A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming One with SQL

If you don’t know what SQL is, it stands for Structured Query Language. It is a programming language that allows for the access of manipulation of databases and their various tables. This language follows a strict set of standards created by ANSI (American National Standards Institute). This means that regardless of what version is used on a server, there will be certain aspects that must be uniform throughout every sort of implementation.

Top 10 Chrome Extensions for Web Developers

Mozilla Firefox is a web browser widely known for its great variety of extensions and add ons, but Google Chrome has a very large library of them as well. In fact, many Firefox extensions have been ported over for use with Chrome. New ones have also been created to replicate the functionality of those not simply ported over to Google’s browser.

Everything You Should Know About Computer Vision Syndrome

Working in the IT field, often I come across coworkers who have no eye problems but complain about headaches, fatigue, eye strain and dryness. What all of my coworkers have in common is- spending large amounts of time working on a computer. Sounds strange but computer related eye issues are recognized as “Computer Vision Syndrome” or CVS. In this era of technology, life without a computer is unimaginable for anyone. Some users occasionally just check their email, and others, such as myself whose lives and professions revolve around the use of a computer. Kids are often hooked on the fun of gaming online or offline and teens mostly are addicted to social networking and sharing. The IT industry is very large and everything under the sun is now computerized now. As much as they make our lives easier, computer usage, whether it be minimal or large can cause health problems.

11 Tips for Freelancers to get Paid on Time

If you are a designer or a freelancer, offering your services online, there is little chance that you would meet any of your clients face-to-face: in fact, most of them could be living in another country or a different continent and your only means of reaching them is by email, fax, or telephone. Even though making a living online has its many advantages, quite often being paid on time for the services that you offer could prove challenging. Here are a few simple steps that you could take in order to ensure that you are paid what you are owed.

27 Great CSS Frameworks You Must Check Out

If you are a busy web designer or developer, using a CSS framework could speed up your work dramatically and make your task far easier. The CSS frameworks facilitate rapid development, could be used as a foundation in many design projects, and take care of some of most repetitive tasks. Here is a comprehensive list of CSS frameworks, which will give you a head start in your design work – some of them are well known and well documented, while others are used by few, but have their strong points and unique features.

A Comprehensive History of Computers [Infographic]

Lets sit back and think about what life was like before computers were everywhere. You actually had to send letters via the postal service, go to stores to buy things, and actually visit Uncle Larry at his house instead of at the prison where he is serving time for a hard drive full of illegal images. Any way, even though a mostly computerless world wasn’t that long ago it really is hard to explain to some of the younger generation what a pain it really was. So in honor of the great technology we use everyday I present to you ‘Computers – A Chronological Timeline’. Enjoy!

Things OpenOffice.org/LibreOffice could learn from Microsoft

OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice are two of my favorite open source office suites, and LibreOffice is quickly becoming an even bigger favorite. They have managed to do an incredible amount of work within a very short span of time, and launching a 3.3 version even before the OpenOffice.org community could do so only means that these guys are serious about their dream of a vendor-neutral and independent office platform.

What You Need to Know About Cloud Computing

After Web 2.0 cloud computing has to be one of the most widely used buzzwords, one which very few of us understand fully. This comes as no surprise since it is believed that this revolutionary concept is still in its infancy and means different things to different people. The most commonly accepted definition sets forth the meaning of cloud computing as an architecture, which provides data, resources, and software to the end users. Unlike a single server or a cluster of servers, this architecture is location-independent and offers single point of access to the consumers who do not have to be aware of the technology behind it.

50 Questions That Designers Need to Ask Their Clients

If you are a web designer and developer, one of the most important aspects of your job is to find out what the client needs and wants. In the case of very small projects, a quick phone call or a few exchanged emails is all that you might need, but if you have been awarded a complex and rather large project, you need to find out as much as possible about the project’s details. Keep in mind that great many of your clients might not be as computer or Internet savvy as you are and might have completely wrong idea of what, when, and how things are happening – it is in your best interest to figure out all the important details in advance in order to avoid cancelled projects, missed deadlines, and dissatisfied customers.