I’m not a computer programmer or web site designer. I know nothing about HTML. And in the past few months, I’ve built three web site/blogs.
Yes, yes, I know. What was I thinking? Let’s just say I needed them fast (and cheap). And because I like to think I’m intelligent and capable of learning anything, I saw no problem with attempting to do this myself.
To say that these undertakings were stressful would be a comical understatement. Though, my daughter and husband found nothing funny about some of my subsequent black moods. The dogs even ran for cover after one blasphemous outburst when I’d lost several hours of work for no apparent reason. The whole thing just went poof.
Let me be perfectly plain. Building web sites without a basic understanding of HTML is maddening! I can use a polite work like “maddening” now, because the pain of those dark days has receded.
And because I’ve found an internet Good Samaritan: Jason Edelman of Fix My Site. Jason helps people like you and me figure out how to correct problems we run into with our sites. And he does it for free. Yes, you read that right–for free! Why? Here’s what Jason says: “I design and develop professional valid sites for a living. This is my personal attempt to save the internet one webmaster at a time.”
The tagline of his site pretty much tells it all: “Does your site suck? Do you need professional advice? Do you not want to pay for this advice? Send me an email, and I’ll take a look at your site and provide you with some real suggestions. By real, I mean real.”
Jason gave me real solutions; he solved my problem within a couple of prompt emails. And he didn’t talk down to me, make me feel like an idiot, or get impatient with me. He just gave me real help, extended with real kindness.
Jason may think he’s helping for free, but if he receives even one/one thousandths of the deep thanks and positive thoughts sent to him by people like me, he’s gotta be nearly levitating from all that good will he’s garnered.
So, for those of you who have to deal with updating your own site, it would be worth your while to check out Jason’s site even if you don’t need help right now. Because it’s chock-full of helpful information. And because Jason’s a good guy, and if I can help drive his blog up the ranks by sending people to his site, it’s a tangible way of giving thanks. Thanks Jason.
aw, shucks.
i think i’m going to have to email this to my mother, since this is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever written about me, and she’ll kvell for hours.
and as always, helping was my pleasure.
You should send it to your mom. She should get to hear that other people think she has a great son too!
hehe Jason,
right this sounds really different from several reviews you did on your Blog site, you’re a hero ;)
But I think Karen is right, you spend a lot of your time to check and review others websites or while helping other people and this is special. Keep going!
LOL. Okay, so when Jason is doing a review of someone’s web site (again, for free) on Fix My Site, he plays the role of a truth-teller of the no-holds-barred variety. But people who submit their sites for review should have a pretty good idea of what they’re getting themselves into, if they’ve actually looked at Jason’s site. It’s not like he’s blind-siding anybody. How he is, is there for everyone to see.
But when someone asks him for help by email (or at least when I asked him for help), that’s exactly what they get–help.
I appreciate Jason because he doesn’t couch his email help in disdain for the little people who aren’t programmers or designers. I’ve had that experience with other people, and it’s beyond insulting. Jason treated me with respect as an equal–just an equal who didn’t know html. So Jason is always going to get my two thumbs up!