Author: Robert Starsi

Projects Overview in 2012

Posted on by Robert Starsi

These are some of the projects I’ve launched during 2012. This year was interesting as I switched from mainly using PHP as a backend language to Ruby (on Rails). Switching to Ruby was a welcome refreshment, the syntax is so close to natural language. I really enjoy the way it allows one to express the idea in code. There is little I need to say about Rails.

Here are the projects I’ve been busy with this year:

Equal Money System website redesign

Desteni I Process redesign

EQAFE – Self-Perfection Merchadise

Equal Money System Website

Posted on by Robert Starsi

The goal for this project was to create a presentation which immediately engages the user and allows them to interact with the website and information in a meaningful fashion. Therefore, instead of a static presentation, we came up with easy to use and immediately available voting in relation to the goals of the project that is being presented.

Deliverables:

  • UIX design and its implementation within HTML & CSS.
  • Backend implementation in Rails, MySQL, including a fully integrated admin interface to manage the website content, votes and translations.
  • Custom lightweight Wiki.
  • Automated test suite.
  • Utilizing web APIs of other products of the client.
  • Running, maintaining & upgrading the app in production since 2012 (Unicon, Nginx, Ubuntu & Upstart).
  • Associated PhpBB forum.

Tour

Front page with immediately available point of interaction: voting on the projects goals.
Front page with immediately available point of interaction: voting on the projects goals.
Viewing a "goal" with voting results and visitor's feedback.
Viewing a “goal” with voting results and visitor’s feedback.
Votes are managed and responded to by moderators from the build in & easy to use interface.
Votes are managed and responded to by moderators from the build in & easy to use interface.
The Wiki editor is custom build, features live side-by-side preview and formatting help.
The Wiki editor is custom build, features live side-by-side preview and formatting help.

Rails stats

ems-stats

DIP Pro – Online Course Delivery Platform

Posted on by Robert Starsi

E-learning project similar to DIP Lite but for more serious and advanced students, providing much more features including credit card payments, commission payouts, file (course material) delivery, multiple different courses divided into years and months and API for integration with other projects.

Deliverables:

  • Initial design of the flow and functionality of the platform based on the goals set by the client.
  • Mockups of the UI and user flows.
  • Graphic design.
  • Logo creation.
  • Implementation within Rails.
  • Automated test suite.
  • Further feature development and updating/upkeep of the codebase.
  • Running this project in production for ~4 years (DevOps).

Tour

Front page explains what is it all about.
Front page explains what is it all about.
Courses overview.
Courses overview.
The dashboard students sees after confirming her email address.
The dashboard a new student sees after confirming the email address.
If a particular screen is still empty, it contains information about what it does.
If a particular screen is still empty, it contains information about what it does.
Integrated online payments.
Integrated online payments.

Rails stats

dip pro stats

Calibrium – Services for Laboratories in Construction Business

Posted on by Robert Starsi

Another project succesfully finished and launched. A simple presentation for a Slovak company providing services for laboratories in construction business. I provided and executed the whole presentation, from graphic design to integration with WordPress content management system.

calibrium-home
Front page welcomes you and provides a concise description of what this company offers.

Keywords: Služby pre skúšobné laboratóriá v stavebníctve, Organizácia a vyhodnocovanie experimentov zhodnosti pre skúšobné laboratóriá, Technické merania, analýzy a posudky v oblasti kvality a statiky stavieb.

 

Adobe’s Invasive Software

Posted on by Robert Starsi

I just removed the following LaunchAgents & Daemons from my Snow Leopard:

  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist
  • /Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist
  • /Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist

Best to move to some other directory, just in case you need them later for some reason. Photoshop works fine.

So the point is, why can’t Adobe just ask on install:

  • Do you want automatic updates enabled?
  • Do you want an application to bridge Adobe AIR and CS products running all the time?

No, I don’t. When I want to update, I press a button. Every service running on the machine is added security risk and it consumes resources.

Some useful command line tools

Posted on by Robert Starsi

It’s about time I got myself familiar with some of the core UNIX command line tools. No matter how good the GUI applications look like and work, when using command line alternatives the stuff gets done faster and it’s less prone to error.

I am talking here especially about FTPing stuff around. I’ve using Cyberduck so far but there were some bugs in the recent release and I’ve also read about the comparison of speed vs command line tools. It’s slower.

So I’ve learned to use rsync and lftp. It’s pure awesomeness. I can’t imagine going back to dragging files around in the GUI.

Also I’ve learned some basic Vim usage. It’s the fastest way to do quick .htaccess edits, or turning on/off CakePHP debug mode on the server and similar stuff. I realize some programmers use it full time for their work, but to go there Textmate shouldn’t have to exist.

Setting up Access Point for my Wi-fi network

Posted on by Robert Starsi

Today I’ve finally learned how to “bridge” two routers. One connecting to the internet trough ADSL and the second one providing Wi-fi on the other end of house, connected to the first one trough LAN. It’s pretty simple actually, yet without a guide I wouldn’t have done it – meaning either I am extremely stupid with computers!? – or the networking technology is not made for reasonably intelligent human beings.

So here’s a cool guide for setting up an AP (Access Point) using a router.