Michael Wender

Links of Interest: Excellent WordPress Commercial Themes

March 21, 2012 by Michael Wender 1 Comment

Commercial WordPress themes are an excellent solution for my clients who need a quick turn-around, low cost solution. The key to this type of solution lies in your choice of theme vendors. Good pre-built themes combine easy customization, the right amount of options, and a clean under-lying codebase. These factors work together to give you a website that you can edit and your web developer can easily customize further for you if you have additional specifications beyond the theme’s defaults.

Keeping these things in mind, here are some of my favorite Commercial WordPress theme vendors:

StudioPress - These guys are the makers of the Genesis Theme Framework. While the Genesis Theme is an excellent framework for building full-custom child themes, the StudioPress child theme collection is a well-rounded suite of designs suitable for a wide variety of projects.The Genesis child themes at StudioPress all feature clean code which allows me to make quick customizations for my client’s special requests.
WooThemes – The WooThemes collection of themes is large and always growing. All of their themes feature a consistent, polished admin interface. Plus, their WooCommerce plugin is quickly becoming my favorite e-commerce solution.
Themeforest – WordPress Category - The strength and weakness of the Themeforest WordPress Themes Category is the myriad of themes available. They have so many good looking themes available that it’s sometimes hard to settle on one you like.By and large, the underlying code for any Themeforest theme I’ve used has been to my satisfaction. The only drawback here is that many different developers contribute to their repository. Therefore, it often takes me a bit to get used to working with a theme that I’m unfamiliar with.
ElegantThemes – One $39 subscription gives you access to all of the themes available at ElegantThemes. The quality of their themes is so good, I sort of wonder how they do it for that price. The only thing I don’t like about their themes is the default font size and font color for many of them. Often the text is too small and too faint; however, that can be fixed fairly easily with some CSS edits.
WordPress.org Commercially Supported GPL Themes – The makers of WordPress have a listing of theme vendors on their website. It’s a great place to start your search for quality themes made by persons and companies with a good reputation in the WordPress Community.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: wordpress

Links of Interest – First Person Perspectives on Flying

December 12, 2011 by Michael Wender 1 Comment

Today’s Links of Interest feature videos that give you some amazing first person perspectives on flying. While each is spectacular in its own right, together this set takes you through an increasingly exhilarating exploration of man’s quest to soar through the heavens. Get a pilot’s eye view of what it’s like to fly a corporate jet, strap on a carbon-fiber jet wing and fly in formation with two jets, and base jump off of a mountain wearing only a “wing suit” and parachute:

1) A Day in the Life of a Corporate Pilot

Ryan Roth is married to one of my favorite business colleagues. He’s also a corporate pilot. Using a GoPro camera mounted on his forehead, Ryan gives us an up close look at his work day as he delivers a Pilatus PC-12 to a maintenance facility for its annual inspection.

2) Jetman Flies in Formation With Actual Jets

Swiss pilot Yves “Jetman” Rossy was featured on the cover of National Geographic in September of this year. He has designed his own carbon-fiber wing fitted with jet engines which he uses to race through the sky at speeds up to 184-189mph. In this video, he flys in formation with two jets. (HT: WIRED.com)

3) Sense of Flying

Espen Fadnes has been dubbed “The World’s Fastest Flying Human Being”. This video takes us to the top of a high peak in Norway to watch as Espen jumps off a cliff for a 155mph controlled descent to the alpine lake far below. Using multiple camera angles and top-quality production, I was absolutely floored as I watched his flight unfold. As soon as I finished watching it, I immediately watched it again. If you are going to watch one video in this set, this one is it.

Filed Under: Links, Video

Book Review: Bruce Catton’s A Stillness at Appomattox

November 22, 2011 by Michael Wender Leave a Comment

The third book in Bruce Catton’s non-fiction Civil War trilogy, A Stillness at Appomattox, came to my attention via a lofty recommendation. It was described as an accurate, heavily footnoted work which reads like a well-written work of fiction. Reviewer John Miller commented, “If every historian wrote like Bruce Catton, no one would read fiction.” Another reviewer commented that he was so taken by the writing that he read the book in one sitting. With reviews such as these in mind, I began Catton’s book back in April of this year and finished it this week, and although I certainly didn’t read it all in one sitting, I did find it a very satisfying read.

For the genre of wartime histories, Catton’s work was ahead of its time. He puts you right in the thick of the action by relying on first-hand accounts from the soldiers who fought the war. Amidst the grand drama of the conflict, Catton shows you what it was like to be an infantry man marching for miles along alternately dry and dust choked roads or bogged down highways of mud. Perhaps for a moment you have time to make your bivouac and rest only to be summoned into battle, leaving your half-cooked breakfast on the fire. It’s as if Catton was there although he was writing nearly one-hundred years after the war.

