Check and double check your permissions and users.....

It's unfortunate that much time is spent securing, locking down, sterilizing websites. The full time job of many seems to be overtaking comments and message boards on blogs and websites to provide links to their various items for sale. They are unable to launch these illegal sites so instead they spend their time looking for windows to enter and take over the site. This is just a reminder to double check all your settings, permissions and security to insure you didn't leave a door open to this type of activity.

This news bit at Smashing Magazine has some good information to consider;

As the “strong link in any conversion,” product pages have so much potential. We can create user-centric descriptions and layouts that are downright appropriate in their effectiveness: as Erin Kissane says, “offering [users] precisely what they need, exactly when they need it, and in just the right form.”

In working with Drupal 7 I can say that there is now plenty of support and information to update. Items that have changed are:

1. Pre-installed core modules
2. Settings.php is done at root level on install
3. Modules can be updated via the intenet...after spending a good share of time updateing modules and then installing in the theme's folder.

Many more updates for handling and security. Read more at Drupal.com and then give it a go.

In the business of web development there will be moments where you feel your skills need updateing. I will be taking that next level course this fall. It is unfortunate that when you speak of a continuing education class your perceived as someone that remains uneducated in technology and 'When your done with that class' be viable. To that I beg to differ, a good developer is one that strives to learn, code and develop their sites utilizing the latest software and technology.

Recently I found that my site had been taken over and used for spammers, hackers and other sorts. In a relatively short period of time the site was overtaken with ads for drugs, cigarettes and a number of items that promise financial and physical gains.

What a terrific opportunity for me to investigate-

• where they accessed the site? what wide open door was available?
• what securities are available?
• what spamming software could be used?
• how can this be managed?

Have you heard these terms before? Here's a link to some reference on the subject that helps break it down into smaller chunks for understanding.   Content for non-programmers. The source of this is from one of my favorite info site, smashingmagazine.com. Check it out, let me know what you think.

After spending a morning listening to Terry White with Adobe products one can only leave inspired. With a long standing career at Adobe Terry is able to amaze and inspire you with the new products and updates found in Adobe CS5. Check out Terry's tutorials, tricks, tips, and more at their resource site,  it's well worth a browse.

tv.adobe.com