In this issue of ColdFusion conference and training news: 1. Fusebox and Frameworks Conference News - win a gig memory stick TODAY 2. Class and certification news 3. "Optimizing FuseBox Applications for Search Engines" interview with Jon Rowny 4. "Managing Your Career as a Developer" interview with Scott Knaub
Happy coding - Michael Smith, TeraTech, Inc http://www.teratech.com/ "Creating excellent custom software since 1989" 1. Fusebox and Frameworks News ****************************** * Win a gigabyte memory stick - if you sign up for the Advanced Fusebox class by TODAY Wed 9/21/05 you will be entered in a raffle to win a gigabyte memory stick. * The Fusebox and Frameworks conference http://www.cfconf.org/fusebox2005/ is only 1 week away * TeraTech has a limited number of Jeff Peter's book on FLiP and Fusebox 4 which we will be handing out to each person who does our "Intro to FLiP challenge". To get your copy of the book: Bring a brief description of your ColdFusion application to the TeraTech booth, and we'll help you get your project rolling. Using wireframing tools we will: - Define screens and exit points - Identify missing functionality - Give you a blueprint that you can use to estimate total project costs After the Conference TeraTech can help you with: - Completing wireframe - Prototype design including graphics, CSS, usability and 508 Compliance - Architecting your application and database - Coding and testing - Smooth deployment - Load testing and server incident resolution * CF Underground VII will be in Anaheim CA 10/15/05 before MAX http://www.cfconf.org/cf_underground7/ Speakers include Hal Helms, Simon Horwith, Michael Smith and more 2. Class and certification news ******************************* We are planning a CF7 certification group at MDCFUG. If you are interested email me. When we ran this last year 11 out of 12 people passed the exam. Class schedule: CF102 Intro to ColdFusion Tue 9/27/05 $349 (at TeraTech) FB301 Advanced Fusebox Jeff Peters Wed 9/28/05 $449 (at FB/FW hotel) CF201 Intermediate ColdFusion Tue 10/11/05 $349 (at TeraTech) SS101 SQL Server DB Design Tue 10/25/05 $349 (at TeraTech) CS201H 4 day hands on CSS class Tue-Fri 11/29 - 12/2/05 $1399 (at TeraTech) More info and registration at http://www.teratech.com/training/ 3. "Optimizing FuseBox Applications for Search Engines" interview with Jon Rowny ******************************************************************************** Michael Smith: This time we are talking with Jon Rowny about his Fusebox and Frameworks-05 talk "Optimizing FuseBox Applications for Search Engines". So why should a developer come to your session Jon? Jon Rowny: Hopefully, what I teach will not just help you optimize a Fusebox site but any architecture as well. If you run any extranet that you want more exposure for (especially an ecommerce site) then this session is for you! In the session I will be showing how to clean up the URLs so that search engine spiders are more prone to crawling through a verity of different techniques from a simple CFScript to server modification (IIS or Apache). In addition I will be sharing techniques for managing massive request loads by search engines, a review of how to dynamically generate Robots.txt via CF, and we'll see if I have time to discuss some of the more basic techniques which can be implemented easily via CF as well. MS: So why would I want to optimize for search engines? What is the benefit to me? JR: The main benefit of optimizing for search engines is to gain exposure for your website. Most people find information on the internet via a search engine like Google or Yahoo. By optimizing your architecture you can make your website more attractive to these search engines and make it easier for them to index your website's content. Many clients of the popular Adwords program pay thousands of dollars per month to achieve a number one spot on Google for a single keyword or keyword-phrase; through optimization you can achieve similar results for many keywords without having to pay Google a dime. MS: So what is the issue with a Fusebox site not being optimal? Is the URL string? JR: Any architecture that passes url parameters to view content pages is at risk of not being indexed by major search engines. Fusebox happens to use URL parameters for every single request and sometimes these strings can get rather long. Some people say that Google will not crawl a page with more than three query parameters, others claim that it won't crawl pages with &id= because it fears running into session IDs, but regardless of your belief in crawler behavior there are many easy ways to fix it. Fusebox is a great candidate for optimization because it requires very little modification to achieve SES. MS: You mean there is a way to fix this without changing every page in the site?! JR: Yes, there are several different methods to solve the problem from modifying server settings to a simple cfscript. Once you've learned to write URL handling scripts you can modify it to work with any architecture with ease. Of course there are implications with different servers and versions of ColdFusion but after attending my session you should be able to optimize any site on any architecture on any server. MS: Cool - will you show any code in your session? JR: Yes, I will show all the code needed to execute SES urls. MS: That is great - I am looking forward to your session. You can see more interviews at http://www.cfconf.com/fusebox2005/interviews.cfm Fusebox and Frameworks 2005 is Thu 9/29/05 - Fri 9/30/05 in Bethesda MD, just outside Washington DC. It costs $299 until 8/19/05 then $499. For more information on Fusebox and Frameworks see http://www.cfconf.com/fusebox2005/ --- Optimizing FuseBox Applications for Search Engines ************************* Learn how search engines work and what they can do to get better search engine placement for their sites. Speaker Bio: Jon is a college student who also works at AboutWeb LLC in Washington DC. He specializes in search Engine Optimization. 