Given the quality of Catton’s writing, you may wonder why it took me so long to read his book. Life circumstances aside, the book wasn’t a “page-turner” for me because it was a little too drawn out at times. However, despite the slow going, reading the book was a satisfying and rewarding glimpse into our history, the kind of thing that’s worth reading all the way through.

The book’s lasting image in my mind occurs on its last page. General Ulysses S. Grant’s army has surrounded General Robert E. Lee’s army outside the small Virginia hamlet of Appomattox Court House (this is the name of the town, not just a building). The armies have faced off against each other with the Rebels quickly realizing they must declare a truce or be annihilated. A great stillness takes over the land as the two great armies solemnly face one another. General Grant makes his way into town to meet with General Lee at the McClean House. Catton concludes his book by writing that “as [Grant and his generals] neared the end of their ride, a Yankee band in a field near the town struck up ‘Auld Lang Syne’” (377). Considering the great drama that has played out over the proceeding pages, that detail gave me a sublime sense of the moment. I could hear the sounds, see the men, and feel the emotion of a profound moment in our nation’s history. It’s details like these that Catton includes throughout his book, and they make his account of history come alive.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: books, Civil War, history

Rediscovering Twitter

November 18, 2011 by Michael Wender 2 Comments

My use of Twitter has vacillated between moderate to non-existent during the three and a half years I’ve used the service. During my first year or so of tweeting, I was amazed by how it constantly facilitated real world connections. Then as I reached a relational saturation point, it became more noise in my digital world. However, despite its ability to distract, Twitter keeps drawing me back with its unique mix of entertainment, education and community. I’ve found the key to using it has been mastering Twitter lists and using my favorite Twitter app, Tweetdeck.

Filter Out the Noise with Lists
Once you start following a large number of people who tweet regularly, your Twitter stream serves more as a overwhelming river of distraction. All the tweets with links, photos and quips will either serve to prevent you from getting any work done, or you’ll feel hopelessly lost amidst all the conversation.

At this point, you need to learn how to use Twitter’s list feature to start filtering out valuable topics and conversations. Twitter Lists let you create subsets of people to follow. You can add people you follow or even someone you’re not following. As an example, here are the lists I currently maintain with my account:

From reading my list titles and descriptions you can probably get the gist of what they’re about. The only thing I’ll add is that the little padlock next to a list means that it’s private, only I can see it. The others are publicly available for other people to follow. You can follow lists on Twitter in a fashion similar to following an individual user on Twitter.

If you’re interested in using lists with your Twitter account, the best place to start is the Twitter Help Center article How To Use Twitter Lists.

Tweetdeck – Tweet Like a Power User
While you’re getting a handle on Twitter lists, you should also get a handle on Tweetdeck. My favorite feature is how it lets you display multiple columns of tweets. These columns can be made up of your main stream, replies, mentions and DMs; however, my favorite use for columns are to display the Twitter lists I mentioned above. The following screenshot shows my Tweetdeck (click the image to see it full-size):

I use Tweetdeck to display my various Twitter lists.

At first blush, I’m sure it looks distracting and overwhelming. However, once you get used to how the information is organized, you can quickly and efficiently scan the interface to find the information you’re looking for.

As you can see in the screenshot, I have my columns setup for All Friends, Mentions and three lists:

My Conversationalists list is what makes Twitter fun. These are folks whom I either know personally, have met via Twitter or both. Throughout the day I’ll check that list to see what my friends are talking about. These are the folks that I joke with, share links with and converse with on a regular basis.
The WordPress list is comprised of people who work with WordPress, the software I use to develop websites. This list keeps me up-to-date on the latest industry news and helps to supplement my professional development.
Finally, my Clients list keeps me apprised of what the people I work for are talking about on the web.

Reaping the Benefits
With the help of Twitter Lists and Tweetdeck, Twitter has become vastly more useful and beneficial to me lately. Here are a handful of benefits I’ve gained from Twitter in the past two weeks:

Nextdoor.com – A Social Network for Neighborhoods – Via a tweet from my friend Scott Adcox (@sadcox), I learned about Nextdoor. It’s an easy-to-use social network optimized for use by neighborhoods. To join a Nextdoor network, you must verify that you actually live in the neighborhood whose network you’re trying to join. I learned about this service at the same time I was trying to solve some communication problems for the HOA in my neighborhood.
jAVERDE Coffee is Open for Business – Ever since their first location closed this past March, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the grand re-opening of jAVERDE Coffee in their new West Town Mall Location. By following the owner’s tweets on Twitter, I learned of their “soft-opening”, and I was able to drop by for coffee on their first day open.
Email Subscriptions Now Available in WordPress Jetpack – I use the WordPress Jetpack plugin on many of the websites I develop for my clients. Yesterday, a tweet by @lloydbudd alerted me to the fact that the plugin’s new email subscriptions feature would solve a problem one of my clients was having.
Reconnecting with Old Friends – If you haven’t used Twitter to tweet with people you actually know, you may smirk at my suggestion. But, when you tweet with people you know in the real-world, it actually forms meaningful connections. Now that I’m up on many of my friend’s online conversations, the next time we see each other we’ll already have a small sense of what we’ve been up to. Our shared tweets help to bridge the gap that happens after you haven’t seen one another for a while.

