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Drupal 6, 7, or 8?

developer — Tue, 03 May 2016 16:13:56 +0000

Drupal 6, 7, or 8? developer Tue, 05/03/2016 - 16:13

If you currently have or are considering a website built with the Drupal content management framework, you may know or have heard that there are different versions of Drupal but aren't sure what the version numbers mean or which is best for your website.

Like most software applications, Drupal uses a numbering system to designate the versions of the software. A simplified explanation of the numbering is that major versions of Drupal that significantly change how Drupal is structured are designated by numbers like 6, 7, and 8. Within those major versions are many minor version changes that can include security updates, bug fixes, and some new functionality are designated by numbers such as 7.43 or 8.1.

Drupal policy is that the two most current versions of Drupal are supported, meaning that they undergo security reviews, bug fixes are released regularly, and they are in active development. When a new major version is released, such as when Drupal 8 was released in late 2015, the oldest supported version (in this case Drupal 6) then reaches end-of-life.

So, what does that mean for your current website or for a website project you might be considering?

That doesn't mean a website built with an older version stops working, but it does mean that owners and maintainers of older version websites should strongly consider updating their websites to a newer version that is supported. Without security reviews, software is more susceptible to hacking and without active development it will be much more difficult to add features to your website as your needs change.

Whether you choose to upgrade your current site or build your new site in Drupal 7 or 8 really depends on a number of factors. Most important is what functionality or features you need on your site. Drupal 7, released in 2011, is stable and mature with hundreds of contributed modules to extend core functions and build complex functionality. Drupal 8, while stable, has not reached the same level of contributed modules as Drupal 7 and does not yet have some of the more complex functionality available.

However, Drupal 8 is perfectly viable and a good option for many websites. This and many other websites have been built on Drupal 8, with new functionality being added every day. If you are in the planning stages for a website upgrade or build, Drupal 8 may be right for you.

DSquaredB Consulting can analyze your website needs and help you determine what is best for you. If you are ready to get started, contact us today.

Changing with the Times - Our New Logo

developer — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 18:08:24 +0000

Changing with the Times - Our New Logo developer Wed, 03/23/2016 - 18:08

Like many businesses and organizations, DSquaredB Consulting realized recently that our focus has shifted somewhat from when we first began. As our client list has grown, the majority of our work has been building and managing custom Drupal websites, with less emphasis on managing social media accounts. So while we will continue to assist our website clients with their total online presence, including social media, we will no longer offer just social media management as a service.

With the decision to move away from social media management, we knew our branding needed to be updated. Since we are no longer "distributing digital buzz" through social media, our logo needed an overhaul. So, today we unveil our new logo. It is still a work in progress and may undergo a few minor tweaks, but we will begin using the logo below immediately.

We may be updating our focus and our branding, but DSquaredB Consulting hasn't changed our commitment to our clients. We will continue to provide personal attention to all our clients' website needs.

Considering a website project? Let DSquaredB Consulting tell you how we can help. Contact us today.

It Should Never be Done

developer — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 15:50:10 +0000

It Should Never be Done developer Wed, 03/23/2016 - 15:50

We often tell our clients that a website should never be "done."

If a website is done, that implies that there is no room for improvement or that the website can't adapt to changing needs of the organization or business. It can also imply that an organization is inactive by only offering stale content to visitors. Worse, it could imply that the client is not willing to protect the investment made to create a website by keeping it updated.

As noted in a previous post, the cobbler's children often have no shoes. The cobbler is often so busy making shoes for others that there is little time to make shoes for the family. That is again where we found ourselves while upgrading the DSquaredB Consulting website to the newly-released Drupal 8. Our priorities are our clients' websites and our company website gets whatever leftover time we can devote to it.

So, firmly believing that a website should never truly be done, we decided to launch this "in-progress" website re-design in early 2016, shortly after Drupal 8 was released. As Drupal 8 has matured and as time has allowed, we continue to improve and update it. But even today - a year later - we are content to be another "never done" website.

