News compiled by Editor Paul Godden
March - July 2008
I think the most noticeable change is to the domain. Don’t worry if you’ve come back to visit skymonkey.org and felt a little lost - you’ll notice everything is laid out in exactly the same way, with just some basic changes to the header of the site and the navigation bar being on the right now. Gone is skymonkey.org.
Long live techsnake.com! And with TechSnake comes a new character. “Harvey” as he’s been dubbed is the face of TechSnake - well he is the Tech Snake! The idea is to have a feel to the site where somebody or something is actually out there for the readers trying to find the news that matters - so it goes without saying he needed a name =)
You will also notice that videos have started to be embedded again. I always liked the feel of embedding videos, but didn’t like the idea that they weren’t XHTML compliant. Well I’ve ditched that deluded ideal - after all if you try to pass the vast majority of sites, most will fail. Maybe I’ll pluck up the courage and get it fully XHTML compliant again one day.
The other big addition, which has really only been available over the last couple of days, is the forum. If you join, there are some big ideas for it. The initial reason for it to live, is to give gamers a place to go to get their old games working on Vista. It’s amazing how many don’t - and to be honest you just expect them to work when moving to a new operating system (especially when in the past things have “just worked”). Well we recognised that and thought it would be a good idea to share our experiences on getting games working for everyone else’s benefit.
The forum is also home to a calendar with upcoming trade & consumer shows. Plus I will look to include a “knowledge base” idea, which will be similar in concept to the old school gaming, only for applications - and common problems with system config in all OS’s.
So all in all, quite a few changes over the last couple of months. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy what we’re doing. Keep posted for updates at this exciting time, and hopefully we can being you some more exclusives too in the form of interviews and news.
February 2008
Well hopefully you’ve noticed the subtle change to the theme - it went through about two of them this month, and finally I settle on this one - really only made possible because of my development server. Not much else to report really, although I have another writer on the blog, who is covering gaming news and views - Welcome aboard Dazza!
If anyone else is interested in contributing to the blog, just send me a little sample of your work with what you’ll be writing about (computing related factual news, with the your opinion thrown into the mix) and I’ll probably welcome you aboard the good ship skymonkey.org too! Use the contact page at the top right to send me stuff.
The coming months will have a few changes that will be under the hood, so hopefully there won’t be anything that you will notice. Obviously if you do see something a bit odd happening to the website, let me know if you can! Onwards and upwards!!
January 2008
Well look at me, eh? I’m actually posting ON the month FOR the month.. That’s amazing.. Anyway. As you can tell, it’s a new year, so a new look. I’ve added nice curvy graphics to everything, tweaked the colour and generally (I think) made stuff a little easier to read and follow.. Not that it was particularly difficult before of course. So the graphics are different, and also the way you post comments is different. Not vastly different, but it’s changed anyway. Now you don’t need approval, you don’t need a valid email address, hell you can even make up a fake name, the main thing is that there’s a “captcha” included with the comment. If you’re not familiar with captchas, they’re the equivalent of computer constipation tablets - that is, internet bots don’t get on too well with them.
Captchas are a way of verifying that you’re human and not a computer, and because of this, you don’t need your comments verified by me before they show up.. Now wait - one caveat.. If the comments start getting a bit “tasty” shall we say, there’s no guarantee that I won’t re-instate approval, but for the time being you are free to comment as much as you like, without fear of me hitting the “delete comment” button. There is also the same captcha method [read about it here] on the “Me” page, where you can get in contact.
This captcha method makes you and I look at some scrambled text, and type in what we can see. Why this is a good thing is firstly, computers can’t read the text that we can - because they’re too logical for their own goods (look out AI) and secondly, because the second word is actually taken from a book that is being digitized. What you do is in one step, get your comment verified, and in another, contribute to getting a book digitised. Clever eh?
So what else? Well the form is changing as you can see.. I’m focusing on the blog only now, rather than all the other gumpf. I will still keep the gallery on my home server (domain name available on request) but this website will be tech-only. Anything else? No I don’t think so, that’s pretty much it for this month.. Impressed? I am!
May - December 2007
Jesus, like how LAZY is this? I’ve been like 8 months without updating the news section! Unforgivable, but hopefully you’ve noticed the amount of news being reported is more interesting and more frequent. Oh yeah, the last one, the “interestingearth” thing? Don’t click the link - it’s dead. I ditched it after only a few months. Traffic was encouraging, but I just couldn’t write big articles like that every month - it was just too much like hard work!!
