ed2go Online Classes: Great Value and Content

Update 1-28-2017:

In October 2016 I reported in an update that Ed2Go fees had increased to $149. This represented a doubling of pricing. Since then, I've discovered some pricing tips while signing up for a class on stock analysis.

• The day prior to class starting, my class went on sale through Ed2Go for $104.30. I was thrilled with the savings.
• Some classes are still offered for $70. Apparently, pricing depends on subject matter.
• Later, I found the stock analysis Ed2Go class listed under my local community college's continuing education portal for $70.
• The same class was listed under another local community college portal for $149.

I conclude that the more expensive Ed2Go courses can still be found for $70 under some community college programs. Check around!

If you have found low-cost online courses to recommend, please leave a comment below.


ed2go ROCKS - HERE'S WHY::

1. Inexpensive
2. Good Course Content
3. No high pressure assignments

I recently finished my second ed2go class, Introduction to Javascript.  These classes are a bargain at $70. The course content is very organized and thorough. The administrative details are handled through your local community college. For my first class, Six Sigma: Total Quality Applications, I accidentally signed up for a similarly titled course. The staff at my local community college were quick and efficient at correcting my mistake.

Once the course starts, you'll get a new lesson every Wednesday and Friday. The lesson is available in a text format which I saved to my computer and iPad for easy access. A 5-question quiz serves as a self-check at the end of the lesson. This grade does not count. I copied and pasted the corrected quizzes to a word document for later study. 

Each lesson has an assignment which also is not graded, but its completion obviously enhances the lesson.  Hyperlinks are provided to supplementary material. There's a class discussion area for each lesson, and I've found the instructors to be very prompt in responding to posted questions.

Each lesson includes:

• reading material
• very short quiz
• assignment
• optional discussion board

The classes run 6 weeks with an additional 2 weeks (if needed) to finish and take the final exam. An 80% minimum exam grade earns the right to print a certificate of completion. There is no college credit for the courses, but you do earn continuing education units.

ed2go online learning

Make a video without a video camera!

Animoto is a very easy-to-use video program. Although an app is available, the desktop version has many more style options.

It is not necessary to take video footage to make a video. With Animoto, a combination of still images and text are transformed into an impressive video presentation. 

The following is a video I created from photos and video taken during the Great Backyard Bird Count. The photography isn't particularly great, but Animoto still makes a super video.

I've also made an "About Me" video for my Linkedin profile. For a recent school event, the photography wasn't good enough for prints, but it made a great video. It was a lot quicker than scrapbooking, too.

To start creating, you choose a style.

The style includes the background that your images or video will be superimposed upon along with music and animation.

If you don't like the music that goes with the style, there are additional music selections. Also, your own music can be uploaded.  Be aware of copyright protection laws when choosing music outside the Animoto selections.

Next, start uploading photos and/or video. Compose text and rearrange components to put together your final creation.

A free account allows you to make a 30 second web quality video with access to 300 tracks of music. For five dollars a month or $30 a year you can make a 10 minute video. A Pro account is $39 a month which allows 20 minute videos with access to 2000 commercially licensed music tracks. Like everything else on the internet, these terms are subject to change. I can see a corporation using a Pro account to quickly produce videos for employee meetings or sales presentations.

Instructors should be aware that there are 6-month Animoto for Education trials where students can produce videos of unlimited length.

The company has a funny video on their website about their history.

Flipboard App for Mobile Devices

Flipboard allows you to collect articles of interest from the internet in your own magazines. You can view those magazines on your phone or iPad at your convenience. You can share those magazines with others.

Add a "flip it" bookmarklet to your regular computer and flip articles from there for later viewing.

So 3 devices.... your own magazines....3 ways to view them. 

So when you're at the doctor's office with some reading time, no need to peruse the old magazines. You can read articles of your own choosing right on your phone. 

I am using Flipboard on my Windows 7 laptop, my iPhone, and iPad mini. It is also available on Android, Kindle, Fire and NOOK platforms.

Check out my new Flipboard magazine called Web Tech .

The 2 minute video below describes the features of Flipboard on a Windows 8 device.

