Seun.

Just MHO

Visit http://www.punchng.com/ and wait for about 10 secs and/or for the page to finish loading. You get redirected to another site, different layout, look and feel but the title references punch.

Question: Could the site have been hacked or is this the new layout? If the latter, I am sure you will agree that it's a bad way to go about it.

Check it out and report your findings.

@kheme

So which is it?

Come on, let's learn something.

@zstyle,

Though not that obvious, I think the answer to your question can be found in where kheme is located (hint: a little history lesson may come in handy here )

@Seun,

I will agree to disagree with you on this one (in order to prevent a ban ) - I think by speaking with your wallet (going elsewhere) resulting in reduced revenues to the business (and maybe a drop in stock price to boot), you send a message to the business that they better change their ways and innovate or bite the dust.

@jimmyjam
It's called capitalsim. As a company, Interswitch has the right to charge whatever they want for their services. As a consumer (the most important part of this equation), you have the right to either use their services or go elsewhere.

Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity. It's all about choice. People, including myself, are where we are today because of the choices we made in the past.

@myweb,

They don't exist. Nothing comes for free. There is no free lunch. No matter how sweet-mouthed someone is, the minute they ask for an advance payment, do one of two things:

1) Tell them to deduct their expenses from the money they promise you will make OR
2) Cut into the conversation, tell them you are interested and ask how much it is to sign up.

Either way, run.

Then I guess this is a matter for seun and/or uspry1. That is what the "Report to Moderator" button is for

@kheme

Oldest trick in the book. Chances are that they have something to sell. The oldest sales books say, "give the would-be customer a reason to come through the door. Entice him/her to do so". In other words, nothing is "free" in life. By advertising something for free, like a crack dealer, they capture the dealer's attention. If they manage call and/or email, there is a chance they can sell something.

A better questiion, at least IMHO is , "in a country like Naija where you have to pay per minute of your cell phone call, why take the chance of wasting your minutes to call someone for something you may not even need?"

As I said above, it's class capitalism. Nothing wrong with that. The bane is more on the consumer and not the producer to ignore such posts. It's all about self-choice. No need in getting upset

@the_rabbi
I agree with you totaly. In fact, I found the "contact us" page, reachable via the "portfolio" page to be the best of the bunch:
http://www.ibxstudios.com/contact.html

If you know who owns the site, please let them know of my adoration for that particular page.

It rocks!

Thanks,

yes u were. I am willing to help out wherever I can. Again, it's a noble cause. I just won't be signing up personally. I know having just said that, I sound like a hypocrite but I would rather speak my mind.

Once again, it's a noble concept and I look forward to seeing it work well within the Nigerian context.

Thanks,

I forget the company that did this in the US but it went very well. Many subscribed. I think it's a noble concept although I personally wouldn't sign up for it - privacy reasons. For instance:

- supposing I am with my guy somewhere enjoying the some quality time. My phone happens to be on and so I am broadcasting my presence. Do I really want my friend dropping in?

- call me naive, but in these kidnapping days, do i really want to let pple know of my location?

Again, noble concept, but given the "naija factor", if not already, I think you should think through this big time.

Kudos.

@efe
r u recommending veprox because "they" are good or because u r the "they"
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-162278.0.html

what are the benefits of your CMS over Joomla et al?

Note: I am not saying it is not better than Joomla et al, I just want some convincing as to why I should use yours over what is already proven.

@Mustay

Though I don't support the statement myself, it is capitalism. It is up to us the consumer to decide whether we want to go with him, someone else or teach ourselves.

There is no need for the "deceive people" part, IMHO. Free market capitalism is the best path to economic freedom. It is not a deception. What of if the poster is the type who learns only by face-to-face teaching?

geez! soon someone will be willing to code the site for 15K.

@all,

Call me stupid or naive but why is it that (or is it just me) that we are trying to use DW for everything? Sure, it has many plug-ins but that's not its specialty. I mean sure, you can find crayfish at a supermarket but is that where you really want to go if you want crayfish? Of course not, you go to the open market.

At the rate at which we are going with DW, I am seriously afraid one day, we will expect to just kick back in our seats and expect DW to actually go into our brains to analyze what we are thinking and code a complete website/app for us