Which leads me rather interestingly onto my next project.. I have a new website that has been in the making for the last month or so which is a ZX Spectrum & machines like it “Fan Site.” So if you want to know anything about the retro system of the 1980’s, want to download an emulator or 3, want to know details of each machine & when it was released it’s the place to go. I’m also featuring a “Games Review” section where I review old Spectrum games and allow you to download them to see what they’re like for yourselves! I’m going to get through all 12,000 before I die! And if I do 3 a day, it will be complete in just over 12 years.. So it’s an “ongoing” project I think is what I’m trying to say! Great fun to write and free to register, go to [Z80 Heaven] today!
March/April 2007
SO another (2) months eh? Again the style and things isn’t going to change on the website - I just like it too much! A personal mention (to tie in with previous posts) I am now a proud father of a little baby girl, named “Kayleigh Jane Louise Godden.” My magnificent wife gave birth to our little bundle on the 2nd of April.
Another thing, is the launch of my new website (created because I wanted something else to do, LIKE I NEED IT!) which is called [Interesting Earth]. Go and check it out - it’s about everything to do with our planet that we love (and you don’t have to be an ecowarrior to appreciate the things I talk about!)
January/February 2007
So I’m a little lazy with the news section then, but also there’s not a lot to write about. Blogging is ongoing, the gallery is ongoing and I’m happy with the feel and layout of the website on the whole. I have noticed problems with the CSS with certain version of ie, but the priority has not really to get my website working with ie6, more to get it compliant. Changes over the next month(s)? I don’t think it needs any, but as always, drop me a mail on the [about/contact] page if you can think of anything. Here’s to another month then..!
December 2006
Just a few minor changes planned for this month and next. A few cosmetic things and also to update my pictures with some new snaps! Hopefully all should be finished by the end of the month. If not, apologies early, I’m expecting lots on within the next 4 weeks or so!
November 2006
Gallery transition is complete. Rather than using gallery I chose 4images in the end because it was a lot easier to get things working (and more obvious) than messing about with gallery. So that’s all finished, so what’s next? Well to be completely honest, again, I’m not that sure. I think I just need to make sure I keep the blogging up to date and don’t let too many days slip by because so much seems to change in such a short time, just lately.
Happy November!
October 2006
Plans? dunno really. I’m still really happy with the layout. I am trying to increase my blog posting (which may or may-not have been noticed!) to provide everybody with a slightly-ever-so-biased slant on the current tech news today. The reason? Only because I enjoy venting, and hoping that people find it mildly useful and/or amusing.
No real plans to the website, although I’m hoping to integrate gallery to replace the photos and render section. Don’t hold your breath though, because it seems a bit too hard for me at the moment.! If anybody has any tips on taking a website that is basically php and integrating gallery into it, I would really appreciate it. For the curious, the gallery address is basically the normal URL with /gallery after it. Don’t expect polished results for a LONG time though!!
September 2006
Well the most important news this month (for me, not the website) is that I’m going to be a dad for the second time, so a big thank-you to Zoe (my wife) for sticking by me and making me the happiest man on earth! OK enough of this, on with the website:
The centered look is now finished and the overal feel I am liking a lot! You may also have noticed that the home page takes you straight to the blog, with the normal website updates being on the “news” section. I just thought it would help traffic to the blog, and keep this bit seperate only for the interested, rather than some people thinking this was all there was to the website… I know it’s not difficult, but some people did actually think that without clicking on the menu!
So plans this month? Well apart from keeping the blog up to date, everything is pretty much where I want it with one exception: I really want to do something with the photo galleries. I’m thinking of a single section called “gallery” or something with sub-sections for photos and renders within that. That I think would again make it easier for people to navigate, as quite a few people don’t know what “render” means. I’m also still not very happy with the flash photo viewer. I’m pretty sure it would look nicer with plain out html and easier to get about. Of course I might also look for a wordpress plugin or maybe a SQL server side gallery creator.
Thanks for keeping tuned in and I’ll try to keep things up to your high expectations! Please send comments on anything you want with the contact page, reachable by either the bottom menu or the entry on the left. Thanks!
