Developing My Professional Web Site

I spent a lot of time developing this web site yesterday. The hardest part is configuring all the options, menus, taxonomies, and permissions to produce what I want. I managed to create a few pages of content, but there is a whole lot more to do.

Overall, I think I like Drupal. And yet there are a few procedures that need work. I floundered with Drupal 4, but version 5 changed a few UI aspects that clarified my tasks and the purposes of various components. Once I get the taxonomies and general site structure in place, this CMS should begin to pay off with quick edits and content authoring.

I am a little concerned about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as I haven't made URL rewriting work yet, so the page URLs are cryptic for users and unusable for most search engines.

I feel this effort is worth the time right now. I have had several job interviews where the employer asks for a portfolio, samples of my work, code snippets, etc. I might have been able to produce some, if they were already collected. But how would I collect old site designs, code samples from previous employment, or examples of previous projects? That is what this site is for. I am collecting what I can and I am enjoying the rediscovery of past experiences.

I also have a lot of personal interests that could benefit the world in some small ways, if I have a stable forum to arrange them in. The content is saved in folders strewn across backups and I intend to collect them all here. I will revise and catalog them here. This site will provide a window into my mind and I hope the benefits outweigh the risks.

Some of the benefits I hope to find are:

• increased visibility as a creative contributor
• inspiration and collaboration
• service to others
• greater motivation to persevere at worthwhile projects
• motivation to write and increase self-expression

I have dreamed of creating an expansive and capable web site for years, but I didn't have the time or experience to "do it right". Now is the time. I hope my visitors agree.

One of the reasons I took so long developing this site was a fear of compromising my privacy. I think I have proper security measures in place, and after years of internet development I have learned that some things are best left offline. However, I am an open, friendly person by nature, so I will include much goodness, protected as necessary (registered users will benefit).

First of all, I realize that my site's greatest weakness is the unknown threat, so I monitor the SANS security bulletin and other security news sources for urgent news about Drupal and my other supporting web technologies. I then apply patches as quickly as I can. My greatest concern is that my server host will not hold up their end and thus use, or delay patching, insecure software (overall, I am displeased with my server host, 1&1, but that's another story).

I also fear that malicious users will masquerade as friends or family, trying to gain my trust. So please be prepared for some extra verification requirements when you register. I review all registration requests and assign appropriate roles and permissions. As I fine tune permissions, there might be areas of the site that you feel you should be able to access. Please feel free ask about them.

This whole process is exciting to me and, I feel, a valuable form of self-expression which I have been craving since I first discovered the Internet in 1992 (yes, pre-World Wide Web).