CWCONLINE v2003b

u arse that's why you use flash, so it can be animated

www.ultrashock.com they got a cool animated menu. takes up less space than one of your sodding html/javascript ones so shove that in ur pipe and smoke it .

lmao.

hey thats a pretty cool site

Alright man, I gotta tell you, for a 15 year old, it's a damn nice set up. But, there's a couple of things I'd change. Now, lemme first say, that I myself have only just turned 18, so I'm no wise elder as some others in the forum are, but I've done enough jobs to know a few things.

Step 1. Get rid of anything that isn't your's, or directly related to your work. I know you like Luther Vandross, and Andromeda (I responded to your other post about their site) but seriously, if your trying to tout your skills as an actual web designer, you need to place focus on you and your work. A good idea, to draw attention to some of your interests is to offer a links page, or an 'about me'/personal info page. On this page, in addition to Location, and education in design, you can mention personal interests briefly. here's where you get to offer Andromeda or Luther Vandross, or whatever kinda links you want. They should not, however, go be at the front and center of your page, which is meant to draw attention to your skills as a web designer.

Step 2.Your Bio section, isn't bad, but...wow. How to put this gently...If your going to enter the field of web design, um...clients aren't going to hire you out of sympathy, they're going to hire you based on your skill. So, though I do take you seriously, if I were a prospective client, I know that despite political correctness, I'd very honestly feel uncomfortable hiring someone who I feared would have too many emotional/personal hindrances. I'm not saying that you do, but there are some that would feel terribly uncomfortable. Your bio page reads more like something that would be read on VH-1 Behind The Music, once you were an established singer, in his mid-40's. Though I'm very sure that the events of your life, both good and bad, have shaped the person you are today, and shape your work, both musically and artistically, you must, however let them do so through those venues, and not merely tell people about them. Let people see and hear the person you are as a result of your life, and don't just give them a step by step description. Also, I think it'd be a good idea to use what you have had diagnosed as 'disabilities' to your advantage. What do I mean? I mean telling people through your site that you are better able to 'think outside the box', or you offer a 'different view of things'. Let people know you may be different, but show them in your work. Different is good. especially in web design, but also music. Originality drives others to look for new and better ways to do things. Don't let anyone tell you that different's bad.

Step 3. You mention career collapses, several times in your bio, and I must remind you that you are still very young, as am I. being that we both are, and that I am in the midst of facing career choices that you will no doubt face very soon, I must remind you that your life, and your career are by no means over at 15. They are, in fact, only just beginning. You have plenty of time before you have to choose a job, or a college, depending on what you choose to do. Continue to learn everything you can. You mention problems with another forum, in which you were slandered by someone. let me just say DO NOT LET THEM GET TO YOU. Any designer should have nothing but constructive criticism. If anyone says "That sucks" with nothing to add to it, then completely disregard them. One who is truly offering constructive criticism may say 'that sucks', but will immediately tell you why they think that, or what you can do to make it better in their opinion. THat's why this forum's great. Keep in mind, everyone has their own opinion, and you will never agree with all of them. And really, you don't need to. Don't try to please everyone. No one can. Just try to work to the best of your ability. If very few people like it, then perhaps you have to rethink your strategy, or you have to go back, and re-try some things, or, and here's a big one, go back and learn something you didn't know before. You can never know too much. Learning new stuff in Photoshop will never hurt you, it will only help.

All in all man, great site. You got some serious skills, and I wish you the best of luck in whatever career you go into. On a more personal note, let me also say that being that you are stiil in high school, don't make the same mistakes I made. What I did was put all of my time into Photoshop, and though I got good at it, I neglected to do my schoolwork. And at the end of the year, all the web design and computer graphic's couldn't save my other grades. Yeah, and I know it's a pain in the ass, but seriously, if you do all of your homework, you can only do better on tests. Doing schoolwork will never lower your grades. It's one of those things that only works one way. Then, you can pretty much walk into any college you want, and do whatever it is that you really want to do as a career. And I know your not dumb, I mean you built that site for God's sake! That show's a ton of intelligence, despite anything anyone else'd say. This is all stuff to consider for the next incarnation of your site. the way you've got it now is cool though, yeah just a few tweaks, like everyone else has said. Just keep in mind, your life (and mine for that matter, keep in mind that I'm only 18) hasn't even started yet. Anything you do now can still be undone, changed, whatever. We're still kid's, man, and it wasn't until I graduated from high school that I realized it. You've still got time, so don't rush things like a web design, or music career. The most important thing you're doing right now should be getting out of high school. Just do things one step at a time.

First of all, Wow! I haven't had anyone reply that much to me, before. I'm humbled that you took the time to give me your ideas.

