Ripple FX   s   TikiWiki!
We think know it’s the best CMS out there and recommend it as often possible for any site design.
That’s because it makes editing content incredibly efficient for the website owner: EASY And FAST!!

Our very own Knowledge Wiki just got the Tiki 7.1 Upgrade and we must say, this new release is even better than 7.0.  We are impressed.  Coming up from 6.2 recently, the version 7 platform is an amazing new high-tech “canvas” for web development.  We design custom professional templates compatible with all versions of Tiki so that upgrades are as simple as possible. Your website will look great and it will be Very Usable for the web users and the administrators.  This is one of the most efficient template systems we’ve built for, not to mention the CMS functionality, and we are thrilled to work with this community!

We are Tiki Masters and we will help put you in-control of your website content.
We create Social Web 2.0 Technology for You!

If you are ready to start a website that you can edit anytime, we can help you today.

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We would like to thank the community @Microformats.org for all their hard work and dedication to making the web more accessible. They promote semantic-HTML and microformats like hCard that are the application of semantic class names.

semantic: an adjective pertaining to syntax, meaning: linguistic, well-formed – the different meanings of words

^In terms of HTML, this equates to using the language and its vast library of descriptive tags to encapsulate the page’s informational. Web browsers can interpret and export these details. Basically, we are making the data in a page much more useful.

What this all means is that we must implement HTML to the intended specification. Using CSS to position and style elements like text, while also naming the IDs and Classes semantically. Writing semantic HTML is actually easy, and once you get used to it, your code will be much more efficient to maintain (for anyone responsible.)

Watch how easy this is:

Styling a email link has class=”email”, your social profile link with class=”url” or class=”org” around your company name; more. Wrap text with <em>instead of <i></em>, <strong>instead of <b></strong>, <p>paragraphs instead of <br />’s</p>, <address> (take it further and add spans with hCard classes), <abbr title=”abbreviation”>abbbr</abbr>, <acronym title=”Plain Old Semantic HTML”>POSH</acronym>, <cite> or even <q>quote</q>.  («ex: Not valid HTML)

So why would we do this, instead of just using a WYSIWYG editor that spits out everything wrapped in spans with arbitrarily class names? Because the former is abusing the HTML!   >> The old way of laying out anything (other than data – think excel) with tables, using transparent 1×1 gifs to position something or <br>eaking up text instead of using <p>paragraphs</p> is gone; please never return—thank you. (We survived the dot-com era~haha)

HTML was engineered to make sense.
When we use the tags properly, it opens the door to the impaired (through screen readers tools and the like) and to programs that recognize the named patterns within the page text. Giving the proper class names, thus creating an hCard in your code means that your “e-Business Card” or Geo-Location (as ex.) can be automatically recognized and/or saved. Contact lists can be generated using looped code patterns that make every person exportable. Not just copy-and-paste anymore; this is actually technology becoming Useful .

Technology is supposed to make life easier, more efficient. Look out the window at the technological  wonder that surrounds you. Many things are designed without a shred of Usability considered; only cost. Things which are poorly designed only make life more frustrating. It is time we make the web more Usable, and we can do this simply by adding technologies like microformats. The more sites use it, the more data we can easily extract. The more popular it becomes, the more useful it becomes: via its creative use. A lot can be shared; a lot more than is today, and all web professionals need to work on this grand semantic goal.

Being long-term semantic advocates, we joined the Microformats.org community to help the world in this project. After producing our own “classy” icon for vCard/hCard use, and being an OpenSource house, we added this graphic to GitHub and shared it on the microformats wiki.

We hope that this 10×12 in-line image will make its way around the web as a familiar icon to save vCards and indicate the presence of hCard(s).
We encourage you to thoroughly study their wiki; there is so much great information you are bound to find something new and interesting!

If you use the icon, leave a comment below or on Microformats.org
Best of luck, and as always we welcome your questions if you need help.

We ran across an organization recently; it’s right in line with our thinking and since we have heard of this elsewhere we are not surprised that it exists. We thank our friends at no-www.org for their excellent work, and even those at yes-www.org for their [dually noted] counter argument.

Ripple FX uses-standard what is known as the “Class B ranking” because we respect the human usability of interfacing even in the simpliest way when entering the URI. Making the first-step easiest is a good foundation to start one’s path. We know every detail counts! Enough with our philosophical rant, we offer this thought experiment as example:

Case 1: Usability
What is easier to remember, “www.pepsi.com” -or- “pepsi.com”?
    People are very busy: consciously and subconsciously they appreciate things which are easiest
“pepsi.com” is shorter therefore easier to recall.
    Simple = Best

Case 2: SEO
Proper Search Engine Optimization requires a single domain indexed by the spyders; dual search indexed pages under http://www.pepsi.com/Ex2  And http://pepsi.com/Ex2 dilute one’s ranking. Falling back to Case 1, we defer to simplicity and must choose “pepsi.com”.

Case 3: Rebuttal
In acknowledgment of the yes-www.org argument for using “www.” to reference the [www] web services being used, and when in combination with a site where other services are utilized such as blog. and wiki. as examples, we do understand the desire to use www. to thereby match the ‘domain naming-style’, however we must once again fall back to Case 1 where Simplicity Rules and vote “pepsi.com”.

