web notes - a blog

Why doesn’t the page output the recolored image? Security, server load, tuning (fuzz factor may need adjusting), time constraints, architecture. It is unlikely the tool will ever execute the commands to recolor the images, however, it will probably be implemented with an SOA architecture, which would allow more efficient execution.

Can I have a copy of the code? Not yet. See reasons posted for robots.design code, in this blog.

My image didn’t get colored the way I would have liked. Development continues.

Why are the uploaded images resized to thumbnails? To limit the number of colors involved. This greatly speeds processing.

Some of the convert commands look redundant or even as if they will collide Development continues.

What is ImageMagick? http://imagemagick.org

Will batch processing be implemented in the future? Probably. See earlier note about SOA.

This is the beginning of code that will change the colors of one image to reflect the colors of another.

Every candidate for employment should be audited to see how well they meet the posted position requirements. If the company is hiring candidates that are not meeting the requirements, either the requirements need to be adjusted, or the hiring team should be questioned. There are very few ideal candidates, however, consistently lowering the standards represents a fundamental problem and represents a risk that the skill level of the company will be below that necessary for success.

• First, check to see if someone’s already done it. Look closely enough to see if they did it well, or if your idea is better. Inventing a better mousetrap can take alot of time, so be sure it is worth the investment, even if it is ‘only’ time. Time is money.
• In all likelihood, you will have to start pursuing the idea with less than what you need. The lack may be time, money, knowledge. Don’t be deterred. Take stock of your assets and find ways to make the most of them.
• Pick a very simple starting goal and focus on it. Implement basic functionality, or a sophisiticated architecture, but remain on track. You won’t be able to do everything well, at once. Ensure you plan to address issues in a logical order and follow your plan.
• Consider lead time for some tasks. Publicity and presence can take time. Start finding marketing or connection opportunities as early as possible.
• Don’t just chase money. Unfortunately, many good ideas aren’t profitable. If your goal is to make money, find a new goal. Choose a passion, something you really believe in and follow it.
• Persist. Don’t give up. Keep trying, accept that it will take time. Understand there will be iterations, some work will be discarded, some assumptions will be wrong.

Hosting is very inexpensive, for about $10/mo, I get a lot of value from http://hostforweb.com.

Granted, I am prepared to manage everything to do with the account, from setting up email accounts, installing applications, checking on them, managing content and the designs.

However, HostForWeb (and most other hosting companies) offer easy to use interfaces that allow you to administer the account without any special technical skills. Most of the companies have demos so you can see what you would work with. In addition, most companies have support staff that will help you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you are interested in having your own site, you may want to consider separating the design and development services from the hosting. This way, after the project is done, the recurring cost of your web presence is $10/month. Should you decide to change web development firms, you have complete control of your site. Moving a site from one server to another can be disruptive, and risky, because no two servers are identical.

Another option is to host your site on your own server in your office, but then you need a strong technical team and enough bandwidth to support the site. I think using a hosting company is well worth it.