If you want your website to stand out and be easily recognizable then you will need to consider a custom logo to go along with the unique domain name you have already registered. Once again there are multiple options for getting this done. There are numerous companies online who offer custom logos for a flat rate. These companies usually allow for a certain amount of revisions and offer a multitude of guarantees. I personally chose a different route so I can’t comment on this from personal experience, but I can tell you that I would be very uneasy trusting my information with a company I knew very little about.

It is quite possible that your web developer could design a custom logo and if he/she is comfortable doing so then that is likely the best path to take. However, programs like Adobe Illustrator are very complex and creating high quality vector illustrations is truly an art, as is creating websites, so it is easy to understand why a developer could be brilliant in html, php, mysql, etc… and not be a jedi master in illustration. I mentioned vector illustrations for a particular reason; if you’re planning ahead they are a must. Once again I am not an expert but vector images/illustrations can be blown to any size without losing image quality. This would be ideal for billboards, signs, etc… for the future marketing of your website. This is different from jpeg’s and gif’s because to increase the size of those images you actually have to zoom in, which is what causes the picture quality to diminish and what creates the digitizing effect you get.

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What Kind of Server? Linux, Windows, Shared, Dedicated, VPS?

After the WDA had been signed and the details had been thoroughly discussed the developer started work on photo shop comps of the website while I began a new journey; the quest for a server. Being so green when I started this project I actually thought you could successfully run a social network on a shared hosting plan. Well, in theory you could for a short time, but I wasn’t looking to run a website short term. I needed some room for growth and the last thing I wanted was a server to crash after launching.

Shared hosting plans are very affordable and for a small blog are ideal but when you are looking for high amounts of traffic the option isn’t even an option, it’s dedicated. Sadly enough even a dedicated machine won’t keep you online for long if you see rapid growth; at some point load balanced servers will be a necessity. This was probably the biggest jaw dropper for me; how can I afford $200 – $500 a month on a server? Actually the better question is how could I afford not to? Read the rest of this entry »

Legal Concerns – A Summary

I’m going to take a couple of steps backwards to explain a certain necessary evil. With websites and social networks in particular there are a lot of legal issues that should be addressed. When I say necessary evil what I really mean is attorneys. They have what you need and without them you’ll be lost. Sure, you could sign up for a website and steal their legal documents, alter them a bit, but then pose the risk for being sued for copyright infringement. This isn’t the only legal risk websites create for their owners; there are countless others.

Before you even think about starting work on the project you need to have access to two very important documents. The first is known as an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) which needs to be signed by anyone you decide to discuss the details of your idea with. Read the rest of this entry »

After quickly realizing this website was far beyond anything I could do with any kind of html editors, I started requesting quotes from multiple web design firms online by providing a generic description of what I was hoping to achieve. The results were mind blowing, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 with the sky being the limit. This was almost a dream crusher for me but due to the recommendation from one of the firms I emailed I began looking into to pre-made scripts; an example would be phpfox.

Before I go into my hypothesis on scripts I feel it is important to offer a bit of advice. This may seem like a bit of common sense, and really it is, but it could be overlooked: Protect yourself and your intellectual property. Read the rest of this entry »

Introduction and Registering the Domain Name

So you have a great idea for a social network and a great domain name to go with it? If you are new to the wonderful world of the web you might be inclined to think that registering the domain name is half of the battle. It is true that the name of the website is very important and registering it before someone else does will almost guarantee you the ability to use it, assuming you register it with a credible registrar. A great idea can move mountains but without fully bringing that idea to life it is nothing more than a shiny trophy in one’s mind.

I am writing this collage of articles for those who have manifested that great idea for a website, whether it’s a social network or some other complex website. I am currently in the middle of preparing to launch a website which was derived from a clever idea that came out of thin air in the middle of 2006. One of the Read the rest of this entry »

Where did the name Jealous Brother come from?I am the youngest of three children with a brother and sister. My brother and I have always been competitive but in more recent years we both became homeowners and our competitive nature has sky rocketed since then. Most notably we began competing over lawn mowers; I received an old riding mower from my mother-in-law and was sure to rub it in my brother’s face that I no longer had to push mow my grass. He then purchased a more powerful riding mower than mine and the cycle continued. The name JealousBrother.com surfaced as I was leaving my brother a boasting message on his voice mail. I jokingly said, “I posted new pictures of my mower on jealousbrother.com you can check out.” It wasn’t until several relatives asked if it was really a website that I realized it could be a good idea.

The JealousBrother Logo was Loosley Designed from this Picture.