–In this thought experiment, it is our professional opinion (from an objective Usability standpoint) that all three cases strongly prefer “pepsi.com” and the no-www.org Class B ranking. We thereby recommend this method; please do your fellow human beings (and the web) this kind favor!

Consider this: When the average web user opens their browser, it is pretty safe to bet that they will be simply typing the URI of their most frequently visited site, or easier yet clicking the link they saved to their bookmark bar. The average user has no idea that the web has other hidden dimensions and layers, ports, etcetera – it is inconsequential. They want facesometh1ng.com or the latest fad. They want their website, it’s people like us or at work that want ftp:// or port 443.
The point to consider is that the “www.” is redundant, and if it is so, then (for simplicity’s sake) toss it. The truth is that “browsing the web” infers being on the “www.” web-served plane. The extra “www.” is like adding extra sylabols (10 to be exact) and who really needs to remember all that, just to land on the same web page. The average consumer/user/human does not know that “www.pepsi.com” is the same as “pepsi.com” and simply does not care: they want the page.
We find there no need to encourage an argument which [essentially] states that “people need to know and understand they are using the www. service of the vast Internet.”

Let us make people happy through efficiency and give them an easy to remember and quick to type web address; that is going to help with the likelihood they actually land there later (or have enough room to write it, print it, etc.)

This post is about Usability
Let us help the whole world one step / site at a time

When we heard that PCL&E needed a new logo, we were happy to take note of exactly what they had in mind. Doing a substantial amount of professional electrical contracting work, they wanted their logo to be energized by bolts converging onto a strongly branded typeface. We worked through a number of revisions and then presented the client with a handful of options, each with various strong points and unique aspects. PCL&E could not be happier with how their spoken concepts manifested into this design.

PCL&E wanted electrical energy, and since we specialize in HD grapihc design and really enjoy the creative process, they were amazed even by what we offered in the Alpha stage. Here is a bit of detail into our design-mind: Read more »

Our clients just got a Free Bonus: something of appreciation for letting us help with their digital marketing.

We installed hCards into all our clients templates, so anyone visiting their site can extract the contact information to their address book. This will help each client gain more organic leads as users browses their websites.

We really want our clients to succeed in every way possible, and we are therefore more than happy to help them in this way. We think hCards are a fantastic standard and implement it whenever applicable & possible.

Our clients also got the free service of re-submission to the search spyders. Re-Index goodness! This is standard as part of our 6-month SEO reOptimization packages.

Finally we placed our clients into the no-www.org roster. Bonus for your search rank

We know they agree: It’s good to be a client of Ripple FX!
We care.

While designing our new company banding signature line, we had an idea which we think will make contact sharing easier in email. Why haven’t hCards been more widely integrated into the major email programs? Sure, we have vCard, but the attachment is a bit oldhat [now] and hardly popular.

Enter Microformats, which may act as a perfect pair for HTML email. Think about it, the email already has the HTML structure and CSS styling. Just add a few standardized class-names here and there and you have the ability to share certain blocks like contact info, geo-tags or addresses with ease.

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When we see truth we post truth,
so here it is: in video form -

GIVE LOVE *-* Tristan Garner [red pill version]

Ripple FX has no connection or affiliation with Tristan Garner or REVOLUTION RADIO (The Red Pill Project), but we think their message is right-on and give our respect where it is due.

We are happy to announce the release of google Enhanced BLACK version 3.2.8

This update includes the latest fixes to Google’s recently updated web software services. While working to comprehensively find and fix as much as possible, we stumbled upon the new Google+ and Google Music sites. We did a little prep work on these projects and will keep an eye on them for updates.

Changes in v3.2.8:

• Google Headers & Search bar across all services, sites and locales
• Google+ Integration Testing and Google Music intro pages
• Calendar updates thanx to MikeG
• Layout and general updates to Images, Maps, News, Profiles, Groups, Support, Code and Docs
• Minor updates such as Videos home logo & Finance footer
• Gmail visual issues with links fixed by leaving all styles to built in themes

Many thanks to all our users for all your support. We welcome all your feedback and would love to hear from you in comments on this blog. Please also add Ripple FX to your social network sites.

Our friends at PCL&E have been doing residential and commercial general contracting and electrical work for years. They service the Greater Los Angeles area of California and are licensed and insured professionals. When they needed a new look for their company, they came to Ripple FX first for their logo overhaul. We have the creativity and experience to strongly brand a company in today’s digital market!

We are happy to have the opportunity to help PCL&E with re-branding their company. Ripple FX will be working quickly to design a new logo, which is first to be used on their new high-resolution and full color business cards. We have some friends that get great deals on that kind of stuff, so we are graphic designing the new PCL&E logo; our friends are handling the printing services. (By the way, we could pass the word along if anyone needs help with printing; let us know and we will put you in contact.)

We are hopeful that we can help PCL&E in other ways, in fact our minds are beaming with brilliance, and we look forward to completing this graphic design project so that we can move forward…

Ripple FX is proud to announce our latest web marketing project with Change Your Thoughts.

Brandi of Change Your Thoughts has become Nationally recognized for her alternative wellness therapies. She has made a name for herself in Hypnotherapy and will soon be featured on a Nationally Aired television show. Brandi is also active in the National Federation of the Blind, West Hawaii Chapter. We personally cannot wait to help Change Your Thoughts connect with the social web!

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