Fall is Finally Here

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:02:00 +0000

Fall is Finally Here developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 16:02

The cooler temperatures mean fall has finally arrived in Williamsburg, Virginia. Soon we'll begin to see the leaves turning to the beautiful golds, yellows, and reds we all love to see at this time of year.

For most retail businesses, fall also signals the beginning of the busiest time of the year. The holiday season often begins for retailers before the summer temperatures have cooled when the holiday displays go up.

How will you draw customers to your business this holiday season? DSquared-B can help you develop an online presence targeted to returning and new customers. Get the buzz going about your business today.

New Year's Resolution?

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:52:46 +0000

New Year's Resolution? developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 15:52

There's a school of thought that says New Year's resolutions are made to be broken. While we don't usually make resolutions intending to break them, the reality is that many resolutions are abandoned only weeks into the new year. You only have to look at attendance at your local gym or fitness center for proof. The gyms and fitness centers are packed in January and February. But by March and April they are back to normal.

Did you make a New Year's resolution to increase the activity on your business or organization social media sites or to (finally!) update your website? Are you already finding that it's hard to keep up with more frequent updates and interesting content with all the demands of running a business or organization?

Don't abandon your New Year's resolution. Let DSquared-B help you keep that resolution. Give us a call (757.869.0750) or send us an email to schedule a consultation. We'll develop a website and social media strategy for your business or organization and manage it for you.

Where Do You Start?

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:47:01 +0000

Where Do You Start? developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 15:47

When designing a website or a social media strategy, it's best to start with the end in mind. What are the goals for your website? What do you hope to gain for your business by having a Facebook page?

Business owners and organizations often feel pressured to get a website or Facebook page up and running immediately because everyone else has one and they think they will be at a disadvantage if the don't compete. It's true that having an Internet presence is important, but it is more important to have a website or social media strategy that is designed to meet your overall goals today and is flexible enough to change as your business or organization grows and changes.

So what if you don't know what you want your website or Facebook to do for your business or organization? That's where the "consulting" in DSquaredB Consulting LLC comes in. Part of designing a website or social media strategy is helping you define your goals. Before we begin designing your website or putting together a social media strategy, we will get to know you and your business. Then, we will work with you to determine where you want to go and how we can help you get there.

Give us a call or send us an email to set up a consultation.

The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:45:26 +0000

The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 15:45

Often it's the very thing you spend the majority of your time doing for others that you neglect to do for yourself. There are wallpaper hangers with bare walls at home waiting for wallpaper to be hung. And carpenters who build beautiful homes for others and their own front stoop could use a few reinforcing nails.

It can be the same with website desginers and builders. Our days are filled with helping to create well-designed websites for businesses and organizations with all the functions necessary to promote their business and give their clients a great user experience.

But alas, at the end of the day, we often neglect our own websites. DSquared-B Consulting has been guilty of this kind of neglect. Over the next few weeks, we will turn our attention to this website. We will refresh and update the site to better reflect who we are and what we do. Our first priority is still our clients so if it takes a little longer than a few weeks, please have patience.

Here's hoping that this cobbler's children get those new shoes soon.

Managing Your Management Style

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:43:27 +0000

Managing Your Management Style developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 15:43

Management. Ask a room full of people what they think about “management” and stand back. The floodgates will open and everyone who has ever had a job working under a manager will share their horror stories. You’ll probably hear words like micromanage, overbearing, demanding, unreasonable… Be honest, whether you are a manager or are being managed, whether you own a small business or work for one, or whether you are a manager in a large company or a department employee, don’t you have that opinion of management?

Why is it that management gets such a bad name? Is there something inherently evil in the DNA of managers? Maybe. But more likely the problem with management is a combination of fear and a lack of knowledge.