Line Graph produced with iPad Pages App

I'm experimenting with creating graphs "on the go" using the Pages application on an iPad. The above graph shows power consumption in dollars. I saved it as a pdf and uploaded to a Windows laptop. In Adobe Acrobat Pro I added and centered the title using Tools. I saved this as a jpeg, and opened it in Photoshop.

In Photoshop, I reduced the image size to a 300 pixel width and optimized for the web.

After loading on this blog post, the text was too light so I returned to Photoshop. I created a duplicate layer and used the multiply effect to darken the text.

How to use keywords and phrases for website SEO ( Part II)

The previous post defined SEO and explained the selection of keywords and phrases which I have abbreviated "keys."

Elevate keywords and phrases

Once the keys have been identified, place them in your website where search engine programs will scan and index your website.

If you are not familiar with HTML, tag names like title, alt descriptions, and headings may be confusing. Study your website template program to find options to alter the tags without analyzing the HTML code.

Places to use keys to improve SEO ranking

1. Include them in your title. The title can extend 70 – 75 characters.

2.  Compose a meta description using the keys. This should be a nice paragraph of 30-40 words.

3. Use keys in image alt descriptions. Alt descriptions provide accessibility for screen reader users. These descriptions are scanned by search engines. Images are not scanned.

4. Use keys within headings.

It makes sense that keys would make good headings for webpage content. Use headings to break up long text passages, and improve readability.

5. Use keys in hyperlinks.

To link to another webpage, don’t use “click here.” Use a description for the link. This is better website design as well as giving the search engine another look at your “keys.”

6. Use keys in URLs. The URL is the filename for a webpage. It is created when the page is created and saved.

URL Example 1:

http://www.webstudiosouth.com/vector_art.html

URL Example 2:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/05704928508060427#.UnGQWvlwqSo

Example 1 has a higher SEO ranking than example 2.

Example 2 has no recognizable words. Example 1 could be further improved by expanding words into more descriptive phrases.

If you are upgrading an existing website, file name changes should be made carefully. Any links to that page need to be updated.

7. Place keys strategically within body text.

This content needs to make sense with strategic placement of keys. Writing well for your audience should have priority over the inclusion of keys. 

Of all the keyword and phrases placement options, body text placement is the most powerful for SEO ranking.

I plan to blog more about SEO. See, it's not that mysterious!

This you tube video features a Google executive with great tips on SEO.

What is SEO and how do you do it?

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is website design that maximizes opportunities for search engine programs (some are called Googlebots) to correctly index the site subject matter, and moves the website towards the top of the search engine list for keywords or phrases. Popular search engines are Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Select keywords and phrases

SEO starts with careful selection of keywords and phrases. This research becomes the foundation of your strategy. For the purpose of this explanation, let’s abbreviate keywords and phrases “keys.”

Produce a list of 10 to 20 keys. Use brainstorming techniques to build the list.

Then narrow down the list to 3-5 keys by performing web searches or interviewing website users.  There are online tools that provide search data for keywords. At this time, most of these services charge a fee or require application for a trial period. This would include wordtracker.com, keyword planner at adwords.google.com or keyworddiscovery.com. If you use these tools, the number of searches by keyword and phrases can help finalize your list.

My next blog entry will explain where to use your keywords and phrases (keys) in your website for SEO.

This you tube video offers a simple definition for SEO.

No Tools Menu with Excel 2007

I was following an Excel exercise in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Statistics* with instructions to use the data analysis option under the tools menu.

I didn't have a tools menu on my version of Excel (2007).

This is the procedure for finding the data analysis option:

Click the home button

Choose Excel options

Under add ins select add analysis tool

Click go

Now you can find data analysis under the data tab.

Of course, if the data analysis option was loaded previously, it would already be under the data tab.

*By Robert A. Donnelly, Jr., Ph.D. (2nd edition)
This is a fabulous statistics book, and it's very funny!

Deceptive mailing on Domain Renewal

I received a deceptive mailer requesting payment to continue my domain name. Upon closer inspection, Domain Registry of America is not the company responsible for my domain registry.

