www.westie.geek.nz - Geek for Hire (West Auckland)

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josephhinvest

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#101008 22-Apr-2012 21:19

Geekzoners,

I've started a part time business doing geek work in West Auckland.
It's going pretty well, but I am trying to raise my profile a bit. I haven't done any paid advertising. I have put up some flyers in local cafes and my kids schools etc, most work has been word of mouth, this is fine by me.

Any constructive critisim of my website www.westie.geek.nz would be welcome.
Also if you have any thoughts about my Facebook page www.facebook.com/westiegeek I would be happy to hear it.
I plan to post more frequent updates on the Facebook page, jobs I have recently done or local schools/businesses I've helped etc.
Any extra "likes" on my page would be very well received too!

Cheers,
Joseph

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#613954 23-Apr-2012 21:22

Ok, so I'm not 100% on this as I'm still learning, but...
Your HTML doesn't validate, neither does the CSS.

Couldn't see your DTD in the source, so I assumed it didn't have one - or I didn't see it?
So that may be down to my oversight - although I did test with auto detect.

Plus you're site doesn't pass WCAG.
Although this is more of an optional idea, but from my point of view it would be beneficial for your business to have website that is accessible.

insane

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#613985 23-Apr-2012 21:50

If you've never touched a PC before it would be a good idea to get started as the MAC community is only a small subset of all computer users, you may be limiting your audience otherwise.

Perhaps someone with a better command of the English Language could chip in here and say whether "*One or more of the above statements is true." should read "*One or more of the above statements are true. "

josephhinvest

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#613991 23-Apr-2012 21:55

Cloudmelon: Ok, so I'm not 100% on this as I'm still learning, but...
Your HTML doesn't validate, neither does the CSS.

Couldn't see your DTD in the source, so I assumed it didn't have one - or I didn't see it?
So that may be down to my oversight - although I did test with auto detect.

Plus you're site doesn't pass WCAG.
Although this is more of an optional idea, but from my point of view it would be beneficial for your business to have website that is accessible.

Thanks for this. Not sure about the validation. The site is just a blogger blog with a modified template, it wouldn't surprise me if I have munged something up somewhere. Likewise with the CSS, I hardly know what I'm doing, but it's just the standard blogger stuff.

I don't know what DTD and WCAG are, time for some googling!

Thanks,
Joseph

semigeek

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#614000 23-Apr-2012 22:00

Just curious, are you qualified or just very experienced?

josephhinvest

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#614002 23-Apr-2012 22:01

insane: If you've never touched a PC before it would be a good idea to get started as the MAC community is only a small subset of all computer users, you may be limiting your audience otherwise.

Perhaps someone with a better command of the English Language could chip in here and say whether "*One or more of the above statements is true." should read "*One or more of the above statements are true. "

Thanks for suggestion, I have no interesting in learning Windows or other OS's. I have been working with macs for over 10 years and with iDevices since the beginning so this is pretty much my area of expertise. I also have many many years of AV experience, so this is what I am focussing on.

The *fine print is a joke, as one would expect it to say false.

Thanks,
Joseph

josephhinvest

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#614004 23-Apr-2012 22:04

semigeek: Just curious, are you qualified or just very experienced?

I'm qualified in as much as I have been an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician for the last 8 years (this cerfification was previously called something else) and I have a diploma in audio engineering which covers the AV stuff pretty thoroughly.

Cheers,
Joseph

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

josephhinvest

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#614005 23-Apr-2012 22:05

jofizz:
semigeek: Just curious, are you qualified or just very experienced?

I'm qualified in as much as I have been an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician for the last 8 years (this cerfification was previously called something else) and I have a diploma in audio engineering which covers the AV stuff pretty thoroughly.

Cheers,
Joseph

Oh and also I am affiliated with an Apple Authorised Service Provider so can facilitate and perform warranty work too.

semigeek

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#614007 23-Apr-2012 22:09

Nice.

Cloudmelon

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#614008 23-Apr-2012 22:12

jofizz:
Cloudmelon: Ok, so I'm not 100% on this as I'm still learning, but...
Your HTML doesn't validate, neither does the CSS.

Couldn't see your DTD in the source, so I assumed it didn't have one - or I didn't see it?
So that may be down to my oversight - although I did test with auto detect.

Plus you're site doesn't pass WCAG.
Although this is more of an optional idea, but from my point of view it would be beneficial for your business to have website that is accessible.

Thanks for this. Not sure about the validation. The site is just a blogger blog with a modified template, it wouldn't surprise me if I have munged something up somewhere. Likewise with the CSS, I hardly know what I'm doing, but it's just the standard blogger stuff.

I don't know what DTD and WCAG are, time for some googling!

Thanks,
Joseph

Well, it's all optional, you don't HAVE to have HTML and CSS that validates because of how good browsers are, they can make up for the errors in HTML (usually). So it's not something you have to do, it's more of a quality/doing the correct thing sort of idea. Plus it slowly becomes more important over time, as certain aspects of HTML are getting phased out or deprecated.

Looking at your site I would say it looks and works well. And so changes are an optional thing idea.

WCAG is the guidelines that developers follow to ensure people with accessibility issues can use websites. E.g. they might be using a screen reader, and poorly designed website is a nightmare to use with poor thought put into it. So on yours you need to have alt text for your links, so that a screen reader could convey the destination of a link by reading out the alt text.

