Coffee Break #153

It’s been seven years now when I started making my first website using the Microsoft FrontPage. That was the software our professor was teaching us. It’s kind of funny because I used it for about two years before shifting to Dreamweaver thinking that FrontPage was the only software used by all web designers.

 

Day dreamin’

I remember the time during our computer class, I was (as always) day dreaming of having my own website with lots of information about life, news, food and everything.  I named it mamaru.com (But it’s not available when I checked it). Every time we have to make a report or a presentation of a certain topic, we have to make brochures, flyer, or any hand-outs for the listeners who can use them as their notes (we’re too lazy to use our pens that time).  I shouldered the flyer-making task in our group and started adding my dream domain name on each footer or on the back part which is the “Contact Us” (yes we know the contact form already that time). Our flyer usually comes in three folds. Sometimes in two, and sometimes in a half letter size if we’re on a rush.

They started asking us why we were adding fake domains on our flyer. My group mates looked at me and asked the same thing. I said, “I just want it. Don’t you think it’s cool?”. “It’s not, because it’s fake!” Later on, I realized they were actually visiting my dream site! That day, I searched about how I can make my own domain, a real website maybe, where I can upload all of our group’s files. Our professor told me that I can use www.dot.tk or www.webs.com (which is www.freewebs.com that day). I created an account and started uploading everything.

Meet-up with CSS

I had no idea on web design, especially the use of CSS. I just thought that they will be automatically added there or they’re already there once you finished typing your contents and uploaded it; I actually thought it will become a website right away. And I found out that it’s not. So, what I did was this: I explored Adobe Photoshop (version 7) a pirated one,  and started to edit some images; that later on turned into a daily habit. I totally forgot about my plan of using it for the design of my website. I came out with so many different Photoshopped images which are all gone after my computer broke, thanks to viruses. With many weeks of exploring the amazing software (amazing for me that time because I can only make cool texts out of MS Word), I discovered the slice tool. This tool reminded me of my purpose.

The next day, I continued designing my website. I came up with so many different sliced images. Sliced header, sliced footer, sliced buttons, I even sliced the main content. When I uploaded them, I told myself that it’s not that hard to make a website anyway– they’re all just images! What a funny thought. I let my classmates see it with no hesitation. I was proud of course.  Later on, I thought of slicing a new image content on Photoshop because we had a new topic. I got tired of slicing and my computers’ hard disk space geot so crowded that I couldn’t even save one more image.

Months turned to years and my hobby became so addictive. I asked my father to buy a floppy disk for  a school project, I said. It was so expensive that time I can’t imagine that it will become obsolete – my father bought 50 boxes that until now I still have two pieces, a good souvenir from the past.

I found some free templates as I was surfing the net. I downloaded them and observed how it was made. It has lots of texts when I open them in MS FrontPage. I tried editing some texts under the <style>, which I didn’t know back then whatever they’re for, and even though my prof. was teaching something about that during class I still didn’t get them. Also, I noticed that some layout changed. That day I learned that they’re not all composed of images because I can select the texts inside the main content and on some buttons. The background color changes as I change the word from white to red, and so on … I felt so happy and dumb that day – I kept hitting my head while saying “tanga, tanga!” (dumb, dumb) but with a big smile on my face.

Honoured

The following day, I came up with a less-sliced-photoshopped- image and uploaded it. I presented it to my classmates again and received good comments. My professor gave me a “good job” rank because  that’s the website that I presented to him as my final requirement.

A few months after graduation, internet connection got better. I put up my own internet café near our university. My classmates and professors were asking me why I didn’t apply for a job; be an HR Officer or any job that has something to do with my course, BS Psychology.   I just told them I did –really. I did become an HR Officer in a manpower agency but I got sick after four months. My boss fired me while I’m at the hospital lying hopelessly waiting for the doctor to make his move to remove  my appendix. It was really a tormenting situation for me.

