The Digital Buzz at Stormfront Productions

2010 Unseen City Tour

2010-03-16T15:45:51Z

Come check out Stormfront Production's historic building in Lafayette's 2010 Unseen City Tour. We are excited to share the history of our office as it dates back to 1860. Highlights will include building history, historic photos and our open air courtyard with original doors to the Pearlman and City News buildings. It's a can't miss event! For more details please read below.

The 2010 Unseen City Tour will be on Tuesday, May 18th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. The price will be $5.00. The tour will start at Riehle Plaza and explore 10-12 different sites, all within walking distance, mainly along 3rd and 4th streets. There will be interesting lofts and hidden gardens to view, some new sites in re-vamped buildings, and the courthouse; a favorite from past tours! As usual, there will be great history to learn about our hidden gems in downtown Lafayette! We are looking for great weather and energetic visitors, so put on your walking shoes and bring a friend! Advance tickets will be available for $5.00 at the Northside Music Co., Kathi's Kandis, Main Street Wine and Cheese, Von's Bookstore and at Interior Objects in Market Square. The contact number is 420-0268 at Wabash Valley Trust. Come out and see what is "Unseen" in Lafayette.

YouTube Turns 5, Begins Testing HTML5

2010-02-22T20:29:50Z

When you hear something is turning 5, most people immediately think of buying Barbie dolls or action figures. However, when something like YouTube turns five, it brings a whole slew of new changes to the table.

In a wonderfully smart, albeit sneaky, way to get more users to start using Chrome, Google, who is the owner of YouTube after a 1.65 billion dollar purchase, has begun testing for HTML5 video format. IE browsers do not support this format, making sure that if YouTube stops using Flash, you would theoretically have to switch to Chrome to watch those adorable kitten videos. Some notable changes that Google has already made to YouTube include the wonderful embedded ads on top of every single video that you watch. As an avid YouTube user, the track record makes me wonder, "Do they really want me to have a good video experience? Or are they just trying to make more money Gordon Gekko style?" In my opinion, its most likely the latter.

In the short history of YouTube, it has almost crashed the internet. Twice. Proving too much for unprepared hosts, the sheer amount of data that YouTube sends is unreal. YouTube is comparable in volume of hits only to the Google search engine, Facebook, and Wikipedia. All of which only give you still images or texts. Not streaming video.

YouTube is essentially walking a slippery slope. They are putting much faith in the fact that most internet users love kitten videos so much that until Microsoft or Mozilla create patches to support HTML5 video, the users will switch to Chrome, have an epiphany, and only use Chrome for the rest of their kitten video watching lives.

A Dose of Wisdom From Your Lovable Web Design Nerds

2010-02-02T18:21:07Z

Some people may say that Google's push for users of its applications, such as Gmail, to stop using IE6 is a way for Google to promote Chrome. I see it differently. After working at an online media consulting business like Stormfront, it's obvious that IE6 has been obsolete for quite a while. Introduced in 2001, and mind you, Microsoft is now on IE8, IE6 requires upkeep on our end. Designers and programmers of our sites often get calls that the site they had just built "doesn't work" or "doesn't look right."

Aside from not working with many websites, IE6 has major security issues. According to Wikipedia (hey, it's how I got through college), "As of January 10, 2009, security advisory site Secunia reports 142 vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 6, 22 of which are unpatched, some of which are rated moderately critical in severity." My question to you, why would you want to work with anything that has THAT many vulnerabilities? The way IE6 works is like locking your house, but giving a cat burglar the key too. It operates on the access level of the user, not the lowest access level like some later browsers. This means that if you are the computer administrator, malware has the same level of access. You can fix this by adjusting your settings, but it is not by default, and many users don't know about it.

Instead of making a lengthy rebuild that is compatible with IE6, consumers of websites should just upgrade! If you enjoy what Internet Explorer has to offer, stick with it, but upgrade to IE7 or IE8. If you never liked Internet Explorer, try Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Firefox is freeware that can be easily customized with downloadable add-ons to suit your own tastes and browsing styles. Google Chrome is also freeware. It's all about the user these days. Choose what browser suits your needs. But for us, the lovable nerds who build your websites, recommend that you please stop using IE6.