August 2006
Another month eh? So what’s been achieved? Well the photos are looking really cool with some crazy warped versions of a couple of my mates from work spewing their unholey form all over the website! So for the interested, and those with an iron constitution you can head over to the [photos] section for a scary couple of minutes. Of course there are some awesome pictures from an airplane too, but I reckon the wierd ones will get the most traffic!!
Also the email form is complete, so please use it to comment on anything or nothing. I have had a few comments about the default.css file for the websites, which have been taken on-board (constructive and otherwise) but please if anything else makes you think “he should know about this” then feel free!
Other changes expected over the next month? Well I’m still learning about websites and hosting and things, and believe it or not (you shouldn’t have noticed really) I have moved my website from a UK based service to the US. You get a lot more for your money over there, and with paypal payment is pretty easy too. I chose [Go Daddy] as I had heard some great things from people and also quite a few mentions on podcasts. Anyway, I’ve not been disappointed and the support staff (which I needed for days because of my “learning” disabilities) were outstanding and very patient with me!
Changes? Well I really want to move to a centered and “blog style” type of page. But, after comments, I might still adapt a whole page with dynamic content in the middle type affair, to make it “compliant” with the majority of web “anal-retentives.” Then again I might choose something that doesn’t comply with anything but my wacky crazy outlook on life - No hang on, that just wouldn’t work.
July 2006
Not a huge amount to report this month. The website is still evolving slowly with the CSS as I try to learn little bits here and there when I can. If anybody could have a look at my CSS file and find fault with it I would appreciate it. But obviously you’ll need a mail form to do that, so that’s the website priority for today (9th July!)
The blogs should also have the comments automatically appear after a few minutes now, as I’ve been having trouble with that over the last couple of weeks.
And I still need to do those damn photos too!!
June 2006
Well here we are then and as promised I’ve jumped on the CSS bandwagon and redesigned the site - and it wasn’t as painful as I first thought! Expect more changes over the coming weeks as I learn more!
OK, so it’s been a month and what else has changed? One of the main changes is to the blogs, with the inclusion of a previous posts section above the archives in the left column. I’ve also changed the wording on various links to make it more obvious to new users how to post comments on the blogs too. Previous readers will have noticed that the subject matter on the [techblog] has settled down a bit now with a look at interesting tech news and innovations.
Other changes will include the updating of the content to include new [pictures] and [renderings] (I have some nice airborn photos to share this month) when I can squeeze it into my busy schedule. I’m also toying with the idea of having a feedback page, because I really want to know what you think and how I can improve or change things for the better.
May 2006
Minor changes..The ongoing design of the website is evolving, when time permits, and I’m looking to css the layout completely, which is currently in tables (don’t worry if you don’t understand this, I barely do myself!)
The antblog has ground to a halt just recently as the residents have died pretty quickly - read the blog [here] to catch up on the recent happenings. The [renderings] are almost complete (to top off the current empty render section) so hopefully all can marvel at my amazing 3D work..(er-hmm.)
The links section will be updated this month also to include some of the interesting websites I’ve stumbled across of the last four weeks. I guarantee also that the links won’t contain crap, but stuff I trully find interesting..!
April 2006
OK, so I’ve added the [antblog] which will be a daily, turning to weekly (if I can stop obsessing) look at my antworks ant farm. A crazy space age ant farm that is based on [NASA] technology (apparently.)
I’ve also incorporated my blogger [blog] into the website.
[Photos] have been updated, with a look to sort out the [render] section too (which my PC is currently working overtime to produce the renders!)
Also the [links] (although few) have been updated to include my cousin’s website, which is pretty cool (and freaky) so check it out!
General
Monkies, Sky? Yeah I know what you’re thinking.. Why? Well it could be fun and it could be interesting, let’s find out OK?
This is a place for my weekly blog, a place for the photos I take and the place for my 3D rendered stuff also. Not to mention a place for me to rant and for those listening to rant back (and hopefully disagree)
Now there is no guarantee that I won’t be posting information on the latest tech news or the latest IT grapevine whispers. There is also no guarantee that I won’t be able to refrain from digressing any computing conspiracy theories when I’m made aware of them. There is also an absolutely almost zero chance of me not reporting on anything to do with digital rights or encryption that infringes on the rights of the average internet user, and to which I am interested also.
This is where I am who I am and where you can either flame me for it or join me and embrace my unique point of view…
