Mark Fulton's Blog » Web Development

Inc. Magazine Goes Local for Business Meccas

Mark Fulton — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:24:53 +0000

One of my favorite publications for entreprenuers, Inc. Magazine has just launched 12 local sections for major business hubs around the world.

Each city’s local section has 5 featured articles, sub-categories of local topics of interest and a full archive of articles related to the city.

For example, the San Francisco local section has a great feature on how to find the perfect location for your Bay Area startup. It includes this Google map by Posterous founder Gary Tan; a must see.

The page also includes sub-sections for the city, including Venture Capitol, Google, Facebook, Digg, startup incubator Y Combinator, Silicon Valley and other topics of interest.

I think these geo-features are an excellent idea that will become an increasing trend. They show a lot of promise towards engaging readers on a personal level which will lead to lots of referrals for Inc. Magazine.

The next step would be to integrate the local sections with popular social networks and include real-time feeds from Twitter and Foursquare.

Here is the full list of new local sections for you to explore:

Inc. Magazine plans to include more cities in the coming months.

Blogging Tool: Aspect Ratio Calculator for Perfect Videos and Images

Mark Fulton — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:10:24 +0000

I find myself using this aspect ratio calculator all the time. It is especially useful when embedding videos within blog posts to get the dimensions just right.

Simply type in the original width and height on the left values and your desired width or height on the right.

Also useful for scaling large images to fit properly.

Microsoft Introduces WebMatrix Beta for Windows

Mark Fulton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:34:50 +0000

Microsoft has introduced WebMatrix Beta. It looks to be an overhauled imagining of Frontpage, updated for today’s standards.

Website management is starting to get a bit overwhelming for beginners. There are many different CMS options available and an huge array of plugins for common features and functions.

WebMatrix runs from your Windows desktop. The software allows a user to manage, edit and publish HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other site files. A new “Razor” syntax supposedly makes ASP.NET coding simple.

Apps and open source software like WordPress can be installed and managed using WebMatrix.

WebMatrix seems like it will be a good option for new web developers to learn the ropes and save a lot of time.

Link Directories Making A Comeback

Mark Fulton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:34:17 +0000

I’ve just received word from the PHPLD team that a new version is nearing completion. I may do a formal announcement on DotSauce when it is officially released and I get a chance to take a look at new features and updates.

The latest word from PHPLD:

The next version of phpLD is just about ready. We’ll be making some formal announcements soon, but if you are interested in learning a little about it beforehand, we have some threads going in the supporters forum, and also it is possible to test the beta. Feel free to stop by the supporters forum if you want to find out more.

We also want to remind you that Google approves of directory submissions as a method for building links to a website. They don’t care for directories that lack quality, and accept anything, but if you are taking care to produce a quality directory, Google approves!

Last but not least, we have a new product coming out soon called Link Blocks. It complements phpLD. It’s a CMS that uses phpLD widgets, with full drag and drop capabilities, and allows users to have their own pages. It’s just about ready, and we’ll send you the information soon. We’ll be sure to make it very affordable for new users.

There are a couple of other product announcements and enhancements coming soon as well. We’ve been working continuously all year, and things are really starting to pickup pace. We continue to make phpLD more valuable to you as time passes, so that your purchase with us will be something that always has value. We hope you will find that phpLD is a product that keeps on giving, and we have much more to give this year!

Best Wishes,
phpLD Team

Little has been revealed, but it sounds very promising. I am always pleased to see solid business solutions and applications innovating. Drag and drop CMS? Yes please!

It’s important for PHPLD to stay on top of the latest design and usability standards. It’s also great to see when they take advantage of social networking integration which can provide a needed boost in site traffic.

Socialrific - Unique directory powered by PHPLD

Stay tuned for the future of web directories.

Directory of Best Twitter Apps and Resources

Mark Fulton — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:53:06 +0000

I’ve been working on expanding the TweetSocial community site lately and have just released what I think will be an invaluable resource for lots of Twitter users.

A fully featured Twitter Directory!

The goal of the TweetSocial Twitter Directory is to index all of the best Twitter web apps and tools, mashups, Twitter clients, resources and more all in one location.

Users can search and browse the many Twitter related categories, select individual favorites, rate, comment, review and share links to the best Twitter tools and resources.

It’s free to submit links to your favorite apps!

Simply register a username at TweetSocial.

I’ve personally submitted the best apps and Twitter tools that I’ve found. My latest project, FollowLists.com is included in the Twitter Apps category. It is a newer app that has a few features not yet live, check it out as well.

Stay tuned to the blog for occasional updates on the directory project, TweetSocial and FollowLists!

What do you think of the resources on the Twitter Directory so far?

Your feedback and submissions to the directory are greatly appreciated!

The First of Many Follow Lists to Come

Mark Fulton — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:39:08 +0000

The initial launch of FollowLists.com has been great! Follow Lists is a free Twitter tool where users can create lists of their favorite people on Twitter and easily share those lists with others.

We’ve received positive feedback and lots of suggestions, many of which we will implement soon.

You can follow @FollowLists on Twitter to stay up-to-date and message us with any feedback or questions.

Here are some live example Follow Lists that have been created already…

Nice lists people!

Tip: You can Re-Tweet any list by clicking on the Tweet It! link at the bottom!

Thanks for everyone who has tried out Follow Lists and shared it with their followers. We appreciate your help spreading the word!