Mr. Bob’s Weblog

I’ve finally moved forward with developing a new website for testimonies and glorifying my Father. Here it is.

The site’s niche is for believers in Christ who need help putting off the “old man”, moving forward in the “new man,” living to the max (YHWH-max that is), and other related things. There also will be a section for sharing Christ with those who haven’t found Him.

If you have anything you’d like to share, please email me.

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. - Jeremiah 9:24 (KJV)

I’m usually not one to write a negative post (or at least try), but I’ve been itching to write it.

So now that I’ve reduced my work schedule and started to set up my freelance web design business, I’ve been looking for work. It’s really cool that I’ve been given the opportunity to have the freedom of working freelance. I can adjust my schedule (within reason), plan vacations, and give myself a raise occasionally.

The slight disadvantage of this, however, is that I have to be actively looking for clients. I have to work for work. However, this gives me an oppportunity to trust my Father more and more for my needs.

Anyway, the point I’m trying to make here is that I have to look for work. So far I have two primary ways to find more business:

• Find work with local businesses and organizations, and get word-of-mouth refferals from those clients

or

• Using sites on the web, namely GetaFreelancer

When I signed up for GetaFreelancer, I thought I would be able to find so much work, I’d be fine. However, what I found was not unlike a day labor site for web designers.

First, many of the projects are riduclously underbudgeted. For example, one buyer wanted a “web 2.0 site” for $30-100. Also, I saw one project from a buyer in Alabama that preffered suppliers who worked “under $5 hour.” How do these people expect us to live?

Because of these underbudgeted projects, there are many providers who aren’t that good. Some providers’ portfolios were impressing. Unfourtunately, however, most of the providers on GetaFreelancer make lousy websites, whether it’s lack of skill or experience, or a lack of care. I believe the lack of care bugs me the most. Many of the projects bids are autoposts from people too darned lazy to read through the projects. There are other things too, but I’m not in the mood to write them. I decided to do this not because I think I’m the best, but to work towards that goal. I want to improve everyday in my skill, service to clients, salesmanship, and trust in God. In order for me to do that, I have to look towards the best. I can’t hang around providers whose business model is “sell’em cheap.”

Despite all that, however, maybe the one thing that’s really bugging me is that I haven’t landed a single job online. Any fruitful job opportunity has come from local people whom I met face-to-face. So far, that seems to be the best way to find clients. Working with local clients, making sure they are satisfied, and getting referrals (or more business) from that client. It not only works well, it gives a greater satisfaction, too.

Day labor sucks.

While embedding Google Maps into a website I’m working on, I found it caused a scripting error in IE:

Object doesn't support property or method: Line: blah Char: blah


Eventually I found the problem. Apparently IE needs variables to be called in JavaScript. You know, with the actual “var” operator/statement (It’s 2007. Who does that anymore?).

So I’ll have to remember that.

If you haven’t noticed the very cool subdomain, I have a new web host: Media Temple (mt). I’ve heard good things about them, and so far they’ve been great!

Also, in unrelated news, I’ve reduced my schedule at my retail job to one day a week. I’m going for freelance web design/development (which explains the host change) and a full-time college workload again (Yay!) After almost a year of working full (or near full) time in retail, my Father has opened new doors! Will it be hard? Sure, but I know I have someone–The One (and His son )–in me.

So I’ll keep praising God (while searching for clients)!

If you haven’t (or have) noticed, the website has been down for about two weeks. The web server imploded, along with the web host’s primary and secondary backups.

Fourtunately, I had a backup a few months back. Un fortunately, however, my later posts and finished Freedom page were lost. What shall I do? Write them again.

Jeremiah 36:23, 27-28 (NIV)

When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and (AS)threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.

. . .

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll and the words which (AZ)Baruch had written at the dictation of Jeremiah, saying, “Take again another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned.”