Gradual engagement

Do you know what "Gradual engagement means" ? This is a simple way to imrpove user interfaces by hiding part of the content.

For instance, Yahoo! uses this tip on the homepage. When you click on "More Yahoo! Services", you will see a menu coming from the left part of the page, with new options.

As I find this method particularly efficient, I decided to use it on my own site for english-speaking users. When you click "Don't speak french" on the top-right corner, you will see a block coming down to show you what content is available in english.

This is a tricky way to be sure that english-speaking visitors are not going to run away from my site because it's in french :)

Interview with Lucie

Here is an interview about me, where I speak about the company I created this year.



Thanks to Lucie who asked the good questions ;)

Fresh ideas for the english class

Hi Bob ! We decided to ask people in the class if they had ideas to improve your course. Here is the result, a small video :

Check out my english Portfolio

Already 10 websites in my portfolio, so I decided to make an english version of it. You can find it on my site. If you want to learn more about me, my CV is also available.

If you're interested in online business and communication, have a look at eLifeStrategy : a wiki that can help you to reveal the power of your e-products by following our strategy program.

KISS developing

Do you know what does KISS means ? It stands for "Keep it Simple, Stupid". This is the best way to create a simple website : using simple technologies, in a more efficient way.

You can find a good explanation on Wikipedia :

KISS principle is a colloquial name for the empirical principle that simplicity is an essential asset and goal in systems and (industrial) processes. It is popular in software and engineering in general. The term KISS is an acronym, possibly corresponding in origin to the phrase "keep it simple, stupid".

And a very good analysis on Digital Web Magazine.

As far as I know, programming whith this principle in mind is the best way to create easy softwares and websites. It makes it more efficient for users… but also for people working on it. We know that it's difficult for a team to work on a e-product. If every member has the same philosophy, the project will be easier to manage.

How to learn english with e-learning

The most important thing I've learned in this class is how to take part of an e-learning programm. Speaking in a microphone, with a webcam is not easy for everyone. Technical problems need patience to be resolved.

The other thing is probably the fact that people get motivate when they share the same experience with technologies. For instance, when we created our english blog, it was a great experience for the group, not only for individuals.

Last but not least, I've learned how to be multi-tasks. When working in a e-learning classe : you have to be multitasks.

BlogoText : a blog engine using no database

This week, I released the first version of my blog engline : BlogoText. This tool is free and allows you to create your own blog without the use of any database.



BlogoText is based on flat files to store your articles and comments. Its is very simple to use especially for beginners.

This software is available in french and english. You can download it on BlogoText website.

Here is an article in english about BlogoText.

HTTPS is a secure protocol

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfert Protocol. With the "S", it stands for a secure protocol. This is the contraction of HTTP+SSL. This protocol can be read by any browser, and allows you to access your bank accounts online, with a secure connection.

Building an online project would be a good idea

A project that can be interesting to make more progress would be to create a website to share our knowledge. For instance, we could publish a sort of magazine about e-learning, the way we learn english and how we manage to make it efficient. Each member of our class could be involved with a particular function such as writer or moderator.

First this site could be helpful for people who need to create an e-learning solution. And it can show the world that this kind of learning actually works and can be applied to any school.