Just found this cool new service called Blogrush that we will be trying out. It is a little widget you add to your blog that shows posts similar to yours across the web. Every time the widget is loaded (by a new visitor) your own blog and posts gains the opportunity to be shown across the web. It is a great idea, but lets see if it really works.
We will keep you posted as to the results!
CarbonNet came to Atilus as many new clients do. Battered and upset. Unfortunately, CarbonNet’s former web development company left them with a nearly complete, but completely useless website. The website, which was supposed to feature a custom calculator and purchasing tool, was not complete, and after months of what was described as a “customer service nightmare,” they were hesitant ANY web development firm was legitimate and could truly meet their needs.
Fortunately, we took a chance on each other and the experience has been amazing!
Many of us at Atilus are alumni or current students of Florida Gulf Coast University and because of FGCU’s strong focus on the environment through various required courses we are all too aware of current environment problems both locally and nationally.
With that in mind, CarbonNet commissioned Atilus to finalize their website and build out a unique Carbon Calculator. The Carbon Calculator, is a simple tool by which you, a TERRIBLE POLLUTER, can plug in your average car mileage, electric bill, and Plane flights throughout the year, and get an immediate idea of how much CO2 you are emitting. And, in the same step, it automatically will tell you how many trees need to be planted in order for you to offset that CO2 you are emitting, even allowing you to immediately purchase those trees.
This one-stop-shop for pollutant awareness and resolution is a revolutionary idea and we hope to help everyone at CarbonNet grow and market the idea throughout the coming years.
So, why don’t you visit CarbonNet today, check out your Carbon Footprint, and purchase and plant some trees in order to help save the planet!
I held a meeting with Phil Borchman, CEO of Comm-Ex.com, a South West Florida commercial real estate news website, as well as author of the GulfShore Business magazine newsletter.
We discussed in light the various ways to market your website for FREE, which I may write a post about later if I get enough requests for it. 
But we also discussed the newsletter that he authors and how difficult it can be to be placed on that newsletter as a business with a press release.
So here are a few simple, but extraordinarily effective tips to get you to the top of the list:
The towns people are angry!
Apparently my ever controversial blog post What does a website cost? has the web design community stirring… for various reasons.
I encourage the voice of the web people. And I thoroughly believe that despite the negativity, sarcasm, etc that this ultimately is good for business. 
Read on my friends as it gets better and better as more and more posts came in.
Keep in mind that ‘Scott Clark’ is me in response to the other blog comments posted.
As seen on Yahoo! homepage, Christopher Null of Yahoo! Tech writes…
With concern over the end of the road for Windows XP reaches feverish levels, Microsoft appears to be altering yet again its timeline for killing off the popular operating system, which would ultimately force people into upgrading to Vista.
Read the article here.
As promised, I am here to offer an update to the ongoing Skype problems I have been experiencing as of lately.
To recap I am having the following issue:
1) Contacts appear ‘offline’ and are therefore incommunicable
2) Phone calls are not being redirected to cell phone
3) Instant messaging service is failing to send messages, if at all they send in bulk.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I contacted Skype and was awaiting a response.
Well the response came in…
How much does a website cost? Well… that depends. How much does a building cost? “Ballpark figure. If you had to give me a number?” All buildings are different. Is this a manufactured home you’re thinking of? A commercial building? Perhaps a beautiful lake front mansion with marble Romanesque columns. I guess the answer should be… it depends. And web development is not much different.
I can’t believe that it would take a company apparently as professional as yours upwards of 12,000 to make a blog. Either you’re ripping customers off or you’re incompetent. One framework could be re-used thousands of times, saving you time and your customers money. Yes, each site needs its own modifications, but if you build a solid framework you can run pretty much anything off it.
I’ll address this comment later, but first of all I would like to thank Scott for writing and publishing his great article on our blog – to which the above was a comment - just a few weeks ago. He was really able to sum up “what does a website cost.” Without going into full detail on everything mentioned here is just a brief break down of what was discussed regarding the cost of a good website:
Visit the Complete Article - What Does a Website Cost?
Internally we had discussed the idea at length – writing an in-depth article about how much does a website cost – and, finally decided to hit “publish” after weighing everything. We effectively laid all of our cards on the table, allowing our audience, the web developer community, our competition and future clients to understand how much this web stuff costs. The truth is the biggest thing we were concerned with in writing and publishing an article like this would be backlash from the web community or independent developers. Ultimately, the benefits outweigh the negative – we have to educate the community on the steps, time, and price involved in a proper web presence.
Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing two things from new or potential clients:
Skype has been the proud sponsor of Oprah’s “A New Earth” web event, which has been created with spiritual guru Eckhart Tolle.
But since then, my Skype has been functioning horribly. Skype has not been redirecting my Skype calls to my cell phone. A mass majority of my contacts are labeled ‘offline’ when they are online, which disables me from being able to contact them via Skype phone or Skype messaging. The instant messaging feature has been with holding messages and sending them, if sent at all, in bulk at incorrect and often inappropriate times.
All of this has been greatly inhibiting my ability to stay connected with my colleagues and clients, as Skype has been our main vehicle for communication.
Perhaps the sponsored events they participate in have significantly increased Skype usage and subsequently decreasing Skype quality.
So, I took matter into my hands and contacted Skype. They have yet to return any contact, as I await answers to my questions…
I will keep you posted.
The Island Coast AIDS Network (ICAN), was founded in 1987 and incorporated as a not for profit corporation in 1989.
Its mission is “To stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and assist individuals infected and affected in Southwest Florida.” As a community based AIDS service organization, ICAN provides a wide variety of services to its clients as well as the general public. Atilus is proud to have partnered up with ICAN to provide them with a sophisticated, content management based website with complete calendaring allowing them to reach their audience more quickly and efficiently and allowing the entire ICAN network to stay in touch and up-do-date on the latest news and events at ICAN.
The completely redesigned website features large easy to read text and navigation, email newsletter integration, and event and calendar management tools. It was a pleasure assisting this organization and helping them develop the unique, customized tools that would most benefit their key personnel and audience.
Thank you to everyone we worked with at ICAN, we look forward to much more!
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