It's actually really really easy to adhere to the WCAG, you can even get tool bars that assist with developing a website. Which I can link if needed.

josephhinvest

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#614010 23-Apr-2012 22:22

Well, it's all optional, you don't HAVE to have HTML and CSS that validates because of how good browsers are, they can make up for the errors in HTML (usually). So it's not something you have to do, it's more of a quality/doing the correct thing sort of idea. Plus it slowly becomes more important over time, as certain aspects of HTML are getting phased out or deprecated.

Looking at your site I would say it looks and works well. And so changes are an optional thing idea.

WCAG is the guidelines that developers follow to ensure people with accessibility issues can use websites. E.g. they might be using a screen reader, and poorly designed website is a nightmare to use with poor thought put into it. So on yours you need to have alt text for your links, so that a screen reader could convey the destination of a link by reading out the alt text.

It's actually really really easy to adhere to the WCAG, you can even get tool bars that assist with developing a website. Which I can link if needed.

Thanks indeed for this, I will look into it! I do like to have things done correctly.
And re WCAG, I had not even considered this, so I will attempt to get my head around it and make the site compliant.

Thanks for helpful advice,

Cheers,
Joseph

itxtme

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#614178 24-Apr-2012 09:40

Cloudmelon:
jofizz:
Cloudmelon: Ok, so I'm not 100% on this as I'm still learning, but...
Your HTML doesn't validate, neither does the CSS.

Couldn't see your DTD in the source, so I assumed it didn't have one - or I didn't see it?
So that may be down to my oversight - although I did test with auto detect.

Plus you're site doesn't pass WCAG.
Although this is more of an optional idea, but from my point of view it would be beneficial for your business to have website that is accessible.

Thanks for this. Not sure about the validation. The site is just a blogger blog with a modified template, it wouldn't surprise me if I have munged something up somewhere. Likewise with the CSS, I hardly know what I'm doing, but it's just the standard blogger stuff.

I don't know what DTD and WCAG are, time for some googling!

Thanks,
Joseph

Well, it's all optional, you don't HAVE to have HTML and CSS that validates because of how good browsers are, they can make up for the errors in HTML (usually). So it's not something you have to do, it's more of a quality/doing the correct thing sort of idea. Plus it slowly becomes more important over time, as certain aspects of HTML are getting phased out or deprecated.

Looking at your site I would say it looks and works well. And so changes are an optional thing idea.

WCAG is the guidelines that developers follow to ensure people with accessibility issues can use websites. E.g. they might be using a screen reader, and poorly designed website is a nightmare to use with poor thought put into it. So on yours you need to have alt text for your links, so that a screen reader could convey the destination of a link by reading out the alt text.

It's actually really really easy to adhere to the WCAG, you can even get tool bars that assist with developing a website. Which I can link if needed.

I think you will find there are a lot of sites that do not validate.. Stuff.co.nz trademe.co.nz to name two! Cross browser checking is more important IMO. Useful information comes from checking it though, and I totally agree with the need for "alt" tags etc.

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

jonb

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#614199 24-Apr-2012 10:04

Maybe mention more about being an iPad/iPhone expert in the first 'About' section. Is 'idevice' a bit vague, or too much a specialised term - do most people just think of them as iphones/ipads rather than an iDevice?

At least half of the services you offer for mac could be easily offered for PC users to, maybe using SkyDrive and LiveMesh instead of iCloud, without you having to train or learn much about them.

Mention your qualification in the About section- people like that sort of thing.

Nice clean website.

The section headings have a hyperlink when you hover over, but it doesn't lead anywhere and just refreshes the page.

You could put a subject in the 'mail to' link if that makes it easier for you

josephhinvest

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#614208 24-Apr-2012 10:19

Thanks itxtme, I will have a good look at the alt tags this afternoon.
And also thanks jonb for suggestions, I will look at tweaking the language and info.

Cheers,
Joseph

Cloudmelon

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#614475 24-Apr-2012 17:42

I think you will find there are a lot of sites that do not validate.. Stuff.co.nz trademe.co.nz to name two! Cross browser checking is more important IMO. Useful information comes from checking it though, and I totally agree with the need for "alt" tags etc.

Ok... my point wasn't to list what other sites do/don't do, as it is common knowledge that most sites don't put the effort in. Didn't feel the comparison necessary.

I was more offering points that could be looked at if he wanted to, as I did state things like validation are not needed and would be more of an option and that it would work fine without it.

mattwnz

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#614485 24-Apr-2012 18:16

Cloudmelon:

I think you will find there are a lot of sites that do not validate.. ?Stuff.co.nz trademe.co.nz to name two! ?Cross browser checking is more important IMO. ?Useful information comes from checking it though, and I totally agree with the need for "alt" tags etc.

Ok... my point wasn't to list what other sites do/don't do, as it is common knowledge that most sites don't put the effort in. Didn't feel the?comparison?necessary.?

I was more offering points that could be looked at if he wanted to, as I did state things like validation are not needed and would be more of an option and that it would work fine without it.?

That is true to a point, but in order to get a site working cross different browsers, especially in IE, sometimes it may not validate. I am not really sure how important it is anyway these days. Sure, it is good if it does, but there are no awards for making it so, and there are so many top websites that don't.

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