Mostly I give credit to Luther, due to my singing vocals are not that different from his, so I try to owe as much respect to him as he can, not to mention his recent stroke has me trying to help his album sale.

I guess one thing that has always led people to question my work, is that I have always done things in an unorthodox style. :-O

Thank you for your words.

I've already started on plans for v2004a, and it is more oriented on backgrounds of me in my hometown, so that should be more interacted around my self-perspective.

I just wanted to put up a bio, to let people who visited my site, who suffer from disabilities, that I'm with them. I even have diabetes now, which I don't add to my bio anymore, as my family says it isn't wise to add that particular disability to it. Why? I haven't comprehended that, yet.

I thank you all for your suggestions and comments. This has helped me to become a wiser web designer, and I thank you all for taking the time to help me see what's right and wrong with it. I'm still working on some more fixes, and I hope to have the whole version finished, so I can start on v2004a soon.


Take care,
Christopher William Coddington (Xzandar / cwcandromeda),
CWCONLINE Administrator/Webmaster

wow. Very insightful man :D

Now that is what I am talking about, someone who really takes the time to be helpful and insightful. I have said it before and I will say it again. Don't sweat the jerks, just like Pganguly says. It is refreshing to see someone who is willing to share so much. It is true; you both have your whole lives ahead of you. Take one obstacle at a time and plan for the future while you are at it. ;)

He made some very good points, I am sure you will keep just getting better and better!

Mara: I'm sure there are many insightful people on this forum (lord knows i'm not one of them!)
But I'm pretty sure most everybody is too lazy to type it out.

My favorite part:

One who is truly offering constructive criticism may say 'that sucks', but will immediately tell you why they think that

See? Good hard critique just the way I like em

Aww...

(Single tear)

Thanks guys.

Lemme also say that I totally understand the entire principal of offering to discuss your disabilities with people, in the context of offering support for others, like by saying I have a disability, but I'm a talented and succesful web designer. Pay attention to THAT instead of my disabilities.

Skills and intelligence always transcend disabilities. Look at Stephen Hawking, for example.

Wow, you really got something going with this post, huh?

Keep up the good work, man.

Mara: I'm sure there are many insightful people on this forum (lord knows i'm not one of them!)

Of course there are! I would not be getting so much from this forum if there weren't, but there have been some ppl who are not, and are just trying to start trouble. The ones who are regulars here are usually not those ppl. Supahsekzy, you have given plenty of helpful critiques. Don't sell yourself short!

About the post I made, most of that was regarding a pm. I should have elaborated a little more.

Wow, well I like it. And I'm amazed you're doing all this already at 15. I always like to encourage vocal music, good stuff that it is, one of the best instruments aronud that pretty much everyone can use and you can take it with you anywhere you go. It's great that Pganguly took so much time into caring about you, and I'm glad you show appreciation (I've known too many folks who wouldn't know that someone cared about them if it slapped 'em in the face :p ). I just have to say something though about trying everything... Although I DEFINITLY agree that you have a bunch of time to try stuff and see what you like, and you should definitly concetrate on school, I like to tell people to do what they love (I've noticed that the best way to do things is somewhere in the middle ground...don't get too focused on trying to do everything, and don't get too focused on trying to do just one or two things, I've made both of those mistakes ). While you have plenty of time before college, and before the rest of your life, I feel it would've saved me a lot of stress if I knew what I wanted to do before college (unfortunatly I still don't know what on earth I wanna do, but I know I still got time, I'm only 17 and am going to college this fall ). I'm afraid to go on with this though, don't mean to start arguments, I don't mean to lecture. I actually have a tendency to do exactly what Pganguly told you not to try and do, please everyone. (but I'd definitly go with what Pganguly said; don't try to please everyone, there's no way to do it, if you don't like someones opinion, it doesn't mean you have to, but you probably already know that). My favorite piece of advice though is "have fun". If you ever find yourself in a position where you're not having fun, just double check why you're doing it, make sure that's what you wanna do. I feel this works for everything; if someone's telling you to change ANYTHING, any aspect of you, be it your art/singing/job/friends/etc. and you suddenly find that you don't like your art/singing/job/friends/etc. remember its all about you ;) and what you want. (don't get this bit of advice confused with the idea that the world/universe is all about you, and should be there for you, 'cause even though I think the universe should be for each one of us, and we all should look out for one anothers' backs, that's just not how it works, and you can get yourself in a lot of trouble if you do go with that idea). Well I thinked I've strayed far enough off topic to stop now:p .

Once again wow! Keep doing what you love, just don't get lost in it ;) .