http://digitalevangelist.net/index.php/blog/ en hello@digitalevangelist.net Copyright 2010 2010-07-27T16:30:42+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/why-ive-standardised-on-expressionengine/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/why-ive-standardised-on-expressionengine/#When:16:30:42Z There are a plethora of content management systems out there, from free, open-source solutions to enterprise solutions costing hundreds of thousands. I’ve standardised on ExpressionEngine and here’s why. There are a plethora of content management systems out there, from free, open-source solutions to enterprise solutions costing hundreds of thousands.I've standardised on ExpressionEngine and here's why. The Background I used to roll my own CMS for client projects in either ASP or PHP - it was pretty time intensive per site as they're all different. Having to cater for various content types, integrating WYSIWYG text editors, error handling, permission levels etc. After finishing one project a couple of years back I decided that there must be better ways to work than my current setup. So to Google I went and looked for "free content management system". As you can imagine, quite a few returned. After some research I narrowed my options down to: Wordpress TextPattern Joomla Drupal I downloaded each, installed on WAMP (this was before I migrated to Apple) and started digging. I really could get into any of them and found them just as restrictive as doing things the way I had in the past. Finding ExpressionEngine I can't quite remember how it happened but I stumbled upon The City website, built on ExpressionEngine and designed by (at the time) Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain. I linked through to the EE website, had a browse around. I then emailed Jesse for his opinion on what working with EE was like and his recommendation was to download the Core edition (no longer available sadly) and take it for a spin. I was a bit miffed though that there was a cost with EE (more on that later) but the Core version was suitable for the project I was working on and allowed me to really get to grips with the system. Love For a front-end designer and developer like me, EE just made perfect sense, real nice templating language, custom content types (out of the box), membership tool as well as a simple control panel for clients and much more. It has handled any site I've had to build with ease, it has a great community that has really matured over the last couple of years. The new version 2 is also built on the excellent Codeigniter platform. It's flexibility has enabled me to build brochure sites, support systems, intranets, ecommerce sites and blogs. Cost I mentioned that EE comes at a cost. This did put me off at first. When I first saw EE there were 3 editions, Core (free for blogs / non-profit organisations but missing some modules), Non-profit $99 US per site and Commercial $250 US per site. The more I thought about pricing and what it gave me, the more comfortable I was with it, even the modest price increases introduced to version 2. EE is a commercial product which means it is fully supported by a full-time development team (the good folks at Ellislab) - because of that it has an exemplary security record (unlike some of its peers who suffer from security holes). I mentioned the community before but this is one of big pluses of EE - everyone on the forums (and Twitter too if you keep an eye on #eecms) are willing to help out with development methods, problems etc. It also gives clients peace of mind knowing that their website is on a secure platform. So Finally... EE was already a big part of my development process before I was accepted into the ExpressionEngine Pro Network but now I feel a greater sense of responsibility in terms of helping out new users (either developers or end users). Clients also love ExpressionEngine, being very surprised at how simple it is to update the content on their websites. CMS, ExpressionEngine, General, Internet 2010-07-27T16:30:42+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/a-wee-change/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/a-wee-change/#When:14:45:04Z This morning we went to a new church plant in Glasgow - Harvest Bible Chapel. Wer’e not leaving Greenview, just thought we’d go for a change of scenery. This morning we went to a new church plant in Glasgow - Harvest Bible Chapel.We're not leaving Greenview, just thought we'd go for a change of scenery. Their Pastor, Scott Hamilton, had been coming around Greenview shortly before Harvest started so I knew what they were all about. We also have a few friends that have been at Harvest for the past few months as well. At present they're located in the McCance Building at Strathclyde University in the city centre of Glasgow. We were given a very warm welcome and recognised as visitors right away. We took the lift to the 3rd floor and greeted by the Kid's Ministry co-ordinator. Rebecca and Hannah were given labels with their name and number and Sarah and I were supposed to take the wristband with their number so that if needed during the service, our number would flash on screen. A good system and one I'm going to suggest at Greenview. The service had already kicked off with praise when we got into the lecture theatre. If I'm being honest, the praise time wasn't my cup of tea, most of the "set list" was from Hillsong. I'm a bit more of a traditionalist with some of the new stuff in there too. Singing the same verses on repeat isn't my thing. Pastor Scott wasn't speaking today, but instead, Pastor Doug Helmer from the States - preaching from Mark 4. It was really nice for Sarah and I to be able to sit together and listen to God's Word being preached for an hour, something we rarely get the chance to do at Greenview