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Rivalry: text editors

The major tool for developers since the inception of coding has been text editors. Text editors provide a platform where lines and blocks of codes are written in executable format.

Some of the most common and popular text editors include:

Sublime Text

Atom

Notepad++

CoffeeCup – The HTML Editor

TextMate

Vim

UltraEdit

Coda

BBEdit

Komodo Edit

Visual Studio Code

Brackets

CodeShare

With the level of sophistication available in tech industry today, one cannot judge which editor is better than the other without the latter having an edge over the former. it has usually come down to preference and project type. As noticed, the default notepad app on PC is not included in the afformentioned list because it is quite limited in multiple file and tab handling. it does not recognize languages and scripts, it is also unable to recognize errors per line, it is unable to debug and run projects. it is also does not permit file sharing or split screen or color coding. surprisingly it even lacks the most common and basic line and column numbering feature. my preference has been brackets app over the years because of the different applicable themes features and most especially, the split screen. For m web projects, i could open both the html file and the css and work on both files simultaneuosly without switching tabs. it also permits me to run my browser with a single click from the editor itself.

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Web page covers

This week, i wil be talking about cover designs. I thought of the consciousness that must go into the design of web page covers and how it must absolutely relate the theme of the website, and how it should reflect the content, intent, product, service, value and every other thing related to the company and owner of the business. Another way to say it is: no matter how much money in millions or efforts, energy and time in years go into building a webpage, the cover design is a huge determinant factor of how often people visit the site, attractiveness and relevance of the page. Webpage covers may also go long way in influencing the genral public to patronize a business or support a cause for which the business stands.

On the Samsung ie website, much thought has gone into the cover design in terms of marketing a trade off discount when a TV is purchased.

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Fonts in web design

Texts are made up of fonts that represent how alphabets and numbers are written. It is wonderful how texts are used not only to compose words but also create characters and images. Also, the family of a font is capable of interpreting the same text differently. In web design, browsers also have a big role to play in presenting the data in texts to the users. These texts must come in readable and legible font families and sizes. Depending on the purpose of the website. simplistic fonts are best used by web designers so as not to confuse the readers or imply something different. As seen in the attached image the text is "new york" but the different fonts employed implies different meaninngs and relevance. A high school football team website is more likely to use the second font, a newspaper name would preferably use the first, a movie title best go with the thrid option, the last one easily passes for a book title. Carefll selection of fonts should also be made and considered when designing websites in relation to the purpose they serve.

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Landing page review

I am reviewing the landing web page of popular entertainement company Sky.com. Sky has successfully created an appreciable pattern in the way they are represented on the streets, banners, bus stickers, billboards etc. A thing one cannot un-identify is their logo. The Sky logo is wholly simplistic, completely designed using a unique typeface and gorgeoulsy decorated using multicolored gradient.

Although the sky logo is unique, beautiful and modern, the landing page does not entirely share same attributes. Landing pages have taken newer looks, and fresher dimensions in more recent times. The landing page by design can be broken down into user experience and user interface. From my point of view, the user experience might not be as wonderfully looking as the user interface design. According newer trends, larger individual horizontal boxes would have replaced the 3 columns. Likewise, since most of the contents are texts, it makes the information presented appear a bit clumsy. Picture images are better employed to in design cases that employ columns such as the one above.

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Database management system (DBMS)

DBMSs are softwares used to store data, retrieve data, manage data. This includes adding data and deleting data. In an explanatory scenario, apps and websites contain information that is stored up on the server which include names of registered users, posts, comments, personal data etc. The DBMS reaches into the databse each time an information is required the process which is called query, it fethces this information and makes it available to the user upon request. The server holds this information to be released to the user and administrator each time it is requested for. Examples of DBMS softwares are My SQL, Microsoft SQL, Oracle. DBMS also serve as interface between the users of an application or website and the system. On the other end users information are also visible, managed and controlled by the database administrator. In fact in tech roles, Database administrator is a position on its own and is as important as any other role in the industry. As seen in the illustration attached, the DBMS is at the center of software, management, databse, system, software, data, users, admin etc. The

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Content management system softwares

There are more than 42 popular content management softwares. The most popular of which are Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal. The invention of these softwares have made development of websites much easier. Also it may take someone with no basic professional knowledge of html, css and javascript to develop a fully functional website although someone that has rudimental knowledge would have a better control of the system and be capable of tweaking and understand the underlying techniques. The familiar CMS to me is Wordpress. I have used it for about 2 years and i can tell the difference between coding from the bottom scratch up to moving templates, presets, blocks and other elements around in a graphical form. However, not all websites may require the need for CMSs based on their functionality and intent but a full stack developer regardless has complete control over a coded from scratch up kind of web application.

