Category: Work/Technical

  • Reviving Old Websites

    Had a few spare hours this week, so i decided to revive 3 websites we used to run and that we’d let get old, broken and unloved.

    Free Links Directory (www.freelinkdirectory.co.uk)

    Many moons ago, we decided that there were not enough UK based directories to help people find general products and services – so we created one! We found the domain still on the 123 reg market, never been used before (i know, i was amazed too) and since then its been a huge success with UK based companies looking for somewhere to advertise their business.

    Originally in phpLD and now rebuilt using WordPress and Directorypress – its back with a bang!

    The MaxxDirectory (www.MaxxDirectory.co.uk)

    This is where it all started – Dave and I originally went into business with this website, i made it and created the banners and stuff, and Dave sold it to companies in the automotive world.

    It was awesome, but then te recession hit and people in the automotive industry stopped spending money, so we diversified. But its now back in 2013 with a new approach, new style and it hopes to once again be the best source of quality modified and performance car related businesses in the world.

    Originally in phpMyDirectory, now rebuilt using WordPress and Directorypress.

    Car Breakers (www.car-breakers.net)

    As our first steps into business were automotive ones, we also launched this website to showcase the many car breakers and dismantlers across the country – we found it hard to find breakers that were specific to the types of parts we were looking for, so we started one! It has helped many people find what they need for their project car – and its even used by ourselves every now and then when we are looking for secondhand parts!

    Originally in phpMydirectory and rebuilt for 2013 in WordPress with Directorypress.

  • Audio Adverts on the New Myspace

    Myspace Audio AdvertsYes – i heard them you sneaky little buggers!

    There seems to be nothing on the internet about them starting to roll out audio adverts, but we use Myspace through headphones at work – and we’ve all heard them more than once now!

    I’m not pissed off – its nothing compared to how bad Spotify Free bombard you with adverts – the Myspaces adverts seem to be totally random,  once in a blue moon and hardly noticeable. Maybe thats the point? Maybe they’ve made them subtle and almost subliminal so that we don’t notice them but they stick in our minds (not the case, i heard one 3 mins ago and now can’t remember what it was for)

    Many people have questioned how the new Myspace can make money as they dont visually display any adverts – and you don’t pay to use it… There are articles dotted about the internet that state they pay different royalties than other people – but they still gotta pay em.

    I didn’t think it would be long until they started putting some kind of adverts on there.

    Ah well, 100% free streaming music with an advert once in a blue moon – it’s better than a punch in the kidneys 🙂

  • I was surfing your emails…

    Surfing my emails, eh...

    Should i be worried?

  • Remove text from end of cell content in entire Column – MS Excel

    We’ve been working on a large project now for a good 3 or 4 months for one of our customers, and the final stage of the project is to add a load of free listings to their new directory style website.

    We have the bulk data in a spreadsheet and i have spent a good few days sorting the content out so that each column contains the right data (such as ensuring the street from each entry is in the “Street” column etc.

    I needed to duplicate the postcode column and remove the last part of it so that i had a “Postcode district” column so the import would place the listings in the right part of the directory (the last category level is “Postcode district”)

    However, there are 1776 entries!

    I spoke to an Excel specialist who solved my problems 🙂

    (more…)