Interview with Your Email: Job Interview Considerations for Your Contact Information

2010-01-12T14:40:20Z

When most people go to a job interview, they take care to make sure that their clothes are clean, their clothes match, and that their hair doesn't look like they spent the summer in the wilderness with Bear Grylls. They make sure their resume is immaculate with no grammatical errors. But what about their contact information? A new kind of elitism concerning what comes before and after the '@' sign of your email is one of the newest things that needs to be thought of when it comes to a professional environment. What does your email address say about you? I switched my personal email to Gmail as soon as the beta testing was finished from an email address hosted by CBGB, the now defunct punk rock club in New York City. It's very difficult for me to remember what life was like before Gmail, and my extremely unprofessional email. Would you want to hire someone with the handle "youngcrazedpeeling"? I think not.

Most people understand that handles like "BigManOnCampus" or "SuperQT7"should be changed to something like "jane.doe" or "jlsmith." What about what comes after the '@' sign? According to an article by the Chicago Tribune, even domains such as the once dominant AOL and Hotmail are looked down upon. Does it mean that you are so unprepared for the internet that you are still using dial-up? Or that you are pining for the 90s, and still spinning that Chumbawumba CD? Not necessarily. It all depends on where you are applying. Personally, I am glad to keep up with the times and use a sleeker, more dependable email domain. I've already signed up for Google Wave Beta, and life before Gmail is a memory that I have since forgotten.

It is so important for people to polish every aspect of themselves when pursuing any type of professional endeavor. Making the extra effort on a small thing such as an email address, which is a main channel for contact, makes a big difference between getting hired, getting an internship, and not living life as "SuperQT7."

A Year In Review At SFP

2009-12-31T14:43:53Z

Happy New Year! I can't believe we are coming to the end of another decade. This decade will always hold importance to me as I graduated college, got married and started our agency all in the last 10 years.

The last year has been particularly busy here at Stormfront Productions. It seemed just like yesterday we were getting moved into our new building at 424 Main Street. It's hard to imagine that was last year this time already.

We were fortunate to have a great 2009 here at Stormfront Productions. With the economy the way it is I did have to personally put in longer hours and try new things to keep growing our agency, but in the end we had a solid year. Many thanks to all our clients and supporters!

We were also once again lucky enough to reward our employees with a net profit sharing bonus. Stormfront employees shared a percentage-based bonus taken from this year's profit margin in addition to the yearly raises.

In 2009, we added additional full and part-time staff, saw increased revenues for a sixth straight year and expanded our physical facilities by more than 400%.

Most importantly, because we were in a good position, we were able to give back to the local community in 2009 more than ever. Stormfront Productions donated to several great causes in the area including the Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition at Purdue University, the Purdue Center for Cancer Research 5K Walk / Run, a local Cystic Fibrosis Community Drive and the Downtown Development Task Force Committee. Additionally, the agency provided over $20,000 in charitable work this year for non-profits, charities and good causes including the Shelter Plus Weed and Seed initiative, LafCal.com and the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra.

The staff and I would like to wish everybody a safe and happy New Year. Best of luck in 2010!

Google Books

2009-11-19T19:14:46Z

In an effort to become even cooler, Google has set out to become the largest online library. With the advent of the Sony Reader, and other mp3 player format book readers, books are becoming popular again. They never went out of style with this girl, however, whose mirror has a sticker on it that states boldly "I'd rather be reading."

By utilizing Flash player to 'turn' the pages, Google books gives a more realistic reading experience, rather than scrolling on a screen. The scans are high-quality, and look great. The fee is nominal, about $8-15 per book, which is about the price of a bookstore. Besides books, Google has scanned in old Magazines, such as Life. The speculation is that over 10 million books have been scanned, yet Google is reluctant to release this information due to publishers feeling they are stealing the material by scanning it without permission. Look forward to hearing lots of legal issues in the coming months having to do with Google books.