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NEW Trends in Web Design (3)

Some new trends in design of web  pages include: the increased  use of white space, bold and large typefaces, immersive designs, horizontal scrolling, autoplay media, image collage and hero sections.

Bold and large typefaces: Fonts play one of the most important roles in designing a website. Personally, I would immediately quit a shopping website that has Halloween themed typefaces. Different fonts for different purposes and intents. As seen in the example below, designers now give hierarchy to texts according to priority. Likewise font designers are creating more variants of typefaces like bolditalic, regularitalic, semibolditalic and so on. This gives web designers abundance of variant choices to select from.  Furthermore, there are fonts designed specifically to suite websites, such may not be applicable on product designs therefore careful consideration should be taken when selecting font types. Other factors such as letter and word spacing also trick the users perception of the webpage and can therefore appeal or not appeal.

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NEW Trends in Web Design (2)

Immersive designs – using the website of  notorious nooch as an example, a company that sells artificial yeast flavours. The website stands out and is very peculiar in the sense that it is very simple, detailed engaging and immersive at the same time. In fact, users may be tempted to spend a longer time viewing this landing page compared to some other websites they frequent often. The use of graphical designs and bold fonts in an artistic way is appreciable.

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NEW Trends in Web Design (1)

NEW Trends in Web Design (1)

Two weeks ago, I mentioned and discussed the topic Apps VS websites. This week, I will be publishing a follow up article in reference to that. In 2022, designs are evolving and graphical representations are becoming more fluid. It’s no surprise that the world of web design is not left out. Now, websites are becoming more like apps in terms of design and the inclination of users do not tend to appreciate a vast difference in the appearance and experience on the web and apps while accessing the same service. While some users may prefer to use the website of a company over the app to access their service because of its aesthetic design and easy-to-navigate functionalities other users simply download the app even though it takes up more storage space, drains battery faster and consumes processor memory. There are also some tools that makes it super easy for developers to convert their HTML codes into apps for mobile devices instead of creating new apps from the scratch. That way the websites and app interfaces are very similar and a user gets similar experiences although differences come with screen sizes when websites are accessed on mobile phones. However, Google chrome browser offers the “view desktop version” option on most webpages but that means the phone has to be in a portrait mode to get the best of the website’s functionality. Zooming different portion of the screen per time also implies that it is more convenient for the web to be accessed via computers since they have larger screens.

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DIGITAL MEDIA DEVICES AND SCREEN INDUCED MIGRAINE

Digital media devices and screen induced migraine

Keywords: Screen time, Digital devices, Migraine, Screen induced headache, pain, Screen, Digital media, Web

In the 21st century which we currently live in almost entirely everything is done digitally. To access these operations we need digital devices (phones, laptops, tablets, desktops, TV’s and consoles). All these devices have one thing in common, i.e screens; screens that emit light wich is potentially harzadous to the human eye and brain. It is by no means a fact that too much of anything has its own dangers or side effects in this case pain. In this study I will be exploring screen induced migraine (a very severe type of headache), one of the side effects of consuming a lot of screen time. It should be noted that screen induced migraines also happen to people with fewer screen times; basically people with naturally blue light intolerance and photophobia. Screen headaches and migraine episodes can really impact ones personal and professional life. Not only do they limit your ability to complete work tasks but the throbbing pain can also interfere with social obligations and tine with friends and family.

