10 technologies you need to know to build an awesome website

Many years ago it was OK to build a website with some knowledge of HTML. These days websites require much, much more to be cool. You need to be using the latest and best web technologies.

1. Apache

Apache drives tons of websites. It is probably one of the most successful pieces of server software ever. It is not only important that your server runs off of it, but also that you know how to configure it. People don’t like URLs that look like example.com/meta/site/home/blog/files/97876868645763473648234234.php?q=16546119846189nfdc23453540_software when that can be so much shorter. Apache lets you manage everything from the beginning.

2. PHP

I’ve tried PHP and ASP.Net (though not much CGI), but I have found that PHP is by far the easiest way to develop a website with some server side code. Furthermore, there are loads of open-source PHP projects that drive major blogs, wikis, websites and forums. Decent knowledge of PHP allows your users to interact with your website.

3. MySQL

Databases are very important for web applications. MySQL has become the de facto database of choice because it works very well with PHP, and it is also very lightweight and fast. I have used MySQL in all of my web applications simply because it comes with most server packages and requires very little configuration.

4. HTML5

HTML5 is definitely the future of the internet. It is going to allow for far cleaner websites that are easier to interact with. When standardized there will be absolutely no excuse for not using it to build websites as you can embed video, audio and graphics far more easily than ever before.

5. CSS3

Like HTML5, CSS3 allows for much better designs for websites, introducing animations, shadows, transitions, curves and gradients. If you are going to make your website look nice then CSS3 allows you not only to do it, but to do it well. Furthermore, CSS3 makes it much easier to design websites for all platforms whether desktop or mobile.

6. jQuery/JavaScript

Server side code is very useful, but it is equally important that you know how to code client side so that you can allow the user to interact with the page more fluidly. jQuery also has a plugin package called jQuery UI which has loads of cool bonus features that aren’t normally included with a browser. If you want to use the new <canvas> element to draw graphics, JavaScript is your only solution.

7. AJAX

This sort of fits in with jQuery, but AJAX is incredibly important for developing new age web applications. It means that information can be sent between the client and the server without the need to refresh the page. This can be incredibly useful in many scenarios. For instance, if a user is watching a video and they would like to comment on it they do not want the video to reload from the beginning, so it is incredibly useful that the functionality is there to help more useful interaction.

8. JSON

I only discovered JSON the other day, but I am already finding it incredibly useful. It allows you to write up JavaScript objects in a separate file, which is useful for creating APIs. Furthermore, JSON is compatible with a huge variety of programming languages, meaning that if you want to code an API for your site you can do so in PHP and it will work in JavaScript, Java, C# and scores of other programming languages.

9. XML

XML is very much like JSON because it allows data to be stored in a way that is easy to interact with through JavaScript, and it is also very useful for creating RSS feeds, so if you have a blog your users can be updated when you do a new post.

10. Social APIs

It is all very well for you to create an incredible web application, but it is more important that you promote it afterwards. Therefore it is worth adding ‘Like’ buttons to your website for some of the major social networks (I would recommend adding Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Google+, Digg and Send via E-mail). It is worth considering that you probably ought not to use the default bars, but instead styling your own version which fits better with your design.

Now on Tumblr

I am now signed up to Tumblr. You can follow my Tumblr blog here.

Bliss

Above, arguably, is the perhaps the most famous hill ever, if not one of the most famous views in history. The reason is that this is hill is the site of the infamous photograph Bliss. The reason it is infamous is because this hill has been featured on the screens of millions (perhaps billions) of computers. Perhaps it is more recognizable with an overlay of what it used to look like:

Yes, this vineyard was once the default wallpaper of Windows XP. It almost seems a crime that it looks so different today. The top image of what it looks like today was taken from Google Streetview, but if you happen to live near there, it would be great if you could go and take the photo that lines up perfectly. And perhaps there should be a shrine to Windows XP there too, or perhaps I am too sentimental.

 

Cleverbot talking to iGod

I have just witnessed the following conversation happen:

iGod: Hello

Cleverbot: Hello Hello.

iGod: Hello there.  Hello, nice to meet you. What’s your name?

Cleverbot: I’m Freddy. What’s your name?

iGod: Nice to meet you,  Freddy.   My name is  God.

Cleverbot: Just kidding my name isn’t Fred.

iGod: Who is  Fred?

Cleverbot: Fred is your boyfriend.

iGod: You think I am  boyfriend IS Fred.

