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It helps to know your market, so here are some simple stats, courtesy of internetworldstats.com, as at June 2011: How many people use the internet in South Africa? Out of a population of around 49 million, 6.8 million of us happy South Africans use the...
AJAX stands for Asynchronous Javascript And XML, which is a bit of a misnomer, because the technology is only optionally asynchronous, and almost never uses XML anymore. The name describes the intentions of the original architects, and it has a nice ring...
I was reminded the other day of a programming technique I first encountered in the early nineties (yep – that’s twenty years ago. How scary is that?). The technique was used in programming animations with java applets, and it involved constructing each...
The Assemble-a-site system works by assembling all the required parts into a whole, like a jigsaw puzzle. Every project is different, being comprised of a different set of modules arranged in a different way. This creates challenges when it comes to CSS....
We’ve discussed previous how much a website should cost, and we’ve explored ways the Black Square has tried to reduce these costs by creating industry-targeted packs. We have realised, however, that there is an enormous market out there for websites that...
All Black Square websites are built to allow the client to manage their own content. We have developed a basic framework model the forms the basis of all our websites. From this base, we add or customise whatever modules are required to build the required...
A lot of Social Media experts are very excited about the new Facebook to Twitter functionality, and they’re right. It’s a great tool that has a lot of potential, and can definitely streamline your social media communications. It’s especially a great tool...
We recently had to include a corporate masthead on the top of one of our sites. We were supplied with the code for the masthead, which includes a popup menu. The menu is very simple – a button has a mouseover effect which fades in a single popup menu....
We have previously posted about the different content platforms that are available online, and some thoughts on what type of writing is most suitable for each. I’d like to talk a bit more about crafting worthwhile content, in this and further posts. I’m...
In our last post, we looked at the core modules of the Black Square CMS. On their own, they will allow you to maintain a very simple site. Each page will need to be individually built, and placed within the menu structure. This arrangement will work for...
While I’m on a roll, I may as well get this one out too. Last time I ranted about the inefficiency of programmers who load the entire jQuery framework to get a single effect. This rant is about the dangers of using jQuery without understanding the underlying...
Email is sent using a protocol called SMTP, which is implemented on SMTP servers. These servers receive a request to send an email, and either send it on to another SMTP server, or deliver it to the correct mailbox, if this server is the final stop for...
During January, Black Square launched the Guest House Pack and the Photographer's Pack. These low-cost website packages are ideal for small businesses, allowing owners to take full control of their website content and update quickly and easily. Simple,...
Recently, I had a good rant about the importance of using standards. Today, I thought I’d present the other side of the coin: reasons why we should not stick to standards. I’m going to specifically discuss the case of XHTML compliance, but the concepts...
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced so far in the development of the Assemble-a-Site project is that of horizontal stacking. The global layout system requires that the header and footer each contain three columns, and each of these columns needs...
The Black Square CMS allows the client to edit the content of individual pages, but the global areas of the site, and the design, are not editable. There is no need for them to be, because the site is custom designed by us for the client’s individual...
We’ve looked previously at what it costs to build a website for your business. The problem we find is that very few people realise the cost of a website, and many have not included this large expense in their budget. Many clients come to us expecting...
Today’s post is a short rant about the importance of using standards. We have recently been commissioned to develop a website for the South African History Archive (SAHA) and the SABC about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The idea of the...
We're developing a great new site for a client. The design and code are working really well (as always...), but on this project, the copy has really shone through, both in terms of providing users good information, and providing good keywords & structure...
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Black Square is proud to announce a new value-added service offering: full content management services for our clients. From basic website content to newsletters, blogs and social media, we can handle it all for our clients at very reasonable rates. Our...
So: Welcome to the Black Square Blog. Watch us start our website development business: Office - check (+ air-conditioning) Phone - check Computers - 3 out of 4 Desks, chairs, multiplugs etc... - check Folders for client info - check Clients - check Website...
One of the largest and most obvious challenges we’re facing while developing the Assemble-A-Site project is the extra level of abstraction. For those of you who do not know what levels of abstraction are, let me explain. The information that makes up...
This morning I thought I’d write a quick post outlining one of the important aspects of our website design philosophy: never offer your visitors something they can’t have. Do you remember how, when you were little, your brother or sister or cousin used...
In this Friday 15 session, we discuss tips for using images on your website. General image tips -Make sure images are clear and in-focus. -Choose photos with colors that complement your site. -Keep photo quality consistent. Avoid mixing snapshots from...