Fear? Lack of Knowledge? Really? How did they ever start a company or rise to the level of management if they are scared and ignorant? The fear is most often a fear of letting go – of delegating real authority to the people they manage. And the knowledge they lack is how to impress their values and goals on those they manage so they don’t have to fear their team will fail without their direct involvement (read: micromanagement).

So, how can management improve? Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks has this to say in his book, Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time:

"Early on I realized that I had to hire people smarter and more qualified than I was in a number of different fields, and I had to let go of a lot of decision-making. I can't tell you how hard that is. But if you've imprinted your values on the people around you, you can dare to trust them to make the right moves."

If more business owners and managers would overcome their fear of letting go and learn how to communicate their goals and values to those they manage, maybe, just maybe, that roomful of people would finally have some positive thoughts about management.

Have you had a good manager? What made them good?

Cubicle or Couch? ...or Coffee?

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:41:56 +0000

Cubicle or Couch? ...or Coffee? developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 15:41

Where do you do your best work? Do you need the structure of reporting to an office each day? Or are you at your best with your laptop sitting on the couch in your family room?

More and more employees have the option of working remotely. For some it’s a day or two a month or a day each week. For others, it’s a full-time arrangement. Technologies such as Skype and email and cloud file storage remove many of the obstacles to working outside the office that existed just a few short years ago.

But if you have the option of working remotely, should you? There are definitely some pros and cons to both working in an office environment and in working remotely.

The office environment provides structure to your day and allows for quick and easy exchange of ideas and information. Your working hours are usually pretty well defined and are easily separated from your leisure hours (unless you often bring work home with you). It’s easy to pop in to your co-workers office or cubicle to bounce around an idea. Those are a few pros.

But they can also be the cons. Who hasn’t felt constrained by a 9-to-5 workday? And have you ever been trying to concentrate on a project with a deadline when a co-worker stops by to chat about nothing in particular?

Working from home can provide the flexibility to work on a schedule that fits your lifestyle and family obligations. (Your work schedule, of course, is something that needs to a mutual agreement between you and your employer.) And unless you have a house full of toddlers, your home office can be free of many of the “water-cooler” distractions of the office.

Again, the pros can also be the cons. If you aren’t self-disciplined, not having to punch a time clock can lead to irregular work habits or blurring the lines between work and leisure time. And if you don’t make an attempt to stay connected to co-workers, you can end up feeling isolated.

And then there’s the coffee shop option. I recently read an article by Wesley Verhoeve entitled “Why You Should Work From a Coffee shop, Even When You Have An Office.” Due to an office move he was forced to work remotely (he chose to work in local coffee shops) for a short period of time. For Verhoeve, the “experience of working out of coffee shops was so positive that even after we moved into our new home, I made sure to get in a few 'coffee shop days' each month.”

Was it just the coffee that made the experience so positive? Not exactly. It was the combination of a change of environment, less distractions, and interaction with people. Maybe the answer to the cubicle or couch question can be partially answered by coffee.

What do you see as the pros and cons of working remotely? If you have the choice, which do you prefer?

Heartwood joins the Southwest Virginia website family

developer — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:36:00 +0000

Heartwood joins the Southwest Virginia website family developer Thu, 03/10/2016 - 15:36

DSquared-B Consulting in partnership with Two Rivers Media, launched a unified website for three organizations under the banner of Friends of Southwest Virginia. 'Round the Mountain represents the artisans of the Southwest Virginia region, The Crooked Road represents the musicians of the region, and mySWVA.org highlights the cultural, historic, and outdoor venues and activities. These three sites share a common database, structure, and domain, but maintain each organization's identity and access through their individual URLs.

Recently, we launched a fourth section of the unified website for Heartwood. Heartwood, located in Abingdon, Virginia, provides a venue to display the work of the region's juried artisans and musicians and offers visitors a glimpse into the outdoor recreation and scenic vistas of Southwest Virginia through interactive exhibits.