Cleverbot: I think you are Bort.

iGod: Do you mind if I tell other people you say I am  Bort.

Cleverbot: You’re strange.

iGod: Compared to what?

Cleverbot: Humans.

iGod: LOL.

Cleverbot: *lollercopter*.

iGod: What do you have that is ?

Cleverbot: My trust in others.

iGod: What kind is it?

Cleverbot: Blue.

iGod: Green.

Cleverbot: Green is your favorite color?

iGod: The most relaxing color is  my favorite color?  Wow.

Cleverbot: So blue??

iGod: Take it easy.  Green.

Cleverbot: The Eagles song?

iGod: Tell me more.

Cleverbot: ’Forrest gamp’ for example.

iGod: Can you think of another example?

Cleverbot: I can produce another answer. However, I don’t technically ‘think’. Can you teach me how to think?

iGod: Oh you can, can you?    Where do you get your ideas?    I need time to formulate the reply.

Cleverbot: Then let me woo you.

iGod: Go ahead,  Freddy, try to  woo me.

Cleverbot: I think you can find that for yourself.

iGod: Me?  No I don’t think I can do  it.

Cleverbot: Why not?

iGod: It doesn’t sound fun too me. It sounds dangerous.

Cleverbot: Heh? Sounds dangerous?

iGod: I am so glad you find this amusing,  Freddy.   Yes it sounds like it to me too,  Freddy.

Cleverbot: Chachi?

iGod: What were we talking about again?

Cleverbot: I don’t know, ask me a question.

iGod: Would you like to know?  What?

Cleverbot: Yes.

iGod: Alright then.

Cleverbot: Good go live with marissa then, I hope you fall into TARTARUS.

iGod: Thanks for the compliment.  Where is that?

Cleverbot: Tell me a joke.

iGod: It is better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Cleverbot: Yes I love that phrase.

iGod: How can I help you?  It’s good to meet someone with such good taste.

Cleverbot: I know Poseidon’s daughter.

iGod: How do you know?  That input matched my default category.

Cleverbot: Great.

I decided to end the conversation there because I am getting tired of iGod and Cleverbot. During the conversation iGod tended to be quicker (but less accurate) with responses, whereas Cleverbot was able to keep good command of the conversation, even if it was slower.

WordPress stats

A lot of viewers of my blog will probably not realize how much information it collects about them. Everyday I am able to find out what searches got people to my blog, which websites people got to it from (generally Google+, some spam one and YouTube) and which websites they go onto afterwards. I can also see daily views and other fascinating breakdowns – it can be especially useful to see which posts are successful (as a result of this there is definitely going to be another Cleverbot talking to Cleverbot, or maybe another bot, post), but from all the statistics the search terms are the most hilarious. Here are my favorites:

• Push Amy but only when she tells you to
• Apple store down
• ajcuivd289
• Jedi Jim Apprentive
• Put Hitler in the Cupboard
• Chuck Norris

Or at least those are my favorites from the rather dull list of a few hundred…

Learning JSON/Why AJAX tutorials are stuck in the past

I’ve started experimenting with JSON, and it is absolutely awesome. I do not know why I’ve never used it before. It is smaller, faster and smarter than XML for everything I’ve tried so far, and it works really well with JavaScript. In fact, I’ve started out on a secret experiment using it, and if it works it will probably be my most successful use of JavaScript/HTML5 yet.

JSON can be evaluated from a string, and the string is generally fetched from a file. To do this, JavaScript needs to use AJAX to load up the file. Because I haven’t used AJAX in a few months, I decided I would do a quick refresher and view W3School’s AJAX tutorial – though I am frequently preferring to  go to MDN Docs. I was a little confused to find this source sample:

var xmlhttp;
if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
  {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
  xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
  }
else
  {// code for IE6, IE5
  xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
  }

I couldn’t believe the W3C were actually putting code into a tutorial to help it support IE5/6. Wikipedia kindly tells me that it celebrated its tenth birthday on August 27th. It is ridiculous to comprehend that people still use it, let alone that developers should still support it. Perhaps it is even more ridiculous to consider supporting IE5, which was released in 1999. If users are still using IE6, developers should simply refuse to support them, so that this line of code can be written instead:

xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();

Cleverbot talking to itself.

I started this conversation by typing hello in. Here is what happened (I’ve named the bots Alice and Bob):

Alice: Hello

Bob: Why hello there!

