Mug Mud

Remake your Face

Signonsandiego.com today showcases a professor at UCSD who used his secret face formula to create a website which allows users to give themselves a makeover online. I could not resist giving it a try - I could use a new look.



click photo for detail (if you dare)

Remake your own face at Taaz.com.

Portfolio Redesign

Earlier this year, I meticulously cataloged my entire project history in web development from the beginning of time. I created data tables to hold all relevant attributes and composed project descriptions detailing the bits and pieces that I could remember from software authored as long as eight years ago. Then I crossed linked and published all the information on my website.

My considerable efforts left my portfolio website a cluttered mess. The design for the site was rather hastily assembled in 2005 and I had not done much to improve the layout since, just tacking items on as they came to mind. Generally I have been too busy to market myself which is both a blessing and a curse. Last night I worked into the wee hours of the morning in order to create a more accessible layout. When the birds outside my window started to sing, I got some sleep and finished up this morning.

The results are online at tjeremyt.com

Color Palette Generation Tool

February has been a busy month and has kept me away from my blog. Between client work and personal projects, I have had little opportunity to keep up with my reading and writing.

A bit of exciting news is that I have just launched a new color tool that creates palettes from photos. I have been working on this idea for some time, and the initial version was a Windows application that I created almost two years ago. After switching to Mac in 2007, I shelved the project to focus on open-source technologies.

A couple of weeks ago I got a wild hair to port the code to the web and the result is Palette FX. I have several useful additions that are in the queue currently, but as it stands, the application will generate a beautiful color palette and return color values in hex, rgb, and named color formats.

Portfolio: J Blair Metcalf

The new portfolio website by flash guru, J Blair Metcalf, is one of the best I have seen. The method he has devised for filtering and sorting his past projects is simply ingenious. portfolio link

Endorsements

Often while browsing a website for some product or service, I will find some quote from one of their notable clients. The quote usually talks about how great the product is and how it saved them all sorts of time and money. In large part these quotes are fake: meaning they asked their client for a quote or the client does not exist altogether and the marketing director made the whole things up.

Here is a quote that I made up right now that speaks to how great I am:

Jeremy Taylor's expertise in web development and his responsiveness enabled our company to quickly capitalize on a time-sensitive market opportunity. Mr. Taylor provided our firm with some of the most innovative solutions I have seen in my twenty years in the industry. We all owe Jeremy Taylor a debt of gratitude.

- Big Wig #2, Vanilla Frosting Industries

I always wanted a client to sit down and write me an endorsement like the one above, which I fabricated. It seems ridiculous to ask: "Hey Jim, Can you write me a stunning review so I can use it to attract new clients and subsequently spend less time on your project?" One time, many years ago, I asked a client to do just that.

"Yeah, sure thing, Jeremy. You're great at what you do. Just write something and I'll sign it."

After years considering the quoted endorsement issue, a milestone moment occurred when I least expected it. Last week I demonstrated some new analytics reports for a client over NetMeeting. I managed to get a stunning endorsement over instant messenger by this client, which was both unscripted and in type so I have the exact transcript. I felt great about his reaction, but I am a little disappointed that I will not be using this is my publicity campaign.

Here it is, no joke:

jeremy: click the tab and then select the group
jeremy: is that what you are looking for?
Client: SHIT
Client: that is fast!!!!
Client: wowowowowowow
Client: this is incredible
jeremy: click the 'i' icon in blue on the left
Client: yo baby
Client: yahooooooo
Client: this is really really cool
Client: you done good boy!
jeremy: great
jeremy: should we get together again on Monday?

related: jeremy taylor's portfolio site

Hiring Programmers

Finding talented software developers can be a real challenge for those of us in the IT field. Companies generally wait until they are behind schedule to hire programmers, which of course leads to many problems including further delays in the production schedule. This article, by Nick Corcodilos, is one of the most clearheaded in explaining the perceived dearth of skilled programmers in the marketplace and how poor management practices  are culpable.

"5. Companies try to hire talent rather than develop it. They wait for someone else to train and develop IT workers, while they want only "perfect fits" today. Thus the talent pool is not developed or replenished. Employers who complain about a talent shortage should first look at their own practices: do they develop their IT staff? Do they invest in training? Do they cultivate leaders from among the staff?

6. Perhaps worst of all is that companies hire only when they are desperate to fill a position. By then, it's too late. Corporate HR's complaint that there's a "talent shortage" in the community is easy and cheap. Smart companies plan staff development -- they hire in advance and train new hires for a scope of responsibilities, to be there when they need them. This approach fosters a reputation that always attracts good people."

link