Dec 31 2007
Software Tools You Need To Be Productive On The Web
Read: This is not a paid article.
I used to be an avid Internet surfer – chatting, reading articles, participating forums and clicking links after links throughout the endless Web. I just love the Internet, I just love the Web, and I could not picture out myself without this technology. Well, truth is, I still am an Internet savvy but now I am more technically challenged!
I just love the Internet, I just love the Web, and I could not picture out myself without this technology.
Unlike before that I only hooked myself to the information superhighway for recreation, now I develop websites, deal with codes and scripts, write blogs, blurbs, optimize web pages for search engines, and a lot more. I do all of them to express my thoughts and creative works for the Web. I thought before that utterances are useless but I figured out that someone somewhere can benefit fit them in a way.
If you are like me and you want to know how to be more creative, or if you believe you already are and you don’t have idea to improve your productivity, you might be interested to know the software tools I am using. These are not secret tools, so I believe you already heard or used them.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS3
I first got acquainted with Dreamweaver when it was still under Macromedia, in its fifth version. At first, it looked complicated to me especially because I was not fond of creating websites that time yet. However, sometime in my college, when we asked to create web pages I chose Dreamweaver (over FrontPage) because the GUI is easy to understand, easy to navigate, and has lots of features and documentation. Today, since I am a web developer, I use Dreamweaver to create and edit any web file. It lets your work done so fast. However, Dreamweaver’s in-built FTP functionality is rather slow for me, so I prefer and recommend using third-party FTP software like CuteFTP or CoreFTP. The latest version I have, the Dreamweaver CS3, is noticeably faster and easier to use than its predecessor. I don’t know what but it appears to me that Adobe did something Macromedia didn’t. Plus, it got tons of new features any web developer would enjoy to use.
Adobe Photoshop CS3
I have been using Photoshop since its ancient version six. Self-taught, and still not a Photoshop expert, I am happy that I am able to do some decent graphics for the Web using this software. See that header image above this web page? It’s done in Photoshop. I’ve seen guys who are adept of Photoshop and it was only that time I realized how powerful Photoshop can be. Latest Photoshop versions are now more sophisticated than ever, and it will require you to have decent amounts of memory and faster processor to be able play with it. Since professionals use it to create or edit commercial-grade images and design, why don’t you?
Adobe Flash CS3
No doubt, Flash is one of the most exciting things that Web world has. Its multimedia capabilities revolutionized the way web pages and graphics are presented on your browser. As you can see, flash animations, Flash websites, and Flash banners are highly common these days. And guess what – your favorite video websites like YouTube is powered by a Flash video player. You must have this software to be creative on the Web. It lets you express and boosts your graphics creativity and productivity to the fullest. With a powerful scripting engine Actionscript, it could create decent applications and games. If you want to be productivity, this is a must.
SWiSHmax
Swish is simpler and a perfect substitute to Flash. I use Swish to create Flash-based text effects (from its generous text effects gallery), quickly export them as SWF files and import them in Flash or video editing software like Sony Vegas for presentation advantage. I use Swish to improve the videos I make for YouTube and this website.
Sony Vegas 7
While most video professionals use Mac’s Final Cut Studio 2 or Adobe’s Premiere Pro to work on videos, personally I love using Sony Vegas. Its streamlined drag and drop interface makes non-linear video editing so fast. So, if you want to edit videos captured from your webcam, camcorders or mobile phones, you will definitely appreciate the strength and ease of Vegas. I just wish, however, that the future versions will have more sophisticated text effects so I would not need third-party solutions. Currently I am using Vegas 7 and it’s a shame for me because Vegas 8 is already released on the market (can’t wait to experience the new features). Once again, Sony successfully made a successful blow with Sony Vegas – at least to me. Truly, Sony is “like no other.”
Have you tried those programs I just mentioned above? Well, you should. Those tools will help you to become productive on the Web — you never know. The increased productivity I gained from using those software didn’t only satisfy my desire to express myself and contribute something to the expanding Web, but I also found a way to earn for a living as well.
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