BetaChurch is not really a how to kind of a place. On DaveMerwin.com I wrote a post for how to install Django on the Mac for development purposes. Have fun.

What you will find in this ongoing series are my observations and ideas about both rapid development frameworks and why one might use them. I will be completely subjective and if you need more information you can always contact the different projects themselves. The point of this will be a perspective that is not geeky, but might help project managers and team leaders make development platform decisions.

As a developer (yes, I know I just contradicted myself) I MUST find things that make my life easier. As a designer, I need to know what tools I have available to me. I was teaching a class the other day to a bunch of high school students about CSS and standards based design. In the class I let them know that you can no longer be a designer without knowing what the tools are and how they work. I am constantly playing and learning.

We have started a new group at Ma.Gnolia. It is called the Free Software Group. Have you ever tried to get your pastor or any non geek to use Freshmeat or Sourceforge? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Podcasts are simply a means of distribution for your audio or video files. It’s a great distribution method, but your users must be at least somewhat technically savvy. What if you serve on older congregation? In addition to offering podcasts on your site, especially of the sermons, I think it is also imperative that your […]

Podcasting is the semi-new buzzword on the web, but there’s one thing you need before you can start podcasting: a recording that people want to listen to. Although you have little to no control over how engaging your pastor’s sermons are, you do have immense control over the way your pastor will sound for posterity. […]

Digital Web Magazine - The Principles of Design
Sorry for the quiet of the last few days. We are converting servers and should be back at it in a few days.
In the meantime, check out the Principals of Design article from Digital Web Magazine written by Joshua David McClurg-Genevese.
He does a great job discussing some of […]

Vector Tutorial
I found this today looking for a tutorial for a friend of mine. It is a detailed tutorial about making vector art from a photo in photoshop. A little outdated, but well done.
What are vectors? Details Here.
In short, they load fast and are very useful in any media system.

Essential bookmarks for web designers and web developers
It is all here. If you are looking for a great resource for links about design and related matters, start here.

The W3C CSS Validation Service
Can’t figure out why something isn’t working? Use the CSS validation tool to fix issues WHILE you are developing the site. Normally we use the validator as a way to show our compliance with standards. But it can also be used while you are working and show you what is wrong […]

Aardvark Firefox Extension
Ok designers, ever wonder how that cool design is done? Ever want to know WITHOUT having to view source. Aardvark to the rescue. It is a Firefox Extension that enables you roll over a page and look at the code. You can select individual elements or an entire page.
If you are looking for […]