Internet Success is all about Content

I'm totally convinced that Internet success is all about the quality of your website content. No doubt this sounds like a broken record, it has been said a million times before.
If your website content is interesting, informative, reads like a good story, it's witty and clever, people will come over and over again to check it out.
They'll even put up with a crappy website for interesting content - I know I've done it in the past. However that's not to say I'm not going to fight for usability. If there is one thing I know how to get right that's probably usability.
But I disgress as per my usual habit.
A recent question I got while sharing the smashingtrips idea was: 'what about the content, have you got the content'?
I like when people ask the right questions.
On this note, I'm building a group of initial content creators and beta testers.
In two weeks time I'm up in the Dales to meet Julie again, and ask her to act as our first beta user and content provider.

And to breathe some open space before I die of too much urban civilation and style.

Smashingtrips - One Year Later

The Smashingtrips idea has been simmering in my head for too long now. Time to make a move.

What's different this time?

Well, the fact that my life seams to be back on track, and most importantly, the fact that I can get help with the architecture and with the DATA. And this in itself gives me huge confidence.

If you would have asked me a while ago how do you build such a thing I'd have said : well, start by prototyping the screens, build the database and start coding the forms with a bit of IDM and graphic design thrown in the mix.
Today's story is a bit different, because I want to add a bit more of the recently acquired sophistication of a formal Business Analyst.
Which means we'll have a nice Logical Data Model, most probably caring on the data model started long time ago in Enterprise Architect, we'll have proper Use Cases and proper system requirements.
...to summarise, what you'll see here is a BA acting as a BA, also remembering how to be a .net developer again, and a Data Architect acting as himself and doing the data architecture.

It will be have to be asp.net because that's me limits as a developer...not that I'm complaining though.

Smashing Trips - How it started

If this is going to be the first post, it has to be memorable (...just trying to put some pressure on myself).

So...deep breath...

Smashing Trips started with an idea of having all my trips, my walks and my 'days out' stories together.
At some point in the near future, when I'll learn more about Identity Management, and integrating forums with a single sign-on, I will be opening the platform for other people,so they can add their own accounts and add their own content.

Today I am at the point where I have the domain, www.smashingtrips.com, and I have the the idea. And a very clear design in my head.

And the Logical Data Model 'on paper' - well, in Enterprise Architect actually.
(Impressed everyone ?)

Last summer almost found a developer - however it ended up he's not interested anymore to do the coding - and this leaves ME to do the coding, as well as the analyses and the design.

Well, at least, this will force me to keep it REALLY simple.

Sorry, I should speak like a proper BA, I meant I'll have to keep it strictly in scope.

Why Smashing Trips - because Smashing Magazine is one of my favourite places, so yes, this is why :).

All fingers crossed now.