Question: What did 2005 teach you?

Looking back
2005 taught me that I don't have to do everything myself and it is okay to seek a helping hand (or use other peoples open-source code [for faster development]). It also taught me to keep an open mind when it comes to technology - CSS layouts, FireFox, Linux. Compared to this time last year I have an understanding for an array of topics including programming, e-commerce, information architecture, usability, accessibility, SEO, security and business.

Looking forward
2006, if this year is any indication of what is in store for next - wow :eek:

Goals: Further knowledge in programming [php5 - mysql5 - xml], information architecture, e-commerce, security and business. Buying a house or car sounds nice too.

Almost all web development related but yeah :rolleyes:

    looking back:

    1 - Just say no to the eighth Jaegermeister Bomber!
    2 - Get it in writing, even if you are doing work for a family friend!
    3 - Save more, spend less
    4 - take time to read lessons, tutorials books, forum threads, articles in PB mag
    5 - NEVER eat uncle Joe's Pork Chops for breakfast in AZ, when he flew in from chicago with meat from his favorite butcher...

    looking forward:
    1 - More Jaegermeister bombers
    2 - Less pork chops
    3 - XML, CSS, PHP5
    4 - relearn some actionscript for fun... and incorporate flash with PHP
    5 - organize my code snippet library...

      looking back:
      Objects are a good thing.
      CSS layouts are better than tables.
      http://www.phpgd.com finally went live.

      looking forward:
      "Dynamic Web Graphics With PHP" is going to get written at last.
      Learn PHP 5.
      Get ZCE certified.

        5 days later

        Looking back:
        I didn't do much PHP-related stuff, and I dabbled a bit in CSS...

        Looking forward:
        I definitely need to experiment more. I wish I had webspace to do this with, but I don't...It's all in my head and I need to put it into practice.

          You don't need webspace to test - you should know that Merve. Just install AMP on yah PC.

            Jason Batten wrote:

            You don't need webspace to test - you should know that Merve. Just install AMP on yah PC.

            I definitely have a test server set up on my PC, but I haven't gotten any further than screwing around with it a bit. At this stage, I can only really use it for practice. The kinds of things that I'd like to do are feasible using my test server. However, I feel that there is no purpose in creating something that only I will see. I've toyed around with the idea of a virtual pet in PHP for ages but I haven't really gotten anything down because I have no motivation. Once the project's completed, it would just sit on my hard drive.

            I guess I should just do it anyway and see what happens. This could be interesting.

              Why not start up a community once the idea is alive & kicking?
              How about self-satisfaction of achieving something all on your own?

              I'm going to be planning / developing a little intranet for my personal and business work. There are a bunch pieces of scrap paper in my desk draws with scribble ideas. I'd like to setup my own mini-internet too with all the countless resources I have collected over this last year... that way I can have like "read" or "last read" - hrmmm, these ideas aren’t bad

              continues to sit and stare at the screen while doing nothing about

              Oh motivation where is it when you need it. Anyone else get pointlessly motivated just when they are about to slip into bed?

                8 days later
                Jason Batten wrote:

                Oh motivation where is it when you need it. Anyone else get pointlessly motivated just when they are about to slip into bed?

                Yes. Or, just when I want to stay there.

                On the other topic: my most involved and possibly best app is one that only 4 or 5 people have ever seen, and it's likely to stay that way. I develop on my business interface almost every day --- to the point that I can't really summon enthusiasm for any other site that doesn't have a viable goal/outline.

                But then, planning is important when you're playing to the masses. If I just want to balance my checkbook, figure my taxes and bill my clients, I can sit down and "wing it" until it Just Works. And, I have.

                For 2006: Either PERL or Python, and some more C. And working on my wife's album.... 😃

                  2 months later

                  What an interesting thread! Shame I only discovered it three months or so after it was posted. Anyway, for that it's worth here's my two cents...

                  Looking back on 2005...

                  • An explosion in the popularity of PHP
                  • Flash (surprizingly) maintains its dominance on the web graphics front. Good Flash developers heavily in demand.
                  • Google Ad Clicks becomes arguably the world's most powerful advertising medium.
                  • Firefox emerges as a serious challenger to Internet Explorer.

                  Looking forward to 2006 (my predictions)...

                  • The beginning of the end of Google's dominance on the search engine front (with Microsoft offering a serious challenge by late 2006).
                  • A dramatic increase in the amount of CSS designed websites (coupled with a rapid decline in the number of HTML driven, table based websites)
                  • A massive race, among the web development community, to learn XML

                  Looking to 2007 (more predictions)...

                  • Google sued by media/news for copyright infringement
                  • A massive surge in the popularity of C#
                  • Offline, Window's based PHP applications in high demand.

                  And onto 2008...

                  • Online internet TV subscription embraced by millions across Europe and America.
                  • China goes online(!)
                  • The Euro becomes replaces the Dollar as the main currency of the Internet.

                  Onto 2009...

                  • The "War on Terror" prompts a massive overhaul in the way the Internet is handled in America and Western Europe. Tough new regulations force many smaller, independant IT specialists out of business.
                  • Google gagged by the US and British governments. MSN becomes the dominant search engine in the world.
                  • Ad clicks dominanted by big business across every major search engine. Smaller, independant companies no longer able to compete on a level playing field.

                  ...and here comes 2010...

                  • An explosion in the amount of Indian and Chinese web developers (all happy to work for little or nothing) forces millions of professional web developers out of business
                  • A rapid increase in the amount of Chinese websites and web users.
                  • Some third world countries slowly begin trading with each other and with some Western countries. Their economies begin to recover and show signs of growth.
                  • The British and American governments respond by restricting access to all African or Asian based websites, blaming the War on Terror.

                  ...and look out for 2011...

                  • The American government along with the European Union empose crippling taxes and restrictions on all those who trade with overseas based websites.
                  • China responds by ordering their US ambassidor to leave the United States immediately.
                  • The American President (Arnold Schwartzeneggar) gives the Chinese ambassidor 48 hours to return to US soil.
                  • The Chinese Ambassidor however, heads over to Russia for high tea with the new Russian president (Leonard Nimoy) at the Kremlin.
                  • Together they agree to launch a full scale Nuclear attack against the West.
                  • World War Three becomes a reality.
                  • All life on earth appears to be wiped out, with the exception of Charlton Heston (who now has the appearance of a 35 year old man due to the effects of the radiation), a sexy (though tragically mute) female actress and a handful of scorpions.

                  and finally, onto 2012...

                  • Heston is captured by a mysterious group of Apes who talk and behave like humans.
                  • After being subject to a tidal wave of foul treatment and abuse, Chalton eventually escapes and makes his way on horseback into the desert with his trusted mute female companion by his side.
                  • Suddenly, Charton stumbles across the head of the Statue of Liberty sticking out of the sand and in one death defying moment of horror and desperation he cries out... "You blew it up! DAMN YOU!!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!!!".

                    Looking Back (fondly):
                    Posts on the board that didn't have w/ in them, as that really scrapes my tits

                    Looking Forward:
                    I don't really look forward to things, and just enjoy the hell out of them when they happen. My girlfriend says that's emotionally retarded, but I'm sure I'll throw a party about that when I realise she's shut her yap about it!

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