In sharing how I use Twitter and how I benefit from it, I hope it helps you see one great way to use the service. It doesn’t have to be about self-promotion, inane chatter, celebrity gossip, mindless distraction or any other use that comes to mind. Rather, with the right technique and tools, Twitter can be a very valuable part of your online presence.

Filed Under: Eye on the Web Tagged With: Tweetdeck, twitter

Links of Interest: Remembering Steve Jobs

October 11, 2011 by Michael Wender Leave a Comment

Like many people, I’ve been fascinated by Steve Jobs impact upon our world. With his passing last week, I’ve come across many good reads offering different perspectives on one of the greatest innovators of our time:

Steve Jobs and the Portal to the Invisible – Esquire
Originally published in October 2008 with updates in 2011, this article looks at various aspects of Jobs’ life and their influence upon his passions, drive and genius.

Xerox PARC, Apple, and the Truth About Innovation – The New Yorker
This piece by Malcolm Gladwell provided me with a clearer picture of Steve Jobs’ fabled visit to Xerox’s Palo-Alto Research Center (PARC). Reading it was like watching a dimly viewed myth materialize into reality.

The Wizard and the Mortal: Two Sides of Genius – NY Times
Many have likened Steve Jobs to a modern day Thomas Edison. This piece, by a man who wrote books about both men, does a good job of providing profound comparisons and contrasts between the two.

What are some great stories about Steve Jobs? – Quora
Here’s a great collection of user contributed stories about Steve Jobs.

Filed Under: Links Tagged With: apple, Steve Jobs

Thank You, Mr. Jobs

October 6, 2011 by Michael Wender 1 Comment

I learned about Jobs' death while browsing on my iPad.

As our second daughter was born a week and a half ago, I haven’t had time lately to peruse my usual news outlets. However, last night before bed, we’d laid Paige down, and I had a spare moment to browse the web on my iPad. I pulled up the NY Times, and I was greeted by the news that Steve Jobs had died. I was immediately taken by the sadness of his passing, a much admired tech-icon taken too soon.

This morning before I get to work, I’m aware of how much what I do has been influenced by Steve Jobs. I develop websites with my iMac. I stay up-to-date with the latest developments in web design by browsing the web and reading feeds on my iPad. Each day I talk to my clients on my iPhone. Yet, as I’ve written before, I’ve made the switch to Mac only recently. However, even before the switch, Steve Job’s fingerprints have been upon the tools of my trade.

The very concept of a “personal computer” found much of its genesis in Job’s mind. During his fabled visit to Xerox’s Palo-Alto Research Campus (PARC), it was Jobs who saw how the combination of a computer, a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI) was the key to bringing computing power to the masses. Now thirty some-odd years later, I, like many other freelancers, benefit from the power of personal computing. Via these machines, we’re able to do meaningful work and make a living from the comfort of our home offices.

During our lifetimes, we’ve been witness to a remarkable explosion of technology. Steve Jobs stands out as a true innovator and visionary of our time. For those of us who work with, play with and use computers and mobile devices each day, we are indebted to Mr. Jobs’ skill, vision and aesthetic. Thank you, Mr. Jobs for your contributions to this world and our lives.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: apple, Steve Jobs

Celebrating 10 Years in Business

September 16, 2011 by Michael Wender 2 Comments

Tomorrow will be the 10th anniversary of michaelwender.com. I started this business in my old bedroom at my parents house, and through the years it has grown into an enterprise servicing over seventy clients all across the United States and Canada. I never dreamed I’d spend my career working from my own home, but along the way I’ve discovered that freelancing is truly my “dream job”. Funny thing is, ten years ago my career as a freelancer was almost over before it started…

“Do I really want to do this?”

Ten years ago my career aspirations were suffering from a serious lack of motivation. In June of 2001, I was laid off from my job as a web designer/graphic artist for QuVIS¹ Semiconductor (Quality Visual Image Systems) in Oak Ridge. During the previous year, I’d taken over their entire online branding. However, being primarily an engineering/technical company, their management under utilized my creative services. I got burned out because my skills and talents didn’t amount to much in the overall scheme of the company. I was an expansive, round peg trying to fit in a small square hole.

