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I'm working feverishly over the holidays to get my project, Bibdex, running on production legs. It's an online bibliography service meant for collecting and sha
by sunir 17y ago
I'm working feverishly over the holidays to get my project, Bibdex, running on production legs. It's an online bibliography service meant for collecting and sharing references and notes.
http://www.bibdex.com http://www.bibdex.com
One of my personal goals for the project is to spend absolutely no money on it except for servers, domains, lawyers, and accountants. While seemingly insane, I wanted to do this project to learn the full 360 degrees of how to create and launch a web product so it could help me in my day career. No better way to learn than to just dive right in and do it yourself, eh? It's a slower process, but rewarding. (Also, I'm cheap.)
Here's an example of why it's valuable. Over the last year, I got pretty far except for the logo, which used to look like I drew it in MS Paint. In fact, the old one is still here: http://bibdex.com/images/logo.png http://bibdex.com/images/logo.png . I was hunting around on BrandStack (http://www.brandstack.com http://www.brandstack.com) and LogoPond (http://www.logopond.com http://www.logopond.com) and contemplating spending up to $1000 on a logo designer when I realized a common theme to all the logos I liked.
1. They all looked good in black and white because they were simple geometric forms.
2. They only had two elements that played off each other.
If you go through those two logo sites, you'll see what I mean. Complicated logos are worse. Logos by their nature are small, short attention span, high impact communication forms. Keep it simple and deliver the message through some tension.
I decided I'd try my hand at it, so after a few hours of sketches, I loaded up Paint Shop Pro (yes, PSP. I mentioned I'm cheap, right?) and drew the new logo myself. The constraints of simple geometric forms and limiting it to two concepts led to something I'm happy with: a book that is also a rocketship to demonstrate 'bibliographies in action'. Even if I ultimately find it an unsatisfying implementation, I like the core idea and can later hire a designer to redraw it.
So, what did you do this weekend?
- skip 17y agoThis is actually not a bad idea. I've graduated now, but I would always start taking notes on each reference at the end of my paper. So it's definitely fulfilling a need. But I wish there was a lower threshold of participation--couldn't I sign up for an anonymous account, and then attach my name to it once I decide that it's useful for me? Also, Inkscape and GIMP are free, and just as powerful as the Adobe suite, especially for making more basic stuff like icons or logos. Perhaps if you are into photo manipulation or use Fireworks for web design there is some benefit to getting the Adobe stuff.
- sunir 17y agoThanks for the vote of confidence! After months working quietly, it is very relieving to hear someone else understands what I'm trying to do. A few answers regarding anonymity: You can create an account and your personal bibliography remains private. What I haven't done yet is implement privacy controls on your profile, but that is certainly in the cards. Currently, you can post anonymously to public spaces (i.e. without an account). I'll see how that goes. To be honest, it could completely suck because of spammers, griefers, trolls, flamers, etc. However, creating an account that can post anonymously but trackably is an interesting idea I'll roll over in my mind.
- csytan 17y agoThis could potentially save a lot time for TAs who have to summarize papers for their professors. It bothers me to no end that research publications are geared more towards gaining reputation (and funding) than sharing information. Best of luck!
- sunir 17y agoThanks!
- vorador 17y agoBy the way, I found a typo in your terms of service : 1. You must intentionally and maliciously disrupt the reasonable enjoyment of others using the Service. This is probably not what you wanted.
- sunir 17y agoHah. Well, that would help me go after the 4chan market. Thanks! Fixed.