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So I'm working on a project where I want to show a formatted join date on a user profile page.  The join date, of course, is stored in a MySQL database using the datetime column type.  I know you can use the MySQL built in function DATE_FORMAT, but I wanted to be able to do this right in my PHP rather than in a query.

So here's an easy, one-line bit of code to give you a date in any format you choose using your datetime value from your database result:

Is this helpful for you?  Am I trying to roll a square wheel here and you know a better way?  Comment and let me know!

Tags: php, mysql, datetime, pretty dates

I would bet solid money that most all freelance designers go through (or are currently going through) the "underpricing" dilemma.  At the time - generally when you don't have any work - it can seem like a grand idea.  Yet, once reality decides to invade the situation, you find yourself like most 9-5'ers... overworked and underpaid.

Steven Snell has a great article on The Costs of Under Pricing Your Design Services.  It's short enough for a quick read while touching on some crucial points when it comes to the costs of underpricing.

Tags: freelancing, freelancer tips, freelance tips

As you may know, I've been doing some reading on mobile web design.  Some of you may ask... Why?  Just get a WordPress plug-in or direct your site to Mowser, you say.

What I have learned through my time researching mobile web design is that the mobile web is not about bringing the desktop experience to the mobile user.  It's about creating a mobile experience all on its own.

Sure for some sites "miniaturizing" the site will do just fine.  However, if you have content that is valuable to users on the go, creating an actual mobile experience for them could prove to be a key feature that separates your website from others.

Ask yourself, "What are users who access my site on the go looking to do?"

Creating a mobile web experience is still all about the user.  However, we're not talking high-speed internet with 22" widescreen displays.  Unless you plan on only targetting iPhone or Blackberry users, you'll need to understand that at times you may have 128px of screen real estate!

There are both benefits and risks when you choose to create mobile-optimized content.

By optimizing your content for mobile devices, you may deny access to certain content based on what you think about your users and what type of content they want to, or can, view.  There's also the case that you may need to maintain two sets of files, one for desktop and one for mobile.

On the other hand, many mobile users pay according to the amount of data downloaded.  A stripped down, mobile optimized version of your site will be leaner and download quickly.  This not only saves time in presentation, it saves the end user money by limiting the files necessary to download.

On that note... do you use the mobile web for a rich visual experience?

You may look at a picture or view a video, but when a user goes to a site via a mobile device, do you think there main concern is what it looks like?

Real Estate, Culinary, Shopping, etc, etc, etc.  The list goes on and on with the industries that could capitalize on creating a mobile web experience for their users.

Do you need to focus on creating a mobile web experience?  Maybe not.

But if you are, or are aspiring to be, a web designer/developer (as I'm sure many who read here are) then I'm sure you will have a client that could benefit from the mobile web experience.

As in all facets of life the question is, "What sets you apart from the rest?"  At this point in time, a properly thought out and implemented mobile web experience can do just that.

Tags: mobileweb design, mobile web, mobile web experience