The official appearance of this mailing has lead to domain owners making payment to this company and unknowingly changing their registry.

This practice has been reported in another blog  in 2010. The mailer claims low registration prices, but they are higher than usual.

The Buffalo, New York, Better Business Bureau has several complaints against Domain Registry of America for this type mailer. They have been given a "F" rating.

If you receive this type mailer, throw it away.

Advertising on this blog supports my writing. By clicking an ad, you are under no obligation to buy. If you see an advertisement of interest, please click.

Marketing in Web Design

In a face-to-face business website like an ice cream shop or car lot, it’s important to include a photo. This allows the potential customer to preview the storefront. Then they can visualize themselves going to the business.

How to Download a New Font to your Computer

1.Select and download a font from a font website.

2.A zipped font file will appear in your download box.

3.Move the zipped file to a folder on your desktop called ”downloaded fonts.”

4.Right click zipped file and select extract all. Choose a folder called “fonts” to extract the files to.

5.Open your computer’s font file in Windows by going to control panel> appearance and personalization > fonts.

6.Drag the extracted font file to the computer font file.

Advertising on this blog supports my writing. By clicking an ad, you are under no obligation to buy. If you see an advertisement of interest, please click.

The Job Search

Tips for Finding the Perfect Job

1. Define the Perfect Job for you. You can waste time chasing a job opening that’s a long commute or way below your salary requirements. If there are aspects of a job that you hate, add those to your description of what to avoid in the perfect job. Once you have your list for the perfect job, identify aspects you can and cannot compromise on. You may enter a company in a position that transitions to your “perfect” job.

2. Take advantage of any networking opportunities. Join associations, take classes, and attend workshops. Try to initiate discussions about companies that are hiring, staffing agencies being utilized, and work conditions.  If you get out and talk to people, job opportunities will present themselves.

3. Keep your resume updated. Prepare an email version with working links, and a paper version. Keep a file with paper copies in your car just in case you meet a contact unexpectedly.

Also, you should have different versions of your resume for different positions. Examples would be a resume for a web design firm and a resume for a sales position at a software company.

Don’t miss any opportunities to have your resume critiqued. Keep perfecting it.

4. Keep your portfolio updated. Feature your newest, best work. 

5. If the hiring market is slow, keep training. If you learn about job requirements you don’t meet, consider training to improve your hiring prospects down the line.

Here’s an interesting website on the job search:

http://www.workcoachcafe.com/2009/09/08/how-to-find-the-perfect-job-in-10-agonizing-steps/

Accuweather Gadget Installs Easily

I had another opportunity to install a weather gadget on one of my websites. I followed the instructions in my May 25, 2012 blog and was rewarded with a weather information-packed site.

This is the 630 X 440 size with the Seasons Spring 1 background (jpg image of the web page).

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps

Above is the 180 X 150 size with the Basic Colors Gold background (actual gadget html on blog).

Thanks net Weather!

Publishing a swf file to a website using Dreamweaver 5.5

In my Multimedia course, we produced several projects using Adobe Flash Professional. We were required to put those projects on a webpage using the school server and the Dreamweaver FTP interface.

I learned there are some special steps to make your Flash project display correctly.

Insert> Media> SWF

Click the above sequence when your cursor is in the correct location[where you want the flash project displayed] in either the code or display view.

Dreamweaver prompts you to select the SWF file and an accessibility description. Then Dreamweaver inserts the file with coding.

If you try to preview in a browser, the project will not display correctly.  There is an error given:

My instructor told me to delete the script coding added by Dreamweaver and then it will display.  There was a script code in the head and several lines at the bottom of the body html.  Look for the <script> and </script>, and delete all that code.

I do not know why this fixes the problem, but it was invaluable.

Optimize photos for the web

If you upload photos to the web for a blog or website, it is best to optimize the photo first. This reduces the file size so your viewers don't have an annoying delay while large photo files are loaded.

I use Adobe Photoshop for photo optimization. It is part of the Adobe Creative Suite I bought for my web technology classes. There are other photo editing programs so research the web for the best option for you. Your camera's software may have photo editing capabilities.

