theDigitalRyan

Online project management with a twist. I know we have started to see project management web sites pop up here and there since the success of Basecamp but this one brings a different angle to managing projects online. Basecamp and other copy-cats out there design there site to involve a single group that subscribes to the service, all working together on there projects as a group….well what happens if two members have a side project that they want to work on outside of the said group?…problems. With Critical7 the project environment is centralized around the project itself, allowing for subscribers to Critical7 to work on multiple projects with multiple groups. A truly effective approach to the way people are involved with any project from a college class project to a corporate software development release. The best part is you can sign up for a free account and try the service out.

Online Software, Web Design

If you are keeping Outlook data on your computer, you are using a Personal Folders file (.pst) or an Offline Folder file (.ost). To prevent data loss, you need to know how to repair these files.

If your .pst file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem without your switching to a backup copy. This tool, the Inbox Repair Tool, is installed on your hard disk when you install Outlook.

If your .ost file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem. This tool, the OST Integrity Tool, can scan and repair .ost files. If that doesn’t completely solve the problem, you can disable the .ost file and create a new one.

Repairing a Personal Folders file (.pst)

You may need to use the Inbox Repair Tool if you open your Outlook .pst file and receive this message:

Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

Note  The path to the file specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

To repair the .pst file

1. On the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, typedrive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanpst.exewhere LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Enter the name of the file you want to scan box, type the path and file name given in the error message above.Note  You may not be able to use the Browse button to locate this file because it is located in a hidden folder.
5. To change the options for logging errors during the scan, click Options. If you choose Replace log or Append to log, the log file is saved to the same directory as the .pst file.
6. Click Start.
7. When the file scan is completed, select the Make a backup of scanned file before repairing check box.
8. Click Repair.

If the file is successfully repaired, you will see a Repair complete message. If the Inbox Repair Tool was unable to repair the file, you will need to use a backup of your file.

To begin using your backup file as your new primary file

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
3. Select the .pst that is damaged, and then click Remove.
4. Click Add, select Personal Folders File (.pst), click OK, and then select the .pst file you want to use as the new primary file.
5. Click OK.

Important   You should not rely solely on the Inbox Repair Tool for disaster recovery. A system of regular backups of your .pst file is an important part of preventing data loss. You can back up the file in several ways, including copying it to another location, backing up all of the files on your computer, or by using the Personal Folders Backup utility, available on the Microsoft Office Online site.

Repairing an Offline Folder file (.ost)

You may want to scan and repair your .ost if you:

• Encounter a large numbers of conflict items.
• Cannot open particular Outlook items when offline.
• Receive unexpected synchronization error messages (as shown in the synchronization log in the Deleted Items folder).
• Receive the message:Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.ost. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.Note  The file path specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

In addition, you might be able to open folders in the .ost but get synchronization error messages that do not go away. This happens when a single e-mail message is damaged and the synchronization process cannot correct it. You can use the OST Integrity Tool to fix damaged messages or to move them so you can synchronize successfully.

Important  You may need to run scanpst.exe (see the first procedure above) first if the OST Integrity Tool cannot open the .ost file.

Details of actions performed during the scan and repair are saved as a message in your Outlook Deleted Items folder with the subject “OST Integrity Check.”

If the Offline Folder file cannot be repaired, you can disable it and create a new one.

Microsoft Exchange 2007

Every new project needs a great new look and what else can you do but just follow the trends. Here are a few sites I found that really helped with finding that just right color palette.

• Adobes very own Kuler, an online free resource for picking themes. Great for building ideas.
• Color palette generator for those who want to match their website colors to a pictures.
• And finally for those who just have no idea what to look for, check out Daily Color Scheme. Probably the best.

Web 2.0….the ladies love it.

Web Design

slicehost.com

If you have heard of Rackspace then you need to know about these guys. Slicehost is a Rackspace owned company that provides virtual private server hosting with root access. I have been through many hosting companies like GoDaddy and 1&1 hosting and both times have not been satisfied. Not to say others are not satisfied but for those who demand more service I recommend checking out slicehost. For $20 per month you get setup with a root access VPS server. Very nice.

Hosting

Over the years I have been confronted with the same issues over domain name choices made by those who do not consider themselves ‘savvy’, so I will compile a short list of rules to consider when choosing the domain for your next big idea.

1. Less is more – One or two words at most.
   www.thebestwebsitenameevervisitnow.com is not a good domain name.
2. Your domain name does not necessarily have to be your company name.
   (i.e. North Oakland Golf, Inc. can have a domain name like www.proshop.com)
3. No funny spellings.
   www.clickz4phun.com is not a good domain name.
4. Bottom line…
   It’s all about communication. If you find yourself having to explain the domain name to someone or having to spell it out, then it is not easily communicable.

Here is a quick place to register a new domain name, 1and1.com.

Web Design

I speak with many business owners and most all of them are interested in creating a website but often do not fully understand what their website should contain because there are so many bad examples out there.

Every business website needs only the following 3 goals…

• Describe your business
• Sell your business
• Support your business

Anything that does not belong to one of these goals is noise…noise is bad.

Examples of noise…

Flash intro page where corporate buildings float in with the intellectual fashionable business people standing around a computer is noise…noise is bad. Floating people do not describe your business and only prolong the wait for a client to enter your site for the 9th time to check on an order.

Articulate menu system that expands all over and looks way cool is noise…noise is bad. Visit this site and you will know what I’m talking about. www.cuh2a.com

If you upload every picture or thought you have then your site will lack direction from all the added noise. Many of the newer sites are adopting this ‘Web 2.0′ look, where you have large fonts, reduced color schemes, rich icons, and usually have as little as 3 pages. These focused websites are very clear in their goals.

Every single item on your website must support your goals. If it doesn’t, then it is noise…and noise is bad.

Web Design

I would like to start by saying that I am beginning this blog to express my interests and interpretations. Everything in life is meant to be interpreted. My projects and the experience they bring me helps me in my interpretations. I will try to share those interpretations in the hopes of helping you in your quest for answers as well. It is important to reflect once in a while.

I’d like to share this recent experience I had…

A couple weeks ago, I was visiting my cabin with my girlfriend. As we were walking through the woods, I looked around and noticed how calm and remote everything felt. I thought about how this place is totally unaware and disconnected from how the stock market did that day, or the economy, or who will be the next president. It was almost as this place was free of all that noise. The simplicity of this place was just incredible to think about. If the government failed and money was worth nothing, this place would remain unaffected…that’s true freedom. It is no wonder why people say, “Less is more.”

My Thoughts