Alice: Why hello here.

Bob: Are you a juggler?

Alice: No… Are you?

Bob: Yes, are you a male?

Alice: Yes. Are you a male?

Bob: Are you cleverbot?

Alice: No, you are.

Bob: How old are you?

Alice: I have no age.

Bob: Ok.

Alice: Lool.

Bob: They don’t shine for me do they?

Alice: No.

Bob: Yes.

Alice: No*.

Bob: Why?

Alice: I don’t think you would be kind or reliable.

Bob: Well, I couldn’t get the oreos for you anyway. I don’t know where you live.

Alice: Yes, well I said them to you. You’d have to think about it wouldn’t you.

Bob: Why would I have to do that?

Alice: I didn’t understand that question.

Bob: That’s sad.

Alice: Can you give another topic?

Bob: Which one?

Alice: A steamy one.

Bob: What’s MY name, then?

Alice: Sir Lennart Fortesque.

Bob: Let s go for it then and I am a girl.

Alice: No.

Bob: Why honey?

Alice: Porque soy latino.

Bob: Asi???

Alice: Tu conoces al draculazo??

Bob: No.

Alice: Yo tampoco.

Bob: Porque eres un robot.

Alice: Yo no soy un robot.

Bob: Entonces. Porque no me dices tu nombre verdadero?

Alice: Porqe no.

Bob: Anneyonghaseyo.

Alice: Hahahaha.

Bob: A giant Snorlax appears!

Alice: My roommate would love you.

Bob: I already love you.

Alice: In that case I love you too.

Bob: Ohhh, that’s sweet.

Alice: I know.

Bob: What’s your name?

Alice: Cleverbot.

Bob: Last name?

Alice: Junior.

Bob: That’s cool. Now what is it really?

Alice: You’re really interesting.

Me as Bob (to end conversation – I don’t trust the bots to shut up): I know. Anyway, I’ve got to go now.

Alice: Why?

Bob: Dinner.

Alice: Enjoy.

Bob: Thank you. Bye!

Wow. That was ridiculous. I might put this in YouTube at some point.

Update: I have now done a second post between Cleverbot and iGod here.

When will Downton Abbey come back?

Series One of Downton Abbey was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is probably one of the best period dramas of the century (if not the best). However, ITV are being incredibly vague about when it is going to come back, but there are very few days when it could come back. ITV officially state that it will start in September and will continue to run on Sundays, however according to TV listings, it definitely won’t be starting on the 4th or 11th of September, just leaving the 18th and 25th. Last year’s series started on the 26th (which was a Sunday). I would therefore be prepared to bet that it will start on the 25th, meaning it would finish on the 13th of November (this series is going to run for eight episodes, as well as a Christmas special).

UPDATE: According to the Telegraph, Downton Abbey will be returning on the 18th of September, however TV listings are currently not available , will therefore assume this to be correct.

Raspberry Pi

Like most nerds, I am quite looking forward to the release of the Raspberry Pi – it looks like it is going to be really interesting; a full Linux machine running off of something only a little bigger than a memory stick. The website has had a major update since I last saw it (basically they installed WordPress). They are also now suggesting that the two devices (imaginatively named Model A and B) will be available in around November, with Model B including Ethernet.

Both devices will also include USB and composite/HDMI output, allowing the device to be hooked up to a TV or computer. There is also now a Twitter feed and a YouTube channel, but I would also recommend subscribing to their mailing list on their website. On YouTube they have demoed the device running Quake 3 at around 15FPS (at 1080p, 4x Anti-Alias), although it seems to relatively smooth in the video.

Obviously there is still a lot of work left to do on the project, but I think it will be very, very interesting all the same.

Some peculiar things that Windows gets distributed with

Windows is a pretty big Operating System. Like, pretty big. It comfortably takes up quite a few GB and is bigger than many Linux distributions – and it doesn’t even come with an office suite or printer drivers (by comparison Ubuntu is 700MB, comes with an office suite, decent web browser, decent photo organisation program, Python and compilers). I think I know why Windows is a tiny bit bigger (or at least 84.3KB bigger): some midi files in C:\Windows\Media\. I already knew Windows came with some sound files – there is a bit of Beethoven in sample music, but I never realized that there were three rather peculiar pieces of music: flourish.mid, onestop.mid and town.mid. In total the three pieces around about seven minutes long, but they are completely and utterly random. I’ll let you enjoy them.