Getting Mod-Rewrite working on your EC2
Mod rewrite is essential to any site, and it especially helps SEO. Here is how to set it up on Ubuntu.
code monkey • developer • designer
web • flash • mobile • iphone
My Work
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TotFudge
Type: WordPress Site
Totfudge is an online boutique specializing in modern baby & kids stationery with an emphasis on personality. The end user has the ability to choose different cards, upload their child’s photo to the server, and crop the photo to fit in the space. Once the image has been properly placed, they can update the content of the card, and purchase it.
Built on WordPress, I developed this custom shopping cart plugin to primarily functions within the DOM. This helps the performance of the cart and the overall experience the user goes through when purchasing.
The system was setup so the client, would not need to manage any of the orders. Therefore, on the backend, once the cards have been purchased, the system builds a PDF and sends it to a printer along with the order. The printer then prints, and ships it to the user, and then updates the system with tracking numbers, and ship dates.
Languages: PHP • MySQL • CSS3 • HTML5 • JQuery • Wordpress • AWS
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PickSix
Type: iPhone App
The Pick-Six app is an iPhone app that was developed for Love the Action, LLC. The is a promotional game app, that allows a business to setup a promotion, or “league” as we call it, over a certain period of time. The user will add these leagues to their account and then participate in each. Each day 6 games are downloaded to their league and they have to choose who wins or loses based on the pointspread. If they get all six games correct, they are entered into the contest to win the grand prize.
The App itself was written in Objective-C in Apple’s XCode. The app communicates through to a server through an API that was also developed. GET requests are made by the app while the API, created in PHP, passes back JSON strings, with the appropriate information.
Languages: Objective-C • JSON • PHP • MySQL
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SquarePool
Type: iPad App
The SquarePool App is an app is another app that was developer for Love the Action, LLC. This app allows businesses to run SquarePool promotions on loaction. A SquarePool is a board made up of 100 squares. Once the board has filled up and is locked out, the numbers 0-9 appear in a random order, at the top and left of screen. These numbers represent the last digit of the score for the home and away team. If the score is 14-7, then follow the 4 and 7 for the appropriate teams and you’ll find your winner.
Users can follow using the Web App, Mobile App, or even on Facebook. Businesses can setup games within their establishment, in only a few minutes, and multiple iPad’s can be used to add Squares to the board at the same time.
The App itself was written in Objective-C in Apple’s XCode. The App communicates through to a server through an API that was also developed. GET requests are made by the app while the API, created in PHP, passes back JSON strings, with the appropriate information.
Languages: Objective-C • JSON • PHP • MySQL
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Barstool Sports
Type: WordPress Site
Although Barstool Sports is “simply” a WordPress site, it’s a large, high traffic, WordPress site. Barstool pulls in close to 50 Million page views a month, is load balanced over 10 servers, has an ad server, as well as, a database server. It utilizes a Varnish caching system, and a content delivery network. And everyday, we add more to it and it grows.
Along with the design and the front-end development of the site, I have created several custom plugins using PHP, that add a lot of unique functionality.
The main site is an aggregator for all of the other “city sites” that have been launched.
Barstool U is a site that is completely on it’s own and is also being pulled into the aggregated main site through the WordPress system.
Languages: PHP • MySQL • CSS • Javascript • JQuery • Wordpress • Multiple Custom Plugins
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Visual Tweets
Type: Web App
Visual Tweets is a small web app that accesses the Twitter API and allows you to filter out tweets using a specific keyword. You have the ability to moderate the tweets that are displayed through the intuitive user interface, and you can display them in full screen on a TV, computer, or by using a projector.
Visual Tweets was the result of a challenge I posed for myself one weekend, when my girlfriend was sick, and I was stuck in the house taking care of her. The challenge was to see if I could actually build this app by Monday morning. I forbid myself from using flash, and instead focused on utilizing JQuery and CSS3.
Languages: PHP • MySQL • CSS • Javascript • JQuery • Twitter API
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Love the Action
Type: Web App
Love the Action is a web app that allows users to setup different types of pools and promotions. The basic user can win prizes, and set up their own pools to raise money for fundraisers and charities. That’s right dads, no more selling gift wrap at Christmas. It also allows businesses to promote products and gain exposure, in a fun and entertaining way, based around sports.
Love the Action is one of my personal sites…my playground…my everything. This is a full custom application utilizing a Framework that I developed. It is hosted in the Amazon Cloud, and is under full source control, has it’s own API that multiple iPhone, iPad, and Facebook Apps utilize.
It’s huge, it’s fun, and I love it.
Languages: PHP • MySQL • HTML5 • CSS3 • Javascript • JQuery • SVN • AWS • JSON • Custom
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TotFudge
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PickSix
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SquarePool
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Barstool Sports
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Visual Tweets
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Love the Action
Services
Consulting
For years I have said I breathe, eat, drink, and dream in code. I like to talk about design, development, mobile, servers, technology, and social media. I believe in sharing this knowledge by identifying the opportunities that the internet can provide for any type of business, whether it be large or small.
Barstool Sports (www.barstoolsports.com): I have successfully tackled architecting the server environment, design, and development of large scale sites with excess of over 50 Million page hits a month.
Web Design and Development
With over 10 years of self taught development experience and a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, my goal is to create a enhanced user experience through simplicity and useability, while maintaining a visual uniqueness that stands out.
Technology is meant to improve efficiency by making things less repetitive. While I support open standards, tools and services that simplify processes and automate tasks, I am not afraid to come up with custom solutions that fit the needs of what I am working on.
Mobile Web Design and Development
With mobile phone sales surpassing computer sales this year, and growing at an exponential rate, the mobile web market is no longer a luxury but a necessity. I aim to create an even better user experience while developing fast, enriching, mobile applications for users on all mobile platforms.
iPhone and iPad Design and Development
With the introduction of the App Store and my never ending need to learn new languages, I took it upon myself to begin developing Apps for the iPhone and iPad, that worked seamlessly, with the Web applications I had developed up to that point. Now, with several under my belt, I can easily say that I have seamlessly integrate native mobile apps experience with the complexities of the web.
About
I came out of Endicott College in 2001 holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communications. After graduation, I quickly began pounding the pavement of Boston and its suburbs for a graphic design job opportunity. However, due to the abundance of unemployed designers with years of experience that had fallen victim to the Web 1.0 bubble burst and the plethora of eager graduates also out searching, I settled for a sales position at one of Apple’s retail stores to pay the bills as life in the “real world” began.
While quickly learning everything I could about Apple, I began teaching myself back-end web development and database management. This led to front end design and dynamic web based applications. Language after language was added to my arsenal and my skills became vast. My portfolio includes a number of websites, blogs, shopping carts, small social networks, Facebook applications, computer based training programs, mobile apps, and native iPhone, iPad, and Android apps.
Currently, I live, breathe, and dream writing code and consider myself lucky to work in a field that is truly more like a hobby. When I finally pull myself out of my desk chair, I usually fall into a bar stool somewhere in Boston, enjoying a pint, watching the game, and hopefully caught up in a good conversation which will lead to that next big project or idea.
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Contact Me
Ready to talk? Email’s the best way to get a hold of me and I’d love to talk to you! Just fill out my fancy form and I’ll email you as soon as possible.
me[at]designmenace[dot]com
703.879.1929
@sublet
http://about.me/sublet