Rastin Mehr

I like using frameworks, because they take care of so much of the dirty work and that means I can focus on the core purpose of a project.

One of my biggest nightmares is making my Javascript code work in non-standard compliant browsers such as IE 6 and IE 7. I’m sure every web UI designer has some horror stories to tell about all the time wasted on resolving Javascript cross browser issues.

Just recently we have delivered a project ( www.north49.com ) and we also installed a Joomla quick form generator which submits the forms using some snazzy ajax. I developed the component using Mootools Javascript framework, and for the first time in my life my code which was developed on Firefox and Safari, worked just fine on both IE 6 and 7. This was just unbelievable!

Continue reading Why I like using frameworks

If your Yahoo! ID is based in Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong or Korea you will only be able to view safe content based on your local Terms of Service so won’t be able to turn SafeSearch off. In other words that means, that German users can not access photos on flickr that are not flagged “safe” … only flowers and landscapes for Germans …Copy and upload this picture to your account – show flickr who we are!

please use the tag: “thinkflickrthink” and join this group www.flickr.com/groups/againstcensorship/

[tags]flickr censorship, censorship, Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea [/tags]

This blog was originally posted on the rmdStudio website which is a cloud and mobile app development company in Vancouver.

Web application architecture is a popular topic these days. It is also a very misunderstood concept and often mistaken with Web Design or Web Development. To the non-technical mind all the pages on the internet are websites, and therefore it would be a web designer’s job to design them, or perhaps a Web Developer who can can write some programs and all of a sudden build the next social networking website with all the snazzy features!

The same misconception is directing many web application architecture projects to the wrong hands. Clients don’t go to the dentist to have their eyes examined, but they do take a web application project to a design and advertisement company and the failed results leaves them angry and frustrated, because what they have received despite the shiny and sleek look comes short of the business and technical specs.

A good portion of my income, is generated by fixing those mistakes, and every time that I do consulting and development for a frustrated customer, I wonder why and how their software development project ended up in a design and advertising firm to begin with!

There is a change happening in the market, and design firms, who have been the primary sources of web solutions for the last decade, aren’t so thrilled about, yet not willing to point the clients to the right development team. After all, who would want to let go of an attractive business contract?

This article is to better explain a Web Application Architect’s job description and the current state of web application development market.

Continue reading What Do Web Application Architects Do?

I often write my posts ahead of time and then let them sit for a while before I go back and review them at least few times. Writing isn’t my best skill. I do enjoy it, but I am a bit slow. I’ve always been envious of people who open their blog, make a nice post, and close it down. That’s a talent.

Just recently I have finished writing the draft for an article called “Anatomy of a Community Builder web app”. In this article I am dissecting the common web apps used for websites like Flickr, Facebook, or MySpace. I am also proposing the building blocks of an open source modular community builder.

Turned out that I really enjoyed writing about this topic so the article is now more than 10 pages. Editing and refining this article would take some time specially for a slow writer like me. The time spend on this article has reduced the frequency of my posts here too. I think while I am working on refining my article, I will also start working on a blog post about “Web Application Architects”, this way my blog doesn’t go stale.

I don’t think I would put the entire community builder article here. Perhaps I will publish it as a case study on my company website, and then make a little blog announcement for it. I can’t wait to read your comments about it.

[tags]community builder, open source, web application architect, rastin mehr, rmd studio, writing, web application[/tags]

Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir is an Art Student and a very talented photographer on the Flickr. Rebekka had posted a plea for help on flickr about a theft case involving an online retailer selling copycat art. She requested that people send the retailer letters concerning the issue, but in response, her original post was deleted by flickr admins.

Photography by Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir © all rights reserved

Rebekka’s deleted post had 450 long and meaningful user comments about how selling other people’s stuff for profit is a crime, including advices and suggestions on how to deal with it. This post had been viewed over 101,000 times at the time of deletion.

Continue reading Protecting the User Generated Content