Daniel J. Lewis, Author at Daniel J. Lewis

Why I love Dropbox

April 15, 2012 by Daniel J. Lewis 1 Comment

Not many tools can say they have saved my projects from being completely lost. Dropbox can.

Dropbox is a free service that allows you to synchronize or share files and folders between multiple computers and devices. But even with just one computer, Dropbox offers a version history feature that has saved my skin several times.

What you get for free

When you join Dropbox, you start out with 2 GB of online storage. You can use this however you want: images, videos, documents, projects. You can even have public and private folders.

If others join through your unique referral code, you get an extra 500 MB of space per person, up to 16 GB total of free space!

Dropbox has saved my projects from the abyss

Web design is a tricky thing sometimes. I'll write and rewrite code. And somewhere along the way, I accidentally save something I didn't want, or I need to go back to a previous version. That's when Dropbox has saved me.

I keep all of my working projects in Dropbox. As soon as I save a file, it is immediately synchronized with Dropbox's servers, and previous versions are archived, too. So if I mess up, I can easily download a previous version.

This is all free and amazing, but Dropbox also offers paid plans for larger storage needs.

I highly recommend Dropbox for anyone who needs version history, or easy file backup and synchronization. Even though I also have online backup, Dropbox adds an extra, immediate layer of protection.

If you join Dropbox for free, please use my referral link.

Please tell me in the comments how you use Dropbox. Has it saved your skin before, too?

10 pros and cons of freelancing: gas and toilet paper

April 10, 2012 by Daniel J. Lewis 1 Comment

I resigned from my full-time job in late-June, 2011. I've been a freelance web designer ever since then.

Freelancing has some wonderful and somewhat surprising benefits. But it has also revealed some quite unexpected disadvantages.

10 freelancing benefits

Far less driving, thus less spent on gasoline.
Work breaks now offer a pool for relaxation (seasonal).
I can listen to whatever I want without wearing headphones.
Nerf guns are allowed.
No germ-infested lifeforms (AKA “coworkers) to get me sick. (I haven't caught a cold in almost a year!)
I can control the lighting and temperature.
Standard work attire is whatever I feel like wearing—or not wearing (but I do prefer to remain clothed while working).
No one else is in the restroom with me, so that means no other toilet phone calls.
Cooking fish is now acceptable.
Far less shaving cream and and styling product necessary—I can go days without fixing my hair.

10 freelancing disadvantages

It's too easy to sleep in without there being corporate punishment.
We use a lot more toilet paper now.
There's no one else to bring in free food (often called “potlocks”).
No one on whom to play office pranks.
I don't see daylight much.
It doesn't pay to stay in bed all day, drink hot tea, and watch TV shows (AKA “sick time”).
There aren't any people sitting around for occasional geeking out.
My business casual attire now requires dusting.
Fresh rain means I have to mow the grass before launching a website.
No free food.

Yes, I bought the new iPad

March 18, 2012 by Daniel J. Lewis Leave a Comment

It was always my goal for my freelance web design business to be profitable enough so that I could buy a new iPad when they we available. Business is going well, but not that well.

So why did I buy an iPad (that I happen to be using right now to write this post)? Let me take you back to November, last year. I'm an avid reader of several blogs about Google's Android operating system for smartphones, because I have an Android-powered HTC ThunderBolt. One blog hosted a contest for a Kindle Fire. I won.

But after several months, I never received my prize. Other prize-winners had receive their even-bigger prize packages, but I and couple others were still waiting for the UPS truck to bring our token of happiness. It never came.

Then they finally emailed and offered an Amazon.com giftcard in place of the Kindle Fire. I gladly accepted and promptly received a $300 giftcard for a $200 Kindle Fire. The extra was to make up for being late and help me enjoy my new tablet.

With some quick bouncing around, I decided to put the $300 toward what I actually needed more than the Kindle Fire I wanted. That's right; the iPad is a need more than a want.

I went to Walmart about fifteen minutes before midnight to wait in a long long of nobody for the new iPad. They ended up not having the 64 GB that I wanted, so I later returned what I did buy. Instead, I bought the model I wanted from Target and saved 5% by signing up for their Target Red Card.

I've already put the iPad to work testing responsive web design, mobile-friendly live multimedia, and chat room capabilities. It's proving a very valuable tool.

But it's also a distraction (I'm DanielJLewis on GameCenter!).