as one of us has to look after the kids. If you're looking for a church in the city (or you're not on the south side to come to Greenview ) I'd recommend Harvest. Church, Ministry, Personal, Preaching, Teaching 2010-07-25T14:45:04+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/flying-the-flag/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/flying-the-flag/#When:15:42:50Z I alluded to some good news I got last week and I’m now in a position to make that public. As of today I am flying the flag for Scotland on the ExpressionEngine Pro Network. I alluded to some good news I got last week and I’m now in a position to make that public. As of today I am flying the flag for Scotland on the ExpressionEngine Pro Network. This means a lot to me. I’ve been an ExpressionEngine evangelist since my first ExpressionEngine site 3 years ago (just ask Sarah ). The ExpressionEngine community has really grown and matured over the past 3 years and the system is used by the geniuses at Happy Cog, Erskine Design, Pixel & Tonic to name but a few. ExpressionEngine is a commercial web publishing system that allows you to quickly, effectively - and securely - manage your website content through a simple interface. It can also act as an excellent base for great web applications too. Along with the ExpressionEngine Conference in Leiden, I’m optimistic about the opportunities Pro Network membership will bring and of course, delighted to be on the same pages as those above (and the rest of the network).Check out my listing and if you want to hire me for a project, drop me a line. ExpressionEngine, General 2010-07-19T15:42:50+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/twitter-chat/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/twitter-chat/#When:18:16:27Z It’s not often I find myself writing 2 blog articles in the same day but while this is fresh in my mind. It's not often I find myself writing 2 blog articles in the same day but while this is fresh in my mind. I should start out by saying that I am not defaming or deriding Lings Cars in what I'm about to say - if that was the case I wouldn't be linking back to Ling's site. This is my personal and subjective (very important) opinion and experience whilst using Lings Cars. Earlier today, one of my colleagues asked if I knew about lingscars.com - I’d heard the name and knew it was a successful car leasing website but I’d never been on the website. Quickly fired up the website and to be honest, I didn’t know where to look. So many things trying to grab my attention, my retinas started to bleed quite heavily (joke). I think my visit last about 5 seconds before I closed the offending browser tab. I wasn’t the only 1 in the office feeling this way about the site. I then posted on Twitter and Facebook about whether Ling’s Cars is the “worst successful website in the world” and to my surprise I got a message from Ling herself. I personally don’t like the site design but quite clearly, it works in a capacity because she’s a successful Inter-preneur. As I mentioned earlier, I felt there is too much competition for attention and effectively made me close the browser. Ling argued that the site: engages with people keeps you interested was like being inside the mind of a genius a whole load of other things that must surely keep me on the site Wrong - none of the above kept me on the site, but that’s just me. Ling then told me I’m a brussel sprouts person - love them or hate them. I get what she was saying, people clearly do like the website but I’m hazarding a guess that, like the people in my office, didn’t like it because it was a nice site but because Ling has great car deals and her crazy personality comes across. What I was trying to get across to Ling though was that why only ever look to satisfy that 50% - with some appropriate A/B testing, Ling could figure out ways to win the 50% (people like me) who quickly close their browser or hit the back button. Doing something that simple could easily increase her profits to cater for those users. Check out Ling's Cars for yourself and follow Ling on Twitter PS. Ling - no one is stamping their feet General, Internet 2010-07-05T18:16:27+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/summer-update/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/summer-update/#When:13:16:47Z I thought I’d ping a little update on what’s coming up over the next couple of months. I thought I'd ping a little update on what's been on/coming up over the next couple of months. Some of my commercial projects will now be showcased here on DE Andi Watson Photography website went live a month or so ago Still waiting to put the new Findlay Family Network site live (c'mon guys ) New website win for Lanarkshire Welding replacing the current site with my first ExpressionEngine 2 website - this was a big decision as EE2 is still in public beta but 2.1 commercial is due imminently All booked up for my first EECI conference in Leiden this September - very much looking forward to that Our family holiday is booked for 2 weeks in September. No mobile, Internet or email access ExpressionEngine, General, Personal 2010-07-05T13:16:47+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/duncan-street-baptist/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/duncan-street-baptist/#When:09:25:20Z Another ExpressionEngine powered site goes live today. Another ExpressionEngine powered site goes live. Happy to announce that Duncan Street Baptist are the latest church to have their website built by Digital Evangelist and powered by the fantastic ExpressionEngine CMS. This is the first proper website for Duncan Street and everyone is delighted with the outcome. You can find the site at www.duncanstreetbaptistchurch.co.uk so be sure to check it out. 