Zenning!

Being in the field of IT (Computer Science), it’s necessary to keep pace with the changing landscape, otherwise you would end up rendering yourself obsolete. It’s no different with web development/programming: The landscape keeps changing, either on the user interface front or the browser side or the website back-end.

As of now, we are moving through the era of web application frameworks. That’s the landscape we are surrounded with. Plenty of frameworks have been built during these years broadly categorized under software frameworks, web application frameworks and JavaScript frameworks (or libraries), and plenty more are being developed.

So better learn one now, before you are rendered obsolete.

I am considering the following frameworks:

Read more about the most popular web frameworks that I am considering after the jump.

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David Ogilvy, regarded as the father of modern advertising, had something excellent to say to companies, and their bosses, about how to make a company, a company of giants:

The choice is obvious, but do we/companies/bosses make this obvious choice? I doubt it. No wonder most companies end up as those of dwarfs.

Ever wanted to have an “Add to Google” button like for your blog or website so that your visitors can easily subscribe to your RSS feed through Google Reader or Google homepage?

It’s actually quite simple. Simply head to Add to Google Button - Information for Publishers and follow the simple wizard: choose the type of content and button style, and provide your feed URL and generate the HTML code. Viola!

I just got mine! Go ahead, try out how it works by adding my feed to your Google .

Or get your own: Add to Google Button

Finally, there is a Firefox theme, which is not just pleasing to the eye with its subtle color theme but also, everything in the theme, every detail of Firefox has been worked upon with outstanding finesse.

The theme is called Silvermel. Here are two screenshots from the official site, showing Firefox and Thunderbird versions of the theme:

Looks great, no? The Silvermel theme fits perfectly on Firefox 3. Download it from here.

More screenshots after the jump …
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Today, I headed to Extreme Tracking to get a stats tracker for this blog of mine. Yes, I am one of those who can never have enough of stats; I want more!

I have been an Extreme Tracking user since almost a decade now (no I am not that old, I just started out young on the web).

But as I headed for registration, I got this message:

Unfortunately we closed down our sales in Pakistan.

Say what!?

Since when did that happen? And why would an online firm, that deals with tracking website stats and provides free tracking services, would block its ’sales’ in any country?

It’s obvious that they blocked me from registering by tracking my IP address. I thought about emailing them and asking why they have blocked users from Pakistan to register for an Extreme Tracker? But first, I wanted to register, and so I did … by using a proxy server.

Once I passed their ‘IP’ check and entered their registration page, look what I found:

Wow! Now here, they not only have given ‘Islamabad’ as a choice in city selection, but I was also able successfully signup by choosing ‘Islamabad’, without getting told that I am not allowed or something.

The question remains though that why have they blocked Pakistani users from getting a website tracker with them?

Is it because they are a Netherlands based firm (as seen from their given address in the first screenshot), and thus the cartoon controversy and the movie on Islam controversy, is playing a part here?

Aah … that’s probably it! Or am I just being paranoid?