Posted by leepeng on August 29, 2010
I just ponder about this question. Forecepts, beside been your web design / development vendor; who else we are?
I came out with some quick answer by my daily observations:
We are:
1.) Web Technology Chaser
We keep our eyes on the latest technologies to solve problems or improve our solutions
2.) Your 2nd Brain
We found out that many time we actually involved in brainstorming business ideas, business solutions, operational and management workflows, accounting procedures before we really got into the actual IT solutions for our clients.
3.) Artist
I must say we have great design team with great ideas. So please please appreciate our creativity and listen to our presentation before you come to the conclusion to use back a pre-conceptual design idea that plug from various websites and trying to assemble them together. We want to be your creative artist, not your drawing machine.
4.) User
We are web user. And we develop products for web user.
5.) Your friend
We listen to you when you complaint about your boss and colleagues
We come to your office so that you can have a reason to call for a internal team meeting
We help you organise and priotise your tasks
We crack jokes with you or listen to your joke of the day
We always wait for the great meal that you want to buy for us… the next time we meet
Posted by leepeng on August 25, 2010
Received this picture couple of months ago. Suppose to be something for us to feel funny and laugh at.
However, the similar picture was actually printed on my university software engineering text book.
It makes me ponder on communications.
A solution can only considered good if it meet client’s objective and solve their problem. In order to do this, understanding and passing of correct information is very important.
In industry practice, we have tools like functional specs, flow charts, screen prototypes and different kind of diagrams.
So do we come out with these documents just to fulfill the software engineering lifecycle or because we quoted documentation or just for the sake of coming out some documents so that both client and us feels good?
I felt documents is useless if it is not a tool for communication. When we draft a functional specs, we have to think in clients’ perspective to come out with something that they can understand so that we can discuss and confirm various business concepts and requirements using the document. At the same time, if we need client to visualise, we have to come out with screens so that we can discuss further or to trigger more views from them so we can have deeper understanding of their needs.
We are learning and doing our best to improve our communications so that we can have more happy customers.
Posted by leepeng on
Why SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer.
SSL pages/sites are start with HTTPS (e.g. https://www.ctc.com.sg/paygate/payment.php)
You will see a lock icon in browser if it is SSL
It provide 2 main function: Encryption and Authentication.
Encryption
When we fill in a form in browser and submit, in default setting, the information in the form is transmit to the server as plain text.
This become not secure if the form ask us for sensitive information like NRIC, credit card info etc.
SSL can encrypt the transmission of info to ensure security.
Authentication
When a visitor come to a website, especially those require payment, he will always want to be sure that the identity of the website is what it claim to be.
Consider the website www.sony-asia.com. How we know this website really belongs to Sony. I can always register a domain call www.sony-southafrica.com and impersonalized as Sony.
SSL contains Digital Certificate to certified the website as who it claimed to be.
SSL Selection
There are many SSL provider and price can be very different depends on function and brands.
In general, there are 2 groups
SSL Cert with Domain name Authentication Only
This will certified that the domain A is really belongs to domain A.
We will recommend this if the website is just a pure online store and the business is not of big brand.
Another reason is the website only need SSL to utilise the encryption feature and authentication is not a big concern.
** Notice the Common Name (CN) and Organization (O) are the domain name.
Here are some package options
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/ssl/ssl.asp (Standard SSL)
https://www.thawte.com/ssl-digital-certificates/ssl123/index.html
http://www.geotrust.com/ssl/quick-ssl-certificates/
SSL Cert with Business Identity Authentication
This will certified that the website belongs to a certain business.
The approval might require more email authentication or event submit a fax or telephone call.
** Notice the Organization (O) is stated as TakeMeToAsia Pte Ltd
Here are some package options
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/ssl/ssl.asp (Deluxe SSL)
https://www.thawte.com/ssl-digital-certificates/ssl/index.html
http://www.geotrust.com/ssl/ssl-certificates/
http://www.verisign.com.sg/ssl/buy-ssl-certificates/secure-site-ssl-certificates/