I stayed at home for five boring months and then another two months because a new job will not do me any good, said the doctor, since I still need to rest. But my sister, a practicing doctor, told me that I’m already okay for job hunting, though. So seven months of no work makes my butt bigger and my back stiff. I just continued my web designing at home. I started opening the Adobe Illustrator and Dreamweaver at the same time. Same with the Photoshop. Trial and error. Imitate other’s design, tracing other’s logo, and making nasty layout in Illustrator.  I managed to learn the tricks in using the Illustrator, all by myself. Tutorials on the internet that time were not that helpful, unlike today (right, YouTube?). You wouldn’t be able to follow the steps they give but you could get some ideas. And also, internet that time is gold. The creepy sound of the modem when dialling is still on my ears.

I started making my scanned drawings and sketches on Photoshop and creating vector images on Illustrator. One day, my father asked me to make a business card for him. I didn’t know how to do it in Excel or in Word so I used Illustrator. I found it so easy. You can effortlessly change the texts,  color, size, layout, and so much more. That gave me an idea of putting up a small computer business.

The job hunt

I got bored on staying at my shop. Although I’m earning enough money to survive, I thought I miss waiting for the bus early in the morning. Banging other people while walking on a crowded pathway because you’re going to be late, having lunch with your co-employees while talking funny things about your boss, something like that. So, I asked my younger brother to manage my small business. I prepared my portfolio and went to the companies who need graphic artists. The whole week of hunting was a nightmare. They rejected me because I’m not an art- or computer-related student according to them. But I never gave up. I tried again  the other day. I woke up early in the morning and rush to my first destination. I had five target companies to apply to. The first three rejected  me. The fourth one said they’ll call me. And the last one hired me.  The competition was tough. The interviewer asked me to design a magazine page using Adobe Illustrator CS. I was surprised because the tools were different; I only knew the Select, Pen, and the Hand tool. I asked the interviewer if it’s ok to use Photoshop and he said yes, so I opened the Photoshop and was shocked again.  It was totally a different one. I was adept at version 7 but that one looked strange then. I started to move my shaking fingers and doing that task. Honestly, I didn’t use the Photoshop for editing the pictures, instead, I secretly opened the MS Paint and cropped the image there – because I couldn’t find the crop tool in Photoshop (I don’t know why).  After that, I just imported the image to Photoshop and put it in Illustrator. The task was to edit a picture of a laptop and add the specifications. It must fit the required measurement. Luckily, out of 10 applicants, two of us were hired on that day. I was so happy going back home because I realized that it’s a gift for my birthday which is the same day.

My job there wasn’t so easy. Having no knowledge at all in design, I managed to be creative with the help of other artists. I learned how to use the SLR and the right way of taking a photo on a still gadget. I learned how to put motion on the gadgets. Make laptops fly in prints, explode colours on each texts, make the microprocessors as big as earth, and make the mouse move from left to right. But it lasted for about six months only. After that I didn’t see my name twice on the list of artists who published it, so I resigned. I felt so bad because I have no proof that I was the one who made that layout and after a week as I remember,  the worst part, I saw it on one of the billboards along Edsa. I felt grateful in some ways because I did a great job – I know it’s my design.

Freelancing

I looked for another graphic artist position and found one near the same place (Del Monte, Quezon City, Philippines). If you know the rapper “DELLO” in FlipTop (Youtube search keyword: Dello Flip Top), he’s the graphic artist I replaced.

I did a lot of graphic designing using Illlustrator. Creating  tons of vectors each day. Updating flyers and other marketing stuffs, photo shoots, making booths for exhibits, creating tarpaulins, and materials related to babies. Their product is for infants and toddlers. From them I learned that you can’t include a baby bottle or a nipple on any advertising and marketing material. It’s prohibited by the government.

I stayed there for three years and was promoted as a marketing head. I enjoyed that position because I could go out every day and come late in the afternoon or sometimes go directly home