the Holiday Season – 2005

it’s difficult to believe that another year is drawing to a close. wow!.. it’s going to be 2006 — six whole years since the “Y2K bug” scare! isn’t that funny!?

Well, i just wanted to write this little update so I could look back on my feelings about a few new things which are on the horizon in my world.

Web Development

I’m very excited to report that my web services business is finally starting to come to life. I currently have two clients (yes, count them– two real clients!), and soon to have a third. I’ll be designing web sites for these entities, in order of acquisition:

  • CATA – Centre Area Transportation Authority – State College, Pennsylvania 16801
  • Centre Intermediate Unit 10 – Galaxy – Art in Education
  • a Skydivers tandem jump chartering service
  • I’m most excited about the first one on that list– not because it is any more important to me than the others in terms of content, or my relationship w/ that client– but because it is going to be my first genuine Web Application developed for public use! The Cata “Trip Planner” will be a new, efficient and easy way for CATA’s public bus transportation service patrons to find their way around town on the several bus routes. Once this application is in place and used regularly, I hope to gain more Web Application clients as the development of this type of web service is my true passion in terms of Web Services in general.

    I’m also very excited to design the web site for Galaxy, the Arts division of IU10 of State College. As an Educator, Private Music Tutor, and an Artist (musician: guitarist), this project is special to me because, when I was in high-school, I was in a special education program for the “gifted” which was administered by the Intermediate Unit 1 of my home-town, I am inspired to do a really good job on the design / creativity end of this project.

    The skydivers web site will be a unique project for me in that it will be the first web site I’ll develop for a client whose web site content will be largely of a subject matter with which i have no real-world experience. I hope to make this web site also a web application site, like the CATA site, to use PHP and a MySQL database for storing this tandem skydiving company’s client info, periodic updates, and also to provide a place for their clients to schedule tandem jumps and process credit cards and other payment methods for the purpose of purchasing those scheduled jumps.

    Once I have sucessfully completed these projects, I’ll be ready to advertise my services– and that’s a very exciting step for me!
    ;)

    Come back in a few weeks from this date to check for updates on my progress!