This study aims at finding the relationship between screens of digital media devices and migraine. According to a 2018 review by Dr Amy L Sheppard, computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain syndrome can cause screen headaches, eye strain, dry eyes, neck pain, and blurred vision. The symptoms of a screen headache or migraine attack with a few extra side effects from the screen. This study will explore the population ratio of screen induced migraine patients in Dublin city, causes, effects prevention, popu;ation sensitization and care. This goal will be achieved by working closely with and obtaining reliable data from the migraine association of Ireland, ophthalmologists, opticians and other related professionals.

It is vital that as screens become more and more unavoidable for prolonged daily use we should understand fully how they impact our wellbeing and live healthier. It is expected that more people suffer from screen induced migraine with the steady increase in the prolonged use of digital media devices according to a multination European study that 68% of children regularly use a computer and 54% undertake online (web) activities where approximately two-thirds of adults aged 30-49 years spend five or more hours on digital devices

References:

Sheppard, A. L., & Wolffsohn, J. S. (2018, April 1). Digital Eye Strain: Prevalence, measurement and Amelioration. BMJ Open Ophthalmology. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://bmjophth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e000146

Children under five and digital technologies: Implications for early ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271939339_Children_under_five_and_digital_technologies_implications_for_early_years_pedagogy

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APPS VS WEBSITES

To start with, the purpose of this article is not to tell which is better but only for comparison. Information is usually accessed via the world wide web and apps. Usually, organizations would only build websites and that was enough but now due to demand and revolution of how services are accessed it is tradition to keep both website and apps offering the same features to users and customers. I will be stating some comparisons in the upcoming  points.

Immediacy: websites are easily available immediately. A user only needs to go to the website via a browser and the information is accessed immediately. Whereas with an app, it must first be downloaded from the corresponding OS apps store which is a barrier between the information and the user.

Compatibility: Devices types, screen sizes, and OS’s are not subject to websites while apps rely on such factors for proper functionality

Upgrading: Websites display updates immediately after being updated by developers. Users need to install their apps to receive updates.

Searchability: websites and web address come up on search engine results unlike apps.

Gaming: Apps function better for gaming and interactive functions over websites

Notifications: Apps are capable of carrying out push notifications per time even when the app is closed while you usually have to go on a website to get notifications from that page

Network: Apps do not require internet connection to function except when they need to connect to system servers but you need an internet connection to get on a website.

As mobile use continues to grow worldwide, the “app vs web” question will remain a very real consideration for organizations seeking to establish a mobile presence. If your mobile goals are primarily marketing-driven, or if your aim is to deliver content and establish a broad mobile presence that can be easily maintained, shared between users, and found on search engines, then the a mobile-friendly responsive website is the logical choice.

REFERENCES

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TECH MONEY IS THE NEW OIL MONEY

In the previous decade, parents would often push their kids to opt to study lucrative courses at undergraduate level. Example of such courses are medicine, law and petrochemical engineering. These careers used to top other professions judging by the annual pay but out of all these high-salary competitive professions, career in the oil industry is considered at the top of the salary scale. Yes, the rate at which the world has gone digital over the past ten years is incomparably sporadic to any other time in history of humans. Digitization has taken over, almost everything is done using mobile phones, computers and the internet. I don’t think the generation of our grandfathers could imagine how big and interconnected the modern world is right now. Since almost everything is done digitally, there has been increasingly demand for digital-inclined jobs in the tech space. Just like the law of demand in economics, the more the supply the more the demand. Therefore it is not a surprise that in contrast to previous years, more parents are encouraging their children to pursue careers in the tech industry. And of course, the pay is high and increases as time progresses. Evident and convincing testimonials are the likes of Amazon owner, Facebook owner and Tesla owner. These people are top richest people on the planet currently and they are all in the tech industry. Compare salaries of tech positions in Ireland in the link attatched.

There are a few ways to become super rich just by working in the tech industry. For example, one could build an app that is indispensable and used by all ages like facebook, another example is building an app, make it successful and sell it off, another is digital marketing and advertising etc. For instance, world population is seven billion people and I built an app that requires everyone to pay as low as 1 euro per day, that means I am 7b Euros rich everyday. This is a perfect example of how tech money is the new oil money. It used to be crude oil dealers that can make a single transaction and wake up to be billions richer but due to increase in the use of sustainable energy, careers in the oil sector is reducing while careers in the tech sector is increasing and becoming more lucrative.