This blogger's opinion is that Google books is really interesting, but nothing it going to replace tangible literature at my house. For one, my hard drive crashes about every eight months, and I like the smell of books.However, if online reading suits you, or you are lucky enough to own an electronic book reader, check out Google Books for yourself at: http://books.google.com

Enter At Your Own Risk!

2009-10-29T21:12:20Z

It's that time of the year, my personal favorite, Halloween. Stormfront will be participating in Downtown Lafayette's Operation Trick-or-Treat event on Friday, October 30th from 6:00 - 8:00pm.

Keep an eye out for us on WLFI's 6:00 evening news for a live broadcast from our "haunted house" (well it's really a building.....but "haunted house" just sounds better). That's right kids, enter if you dare! We will be featuring a haunted house at our office along with lots of candy for the little ones. This year's theme will include an evil carnival, outdoor graveyard, a real-time lightning simulator, live actors and lots of spooks and surprises. It will be a fun time for the whole family but be warned not everything is just a prop! We hope you'll have a spooktacular time!

To find out more about the event please visit WLFI's site here. A big thanks goes out to Lights Alive for donating all of these great props.

LafCal: It's Your Town. Live It!

2009-10-13T15:00:28Z

LafCal is a new premier event service that serves downtown Lafayette, Indiana. Have you ever found yourself wondering what to do or what events you could attend? Wonder no more! LafCal places all downtown events in a centralized location, with easy to use searches by type of event, week, or month.

Not only is it easy for users, but easy for business owners as well. It allows proprietors to get the word out about their events in a way that fliers and word of mouth cannot. The best part is that the service is free to use!

You can't go wrong with LafCal! If your business falls into one of the three supported districts, sign up today!

Windows 7: The Newest Frontier, A Review

2009-10-06T13:55:40Z

Windows 7 is Microsoft's newest venture into the future of operating systems. It will be released to the public on October 22, 2009. Just three short years after the release of Windows Vista, the current default operating system for Microsoft, Windows 7 promises to elaborate on all of the features that were new with Vista. According to Microsoft itself, Windows 7 should replace Vista in our collective memory. With a price tag of $119 for the Home version, Microsoft is very hopeful for the release and replacement of Vista, primarily due to the announcement that Google will launch its first operating system, Google Chrome, sometime in 2010.

After taking the tour on the Microsoft website, and using Windows 7 myself, several new features that were showcased caught my attention, but I then realized that they were already included in Windows Vista. For example, Microsoft says, "Type a program into the Start Menu, such as calculator, and it immediately comes up." This feature is already in use in Vista! It's a little silly to feature things like this that are already in existence. Microsoft has taken some major artistic license to re-vamp the classic Windows Desktop by adding non-opaque menu bars, aka skins to the default desktop. A really cool feature is the way you can size desktop windows by placing the window on different areas of the desktop. For example, placing a window on the side of the desktop halves the window, whereas placing it on top of the screen shows the window full sized. Placing the mouse over the program, say your browser, shows screen captures of all open tabs. This is great when you have multiple tabs open!

You are able to use Media Player like a DVR, which can be useful if you do not already own a DVR connected to your TV. However, you must purchase the "Home Premium" version of the OS. I personally, would not like to sit in an uncomfortable office chair to watch television, but that is an individual preference. The really interesting feature is being able to send mp3s to supported speakers anywhere on your home network.

Our very own Michael Frick, Director of IT systems and all around smart guy noted, "The Windows 7 OS is so much more efficient than Vista. I would take it over Vista any day. The quickness of the system surpasses Vista because this OS uses less memory." What better reason to switch to Windows 7 than listening to the advice of Stormfront's elite? Aaron VanSchyndel, our creative director said, "Windows 7 is very easy to use once you learn the nuances, which should be easy for users switching from Vista or XP. Everything runs quicker, and its really a pleasure to use. I feel as if you can get more done because it works so rapidly."

Windows 7 gets a 'thumbs up' from us. It possesses unmatched efficiency in a PC operating system by allowing for quick information finding and well as the ability to get tasks completed in a proficient manner.

