ashley sheridan.co.uk

  • Linux and Chrome

    Having heard so much about the latest browser into the field, I decided to give it a try. Now, being the particular open-source advocate that I am, all my computers run Linux. The only installation I have of Windows now is via a dual boot of my main computer, and is reserved solely for gaming. It's unrealistic to reboot the computer each and every time I need to test a site in this browser, so I began seeking an alternative. I stumbled across Chromium, which is a browser built upon Chromes source code, specifically aimed at Mac OS X and Linux users, who are yet to be able to run Chrome natively.

    read full post for "Linux and Chrome"

  • Google Chrome Released

    Google Chrome was released yesterday evening (UK time) and so far there are a few mixed opinions about it. The browser seems to be aimed at the techy market, as Google has been particularly keen on emphasising the technical details of the browser over the user benefits. For a starters, the browser is built on the WebKit engine, which itself is a fork of the KHTML engine. Not only will this make the browser one of the more standards compliant in the field (with the likes of Safari, Konqueror and Opera, although the latter uses its own proprietary engine) but it will be fast as well; and this is exactly what all the early testers have said of it.

    read full post for "Google Chrome Released"

  • First Attempts at SEO

    I've had this past week off of work as part of my annual holiday leave and decided to spend the time doing things that I just didn't while I was at work. With the best of intentions I managed to get only half of what I wanted done, and got sidetracked on another tangent. One such tangent led me to put some more effort into getting visitors to my site. The first part of this involved writing a couple of new articles for Google to index, and the second part had me sign up to a forum and a mailing list. I've tried to be take a very proactive approach with this last part, as it is an extremely efficient way of driving traffic to my website without resorting to 'tactics'. Like I've detailed in one new article: How to Optimise Your Site for Search Engines , the whole point is to answer questions accurately, as this means that people are more likely to value the content on my site. The whole process has been a bit of an eye-opener however, as it really does make you understand that just when you thought you knew most of what there is to know on a subject, there is always so much more to know. Wasn't it Socrates who said The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing?

    read full post for "First Attempts at SEO"

  • Using Knoppix

    I know I've already gone on about how good Knoppix is, but today I really found out how good it is. Since being back from India, I've been using my own laptop for work, for three reasons:

    read full post for "Using Knoppix"

  • The Virtues of Linux

    I've spent a lot of my time this week (obviously while I wasn't working) displaying the wonders of Linux, or more particularly, the wonder that is Compiz Fusion on Linux, as that's the only bit non-geeks are really interested in! One look at wobbly windows, 3D desktops, and general all round special effects and they're all asking how they can have the same on their computer. Unfortunately, this really isn't a possibility for anyone at work, as Linux is just not supported on the network, and I'm only allowed to get away with it because it's my own laptop, as my computer has been appropriated as a replacement for someone else! I think I have made one convert, as he's not too impressed with the effect his not-so-cheap Vista has had on a new computer at home, and the free price tag attached to Linux is a real deal-sealer.

    read full post for "The Virtues of Linux"

What have I been saying recently?

@firefox even faster than CTRL/command click, middle click with the scroll wheel. Great for closing tabs too.

Back again at the office for #tmwhackday tension mounting and last minute "tweaks" being made. S*** just got real!

So, after getting through over a dozen pizzas at #tmwhackday , this is what greets me at home! http://t.co/jKmvE54Y