2010-05-21T09:25:20+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/findlay-church/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/findlay-church/#When:09:24:48Z The new Findlay Church website went live late Monday evening. The new Findlay Church website went live late Monday evening. The new site is powered by ExpressionEngine and was a good learning curve for myself given some of the functionality that was requested by Findlay and also test out some new EE addons. Tables are no longer used for website layout, instead it uses standards compliant markup throughout. The use of ExpressionEngine means that admin can update the website themselves, adding events (using the new Solspace Calendar Module), publishing new sermons and editing content. Findlay wanted a greater level of control over the size and placement of images within their content and they can do that using small image snippet code. The Solspace Calendar Module was a last minute addition and is going to save on admin overhead. The repeating events functionality is great as well as the option to output to ics (although there's still some work to be done by Solspace on this). Next to launch will be the Findlay Family Network - so stay tuned. Church, CMS, Design, ExpressionEngine, Ministry 2010-05-05T09:24:48+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/brief-update/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/brief-update/#When:16:15:59Z I’ve been very quiet on the blog the last couple of months. So I thought a quick update was in order. I've been very quiet on the blog the last couple of months. So I thought a quick update was in order.As you know, I set myself a number of goals for this year. Some are slipping and others are doing quite well. With Sarah working in the evenings, I now get good time with the girls between half 3 and bedtime which I really enjoy (although meal times can be a challenge).On the work front, we're almost ready to go live with the new website for Findlay Church and the Findlay Family Network. The site for Maryhill has taken a back seat while we get these main sites done. The plan is to launch on the 30th of this month.I've one other church site that's ready to go live for Duncan Street Baptist in Edinburgh. I'm hoping that will also go live next week after meeting with the pastor.In order to support the needs of these churches with their websites, I've built a portal in ExpressionEngine that allows me to share support tickets, quick how to videos and general news that could impact on their websites.Remember you can follow me on Twitter or hookup on Facebook. Ciao for now. See you next week for the launch of Findlay. Steven Church, CMS, Design, ExpressionEngine, Ministry 2010-04-20T16:15:59+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/the-gospel/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/the-gospel/#When:13:26:02Z Last Friday evening and all day Saturday, I was at 9Marks Conference 2010 organised by Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh. Last Friday evening and all day Saturday, I was at 9Marks Conference 2010 organised by Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh. Speaking was Mark Dever, Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington, Paul Rees, Pastor of Charlotte Chapel, and Liam Garvie, Pastor of St Andrews Baptist. I'm not going to go into everything that was covered but something was highlighted that I hadn't thought of before. I believe that the church exists to edify its members, not the unbelievers that may come along on a Sunday. Until the weekend, I was of the belief that a Gospel message should not be preached each Sunday. How are believers supposed to grow in their faith if all they know is the Gospel? 2 Timothy 3:16 says: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. All scripture, not just the Gospel, but the entire Bible. This is the part I hadn't thought of before. The cross is at the centre of our faith. As another blogger put it, at the cross... …We see God’s sovereignty—reigning with absolute control over humanity’s greatest sin. …We see God’s purpose—making known the mystery of His will prepared before time. …We see God’s plan—to unite all things, on heaven and on earth, in Him. …We see God’s judgment—requiring recompense for guilt. …We see God’s holiness—demanding the perfect sacrifice. …We see God’s power—crushing the Son of God according to the purpose of His will. …We see God’s wrath—punishing the wretchedness of sin. …We see God’s sorrow—wailing as only a forsaken son can. …We see God’s mystery—the Son, as God, separated from the Father, committing His Spirit to God. …We see God’s compassion—pleading to the Father to forgive the ignorant. …We see God’s gift—His one and only Son, bruised and broken on our behalf. …We see God’s mercy—making unrighteous sinners righteous. …We see God’s love—Christ dying for sinners. …We see God’s rescue operation—delivering us from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of His Son. …We see God’s proposal—pledging Himself to His bride forever. …We see God’s revelation—the Word of God speaking His last so He might speak on behalf of many. …We see God’s victory—disarming His enemies, putting them to shame, and triumphing over them. …We see God’s glory—the name of the Father being magnified for the sake of all peoples. We are sinners, we leave church on a Sunday to face a week of sin and so, this point was made by one of the speakers, we need to be reminded of the Gospel. Obviously the breaking of bread centres around the Gospel, need that be enough for the week ahead allowing for other teaching in services? Hopefully I'll get some comments for discussion to help clarify my own thinking. Thanks,Steven Church, Faith, Ministry, Personal, Preaching, Teaching 2010-02-16T13:26:02+00:00 