Presentation and First Impressions

2009-09-23T18:42:06Z

Presentation. It is one of the most important aspects of life that people usually don't think about. Presentation is synonymous with "First Impression" and to quote Will Rogers, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." First impressions are just as important in the work you put out as well as the presentation of your business. Here at Stormfront Productions, we put great effort into the presentation of our headquarters, which translates into the presentation of the work we put out.

We recently put in a new conference room on the 3rd floor to enhance our presentation in the office; and to keep Rob company up there in his tower. The sleek, modern design that is in the existing office space is very present in the new conference area. It is interesting to see the dichotomy of the brick from the 1800s coupled with pieces of the modern age, which is a theme for our entire building. Each floor has its own personality steeped in history and professionalism.

Arrange a meeting and come check it out! We are still centrally located in the heart of downtown Lafayette.

Dining With a Dash of SFP

2009-09-16T14:39:17Z

Last night, our local chamber of commerce had its annual dinner, "On a Positive Note...Sustaining Our Future". The night was great the event was put together very nicely featuring artwork from the LaLa Gallery & Studio, flowers by Rubia and McKinney's and rolls provided by the Great Harvest Bread Company.

This year's dinner featured a spotlight on anniversary companies and key award winners along with bridging music and art into a sustainable local economy theme. The keynote speaker was John Norberg, writer, author, humorist and chronicler of the human condition living in Lafayette. Mr. Norberg has been writing his weekly humor column for the Lafayette Journal and Courier since 1973.

Stormfront Productions had a glimpse of the spotlight being featured in a video production showcasing last year's small business of the month / year award winners. This great video was put together by Jay over at JP Video Productions. The video turned out great, and we had a blast shooting it.

We all would like to say a big thanks to JP Video Productions and Greater Lafayette Commerce for putting together such a great event. We're already looking forward to next year!

I Heart Google

2009-09-08T14:48:13Z

What's not to like about Google? Those witty animations on holidays and nerd holidays, the complete searches, the access to professional journal articles, the way you can walk around on a street from the comfort of your office chair, and the overall ease of use make me love Google.

According to an article from DailyFinance.com, Microsoft has begun avidly undertaking a 'Google-bashing' stance in Washington D.C. In the truest sense of the phrase "the pot calling the kettle black," Microsoft is trying to portray Google as a slick, corporate bad guy. I would guess this to be a back-handed way to promote Bing, Microsoft's new search engine that is billed as a 'decision engine.' (We all know this from those TV spots where two people are talking, and one of the people begins spamming the words that the other says.) Microsoft and Google are both large companies, and they need to realize that the world is big enough for both of them. What Microsoft lacks in search engine popularity, Google lacks in browser popularity. Why can't we all just get along?

Fred Humphries, Microsoft's chief lobbyist, says that Microsoft is trying to work with policymakers to show them the light about the Microsoft and Yahoo partnership to sway people to use Bing in place of Google. In case you didn't know, Microsoft's Bing runs Yahoo search these days. I personally cannot break out of my Google routine. First thing in the morning, I check my Gmail, which has all of my other email accounts linked to it, then read copious new stories in Google reader. If I need to find an article for one of my classes, Google Scholar is the choice for me.

I'm sorry Microsoft, I love Google as a search engine and will continue to be loyal.

Bridging Media and Oceans through Online Consulting

2009-08-26T18:18:08Z

Here at Stormfront Productions, we network and conference with clients all over the world. As we are a web / art based business, I think that most people wouldn't expect the scope of influence that we experience. Digital Art is in demand. As an artist, I believe that art fits into the adage of 'Those who can't create find someone else to do it.' It's very exhilarating to have someone who doesn't have the tools to express their vision, and finding myself making them very happy by bringing their vision to life on the web. Our purpose is to increase the flow of information for clients, while presenting it in a stylish and user friendly manner.