I was so disenchanted with web design and graphic arts that I considered a career change. I had an offer to be a youth minister at a church in Orlando, Florida, and I was also having a blast working with youth at a church in Knoxville. Working with people has always been something I enjoy and do well and perhaps the ministry was where I should be. However, as I was considering my options, I also made plans to start my own freelance consultancy.

Tennessee’s “Silicon Gulch” Provides a Steady Stream of Clients

California may have “Silicon Valley”; however, Oak Ridge National Labs along with many other tech startups, make East Tennessee another hotbed of high technology jobs and opportunities. My brother, an electrical engineer and VP of Marketing for a micro-chip company, calls our region the “Silicon Gulch”.

Working for a year in the Oak Ridge tech sector provided me with a wealth of contacts. Tech savvy firms are always in need of graphic designers and web developers who can translate their jargon and concepts into marketing materials. Graphic designers who excel in this environment must have a rare combination of an artist’s heart and an engineer’s mind. This fits me to a “t” as I love to create while paying close attention to details and specifications. The day I was laid off, I received two offers for freelance work from our office mates at ASIC International.

My First Gig – Should I take it?

That summer I dabbled with a couple of freelance projects, but it wasn’t until Monday, September 17, 2001 that I took my first real, paying gig. It was a small software firm who’d heard about me through my brother and my work in Oak Ridge. They needed help with their logo, website and overall branding.

Prior to our meeting I was having doubts as to whether or not I should go. I was afraid I’d take the job and then discover I lacked the motivation to finish. But, thanks to my mother speaking frankly with me (yes, I owe a lot to my mother…and father too for that matter), I decided to go and see what would happen. I could always do this one project and move on to something else if I didn’t enjoy the work.

As it turns out, that first meeting renewed my love for what I do. I was called in as the expert, and my client allowed me to advise, consult and direct using my expertise. No longer burdened by a QuVIS middle-management that didn’t know what to do with me, now I was free to manage the project and help my client achieve their goals.

Working from Home for Ten Years

My biggest fear as I began my freelance career was that my skill-set would stagnate since I wasn’t working in close contact with others in my field. However, I soon found out that wasn’t the case. In fact, given my field, freelancing has helped to broaden my skill-set as I often must find solutions on my own without relying on an office-mate who has the answer.

This has been just one of the many perks and surprises I’ve gleaned from working from the “home office” through the years. Others include:

Clients from all over – My primary means of gaining new clients has been via word-of-mouth referrals. However, I’ve gotten quite a few via my online footprint. I’ve gained one client from New Mexico simply because he liked my personal website. Many other clients have found me through various tutorials and screencasts I’ve published through the years. I currently work with clients in Georgia, North Carolina, New York, New Mexico and California.
Serving as an “expert witness” – A couple of years back I was hired to serve as an “expert witness”, testifying about the semi-permanence and residual effects of person’s online activities.
Discovering my “dream job” – The saying goes, “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work another day for the rest of your life.” When I graduated from Full Sail University in 1999, my plan to was to get a “dream job” working in special effects or digital animation in Southern California. But, as I followed my passions, I ended up working as a freelancer. Now, ten years into it, I must say it is my “dream job”. I love being able to use my expertise to help others accomplish their goals online.
Being my own boss – There are more perks to this than just setting my own schedule. For example, when I’m racing to finish a project for a client, I love the fact that I don’t have to get approval from management if I determine purchasing some new software will help me to get the job done quicker.

The other day I was commenting how I don’t believe I have many (if any) friends who have been working the same job for the past ten years. I’ve found that becoming your own boss solves this problem. However, much as I’ve been working the “same” job for ten years, the technology I use to build websites has changed tremendously during that time. I’ve supplemented my skill-set by learning new programming languages, softwares, techniques and operating systems. Through it all, the one thing that has stayed the same is how much I enjoy helping my clients succeed online. The satisfaction I gain from this is what keeps me doing what I do. So, to all my clients, friends and family who have helped make me what I am today: Thank you! Here’s to the next ten years and beyond!

¹QuVIS was a pioneer in digital cinema. Headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, they primarily worked with the film industry and were involved in several historic digital cinema “firsts” (e.g. first digital theatrical release, The Last Broadcast, 1998, Cannes Film Festival, Source: Wikipedia: Digital Cinema – Claims to significant events).

²QuVIS’ Oak Ridge offices were home to QuVIS Semiconductor. Our staff consisted of my brother, Reid Wender, James Miller and myself. We were working on using QuVIS’ technology to make high-quality Internet streaming video a reality.

Filed Under: General, Portfolio