To optimize in Photoshop:

1. Open the image in PS
2. Duplicate the image (image > duplicate)
3. Crop excess photo around subject
4. Reduce image size (image > size > change dimensions here/select bicubic sharper > ok)
5. File > Save for web > jpeg medium quality

Duplicate your image so, if you're not happy with the results, your original is preserved.

For landscape orientation, I use a 300 pixel width and let the height set proportionately.
For portrait orientation, I use a 250 pixel width.



Most jpeg images, will be fine at a medium quality.
The optimization process reduced a 183K file down to 18K. That will allow websites with your photographs to download much quicker.


Advertising on this blog supports my writing. By clicking an ad, you are under no obligation to buy. If you see an advertisement of interest, please click.

Finding a web host

I blogged earlier in the year about trying out a free web hosting service. If you followed those blogs, you are aware that the site was down more than it was up. Taking into account the time spent putting together a website, setting up the server account, and loading the website to the web host server, I concluded that even a free web host was not worth the trouble if the site was down extensively.

Web hosting can be obtained for around $5 a month, and there are many reliable choices. I launched my first commercial website in September, and have found IMH to be a good web host. As with many host companies, their website provides tutorials and instructional materials for website management. They also have customer service tools like a chat line and faq pages that are helpful.

I chose my host company by geographic location and pricing. Decide what aspects of a web host are most important to you, and chose your host accordingly.  Recommendations from friends can also help in the decision making.

Posterize with Windows Moviemaker

There’s an interesting effect available on Windows Moviemaker. 

After loading your video, select Visual effects > posterize.

Here’s a video demonstrating the effect:

Windows Moviemaker software comes standard with many computers. 

It allows you to add music, title, credits, and captions to a video. I usually cut excessive video with Adobe Media Encoder then load the video (avi) file into Windows Moviemaker for music and text. If you need a flv or f4v format, load the file back into Media Encoder to convert it. 

If you don't have Adobe Media Encoder (this comes with Adobe Flash which is part of the Adobe Creative Suite), Windows Moviemaker allows length editing, but no format conversion.

Obviously, a tripod would have made a much smoother video.

The music was downloaded from ccmixter.org. It's DoKashiteru by The Annual New England Xylophone Symposium.

Domain Name Transfer

I recently had to transfer a domain name when I designed a replacement web site for a company. This transfer was shrouded in mystery until I went through the process.

Originally the former webmaster had established the domain name with Go Daddy. To complete the transfer, I had to set up an account there.

 The former webmaster needed two pieces of information from me:

1. My email that I used to set up the Go Daddy Account

2. Go Daddy Account number

She initiated the transfer. About 20 minutes later, I received an email from Go Daddy with a change of registrant pending notice.

I signed into my account to accept the change. I did have trouble with the hidden menus on the Go Daddy website, and required customer service to point me in the right direction. The phone representative was very helpful.

Now that the domain name transfer is complete, future renewal notices will come to me. That completed the transfer. Once I set up a web host, I pointed the domain to the web host nameservers.

Background Image with Opacity Using CSS

A class assignment required using a company logo as a background image behind text. The company logo was required to be 70% transparent. The opacity property renders the logo and the text transparent because it is an inherited property. How do you keep the text visible? This requirement had me stumped as I tried different approaches.

One reason this concept was so difficult for me was because I remember making images transparent in Photoshop with the touch of a button. Because of this, it was difficult for me to understand what has to happen for a logo to be partially transparent without affecting the text and without using Photoshop or another image editing  application.

This is the scheme. The logo is applied to a div as a background image. The text is placed in a nested div inside the logo div. A background color (matching the body color) is applied to the text div. It covers up the logo, right? The transparency of the background color is adjusted to let the logo show through as desired. You do this with the rgba color property:

background-color: rgba(94, 153, 150, .75) where the .75 is the opacity (alpha value) of the background color.  To get the logo to be very faint at 30% opacity, we cover it up with a background color on the text div with an alpha value of .7. It is a background color and does not affect the text.

GEM #6 The key here is to understand that you’re working with a layer (div) on top of the logo div to create the transparency.

A helpful video for this concept is by hdvidsonly.