Most of the interaction with clients comes from forms of communication other than face to face meetings, (although Rob did just build a fantastic conference room on the third floor of the office). The popularity of teleconferencing and videoconferencing, once which was only possible in science fiction films, is a reality today. The quality of communication is second to none, and an entire company can converse with another company thousands of miles away! Its goes to show how technology has become so fine tuned that face to face interaction is growing obsolete for quick exchanges of information to entire meetings. It is a convenient and inexpensive way to communicate in the modern business world.

As you might already know, we strive for authenticity in the photos we choose for the Digital Buzz. The photo above is actually a map that is in the office, complete with pushpins representing all of the places our clients inhabit, including Ukraine, Pakistan, Israel, Mexico, the United Kingdom, as well as almost every major metro area in the United States.

Headquartered in Greater Lafayette, Indiana

2009-08-19T19:13:38Z

Stormfront Productions is headquartered in a small central Indiana city known as Lafayette, IN. We often get questions as to why. Well, ask no further.

West Lafayette and Lafayette sit in the beautiful Wabash Valley, one of the defining spots of Indiana culture. Greater Lafayette is the home of Purdue University, an integral part of the academic world as well as a venue to showcase collegiate athletic ability in a multitude of Big Ten sports including Purdue Football and Basketball.

It offers many great attractions and things to see and do in the travel and tourism area. For example, the Greater Lafayette area boasts great camping, shopping, a historic downtown, wineries, water parks, sporting events, golf, parks & recreation, and much more.

Set in a historic area steeped in the culture of which it was founded upon, the Greater Lafayette area is filled with many things to do year round. For the history buff, Fort Ouiatenon, the Feast of the Hunter's Moon, and the Tippecanoe Battlefield provide insight into the era that the Greater Lafayette era came to fruition in.

The Greater Lafayette area boasts a wealth of dining opportunities, both chain and family-owned restaurants, from fine dining to some of the best Americana food in the Midwest. The nightlife does not disappoint, with a variety of bars and nightclubs throughout the area to suit any individual taste. Local merchants and purveyors of custom wines and micro-brewed beers often partner with local businesses to display their wares.

Numerous festivals throughout the year including Layflats Art and Music festival, Taste of Tippecanoe, and the Uptown Jazz & Blues Festival punctuate the year with live music and local vendors in a relaxed environment that is fun for people of all ages.

We hope next time you find yourself driving through Indiana you will stop by and checkout our backyard!

IE6 Must Go

2009-08-11T14:19:52Z

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 must die. There, I said it. This has long been the stance of many web development professionals, but has recently been brought into the public spotlight. Websites like ie6nomore.com are gathering momentum due to the uprising of support from internet start-up companies like Weebly, Justin.tv, and many more.

The website provides a very brief case for why the IE 6 must be abandoned to encourage modernization throughout the web. This site is more than just a complaint; it's a solution: embed a line of code that will tell your website visitors still using IE6 to switch to a more modern browser.

"As any Web developer will tell you, working with IE 6 is one of the most difficult and frustrating things they have to deal with on a daily basis, taking up a disproportionate amount of their time," the web site says. "Beyond that, IE 6's support for modern Web standards is very lacking, restricting what developers can create and holding the Web back."

Now I'm not saying that everyone MUST upgrade now or face the repercussions of the collective web design world; I understand that some companies have built in internet applications that run on said browser. It is the rest of the world, the estimated 10 to 25 percent that is still using IE 6 for everyday web browsing that needs to get with the program. It's the mothers and grandmothers that are simply unaware of they are using an old browser (it wouldn't surprise me if I went home and found my own mother using it). Lastly it's the corporations whose IT departments are severely behind in the times. The more of their users that complain about seeing these messages, the more pressure the IT guys will have to upgrade to something more compatible such as Firefox, Chrome, or even IE8.

For web development companies such as us, it is especially frustrating when a user comes to a site and has a bad experience because of a browser that was designed 8 years ago. Imagine someone complaining to Blu-Ray that their movie was fuzzy only to find out they are watching it on a 2001 projection TV!! Ridiculous!

In order for the web to move forward, IE 6 must die.