http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/john-macarthur-on-internet-ministry/ http://digitalevangelist.net/blog/article/john-macarthur-on-internet-ministry/#When:19:09:45Z John MacArthur is a bible teacher that I enjoy listening to. I follow Grace to You on both Twitter & Facebook. John had this to say on the transforming ministry on GTY over the years John MacArthur is a bible teacher that I enjoy listening to. I follow Grace to You on both Twitter & Facebook. John had this to say on the transforming ministry on GTY over the years The World Wide Web had quietly been implemented less than a year after the Soviet Union broke up. Still, by 1993, when the first editionof Ashamed of the Gospel hit the shelves, no one but the earliest Internet insiders had even heard about the Web—much less seen it. Most people had no clue how quickly or how drastically the Web would alter the world as we knew it. I remember being told at a strategic planning retreat in 1996 that the World Wide Web would eventually become the primary vehicle for the dissemination of our radio broadcast and recorded sermons. (At the time, radio and cassette tapes were still the only media we were using for audio content.) When the men at Grace to You who stay abreast of new technologies predicted that within twenty years or so cassette tapes would be a totally dead technology, I thought they were exaggerating. You can't access the Internet in a car, I pointed out. Even if you could, who wants to carry a computer on the car seat, when it's so much more convenient to pop in a cassette tape? Technology is clearly not my forte. The speed with which the world has caught onto the new media is mind-boggling. The convenience and velocity of Internet communications have changed almost every facet of how we live. The easy availability of so much information (and misinformation) has profoundly altered the way people learn and think and make decisions. Meanwhile, the ease, immediacy, and affordability of Internet publishing has leveled the playing field between pundits and the proletariat. Anyone can start a blog, for free. Anyone with a computer (or cell phone) and an Internet connection can instantly broadcast his every opinion worldwide. Novices and scholarly authorities alike can employ the same media. Those who are most adept at gathering an audience are the ones who are being heard, not necessarily those most qualified to speak. So many opinions and so much information all moving so quickly means a simple, off-the-cuff sound bite may be a thousand times more influential than a meticulously-researched treatise. In fact, whether something is true or false is usually deemed less important than the way the idea is communicated. (Today's marketing strategies are based on that assumption.) Most people naturally prefer a punchy one-liner to a carefully-written essay. So style takes precedence over content in almost every venue. Sound-bites are simply easier to swallow than a serious discourse. That reality is reflected in the way we digest the news, the way our politicians run their campaigns, and even the way people manage personal relationships. Text-messages are probably the most common form of communication between individuals. Power-dating has replaced courtship. Quality time is seen as a substitute for real parenting. The typical radio talk show invites listeners to call in, but the host invariably cuts callers off rudely if they can't make a cogent point in four seconds or less. Interviewers on network television do the same thing to guests they invite to participate in panel discussions, squandering the panelists expertise in favor of keeping the show moving at a pace no one can really keep up with anyway. It's the show, not the substance, that matters. The quest for a bigger audience-share trumps the truth. (And isn't that exactly like the philosophy that drives so many contemporary churches?) I've participated in several of those televised panels, and sometimes the panelists are physically scattered across the continent, unable to see one another and barely able to make out the other speakers sound-bites in those discreet earpieces. Even that doesn't matter. As long as the camera gives the impression of bringing many points of view face to face, the goal has been met. So what if no one gets to say more than half a sentence at a time? Our culture has simply lost patience with reasoned discourse and careful exposition. It is not without significance that the most popular form of communication on the Internet at the moment is Twitter—an application that lets users broadcast their thoughts to the entire world in pithy quips. Each "Tweet" has a 140-character limit, and millions of them are sent every week. It's the next logical step in the evolution of the new media. Blogs have already begun to fade from the limelight. (The average blogpost is three paragraphs. Too wordy.) Attention spans are getting shorter, literacy has suffered dramatically, and logic itself is frequently dismissed as unnecessarily pedantic. The Web is well-suited to a culture where what we "feel" is deemed more important than what we think. The Internet hosts millions of forums where people trade opinions and aphorisms, and these often become the electronic-data equivalent of acrimonious yelling matches. Internet forums are notorious for the profanity and hostility that dominate them. If you want vivid proof of human depravity in abundance, eavesdrop on practically any unmoderated Internet forum, including the ones devoted to discussing theology. The Internet has created an ideal environment for postmodernism to flourish and spread not in spite of all those shortcomings but precisely because of them. This article and other excellent teaching materials are available at Grace to You Internet, Ministry, Personal 2010-02-09T19:09:45+00:00