4. "Managing Your Career as a Developer" interview with Scott Knaub ******************************************************************* Michael Smith: This time we are talking with Scott Knaub about his Fusebox and Frameworks-05 talk "Managing Your Career as a Developer". So why should a developer come to your session Scott? Scott Knaub: Most developers are focused on increasing their technical skills with the goal of getting a better job and higher pay. But there are many other aspects of a career that must be considered along the way. This session will help expose some of the myths of getting a promotion and give a perspective that will help developers take control of their careers. MS: What can happen when developers don't follow your tips? SK: A developer can end up being trapped by the technical skills they've developed instead of those skills opening up new opportunities for them. MS: Ouch! Are there any other outcomes you look at other than money? SK: Money should be considered only one aspect of a career. There are five areas I'll discuss in order to help a developer stay balanced in life. MS: When you talk about a "balanced life" this is starting to sound like you'll be teaching yoga or something. :-) SK: [grin] Even though I live in California, I don't know how to do yoga. The balance I'll present relates to the areas of a developer's responsibilities. We are drawn in many directions in each day. Some of these directions move us closer to our goals while others distract us from what is truly important. MS: So what are the other areas to balance? SK: Each developer should set goals in five areas of life: physical, emotional, educational, professional, and financial. During the conference we see how each area affects all other aspects of life. MS: Sounds good. Are there any common mistakes that people make with their careers? SK: Let's consider an auto dealership as an example. I learned long ago that the best car salesperson will not be promoted to be sales manager...because they are most valuable to the company when they are selling cars. One mistake a developer can make is to become too specialized. This is usually a goal the developer sets, but this can become a career cul-de-sac instead of a road to promotion. MS: Makes sense. What about the opposite issue of someone who is promoted to manager because of their technical skill? SK: Some seasoned developers can move into management and be an inspiration to all. But if a developer's people skills are not considered, and the developer is promoted solely on their technical skills, the situation can play out in two ways: 1. Let's say the developer wants to continue to write code and not manage others. In this case the developer may not make time to learn how to manage people and try to keep a finger in every project. This can turn into a frustrating experience for the new manager and those being managed. 2. Or perhaps the highly competent developer really wants to manage, but has devoted so much time to increasing his technical prowess that he is not equipped to manage others. The newly promoted manager can become a heavy-handed supervisor or the "I-just-want-to-be-your-friend" type of manager. Either way the stress levels will rise for everyone involved. MS: Does learning frameworks such as Fusebox help a developer's career or hinder it? SK: All learning has merit. The choice to learn something new gives a person a fresh viewpoint within the context of being a developer, manager and in other areas of life. For example, FLiP allows someone to learn how to effectively manage a project from start to finish. This greatly helps a developer while they are coding and when they are managing. MS: Cool. So are there any alternative to the tech track or manager track career path? SK: The alternative to climbing the corporate ladder is to own the ladder. Being self-employed or starting a business that employs others is another choice. My father is a great example of the American Dream. He started working for a company when he was young. After working for over 20 years, he bought the entire company from the owner. In an instant, he went from being an employee to being the employer. We just need to remember what my father quickly learned - running a business requires an additional set of skills, but when it is done properly the rewards are great! You can see more interviews at http://www.cfconf.com/fusebox2005/interviews.cfm Fusebox and Frameworks 2005 is Thu 9/29/05 - Fri 9/30/05 in Bethesda MD, just outside Washington DC. It costs $299 until 8/19/05 then $499. For more information on Fusebox and Frameworks see http://www.cfconf.com/fusebox2005/ --- Managing Your Career as a Developer ************************* What to think about as your career matures. Do you go into management or focus on a development specialty? Do you build the next killer app and run a business around it? Speaker Bio: Scott is a career developer with over 20 years experience. He has worked for large companies, small companies, and been self-employed. Scott will help to guide you on a focused career path while giving you the tools to evaluate your career along the way. ***************************** Fusebox and Frameworks Conference Thu 9/29 - Fri 9/30/05 Rockville MD http://www.cfconf.org/fusebox2005/ $299 before 8/19/05, $499 after Includes lunch and coffee both days ***************************** -- Michael Smith, TeraTech Inc - Tools for Programmers(tm) TeraTech voted Best Consulting Service by CFDJ readers! CF/ASP Web, VB, Math, Access programming tools and consulting 405 E Gude Dr Ste 207, Rockville MD 20850 USA Please check out http://www.teratech.com/ - email mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED], or call us for more information; in the USA at 1-800-447-9120, +1-301-424-3903 International, Fax 301-762-8185 Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Logware (www.logware.us): a new and convenient web-based time tracking application. 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