Webmaster project.

I have my head buried in a tough project building a network (website) development “framework”.

It has been very challenging, but the results are brilliant. I’m using Arch linux for the server-desktop and Linux Mint on the clients. I love it because the wikis are excellent and the community is very alive. All this for free!

Arch linux has connected so many dots for me and works really well.

Why am I doing this?

I’m just trying to solve my own problems. Webmastery is my other passion and I haven’t seen a better solution out there than stripping the operating system to the base and building the tools from that.  The result is an extremely simple, lean and versatile communications and development tool. I’ll tell you more about my event and equine specific projects in a bit.

This tool allows us to easily keep track of everything we do for you and it is available for you to see it all too. The patterns that emerge when we have such a simple and thorough documentation is very enlightening. I keep binders and a camera with me and note anything of value, then log it to our network. I’ll tell you that mistakes stick out like a sore thumb and will not be repeated. Advances in mechanics and fidelity are a natural progression from this self imposed scrutiny.

This so called framework allows me to backup, restore, and develop websites (*I’d rather call it networks) on our local intranet with full control of all LAMP stack components, necessary if I want to bring this to a more usable place. It is the most minimalistic, therefore reliable, way to do it.

It’s kind of like learning to forge horse shoes. I want to be able to do it correctly, with the ability to fully leverage some fine tools for the right reasons. Like in horseshoeing; much of the success is knowing which shoes or type of hoofcare is really necessary for the horse to be the most sound. The ability to then trim the horse or forge those shoes quickly, and accurately is a whole other set of equally important skills. Success is about simple, well honed skills and a thorough education. Minimalistic and reliable.

Anyway, the analogy works in my head.

If you are a web developer in need of a complete development solution, I will be packaging this for distribution sometime later this year.

If you ever had any questions about web design and maintenance, now is a good time to work it out.

Check out the iForge section

* The network I’m talking about is a website or group of websites built around communities. It is a communications tool for a group (or group of groups).

Now back to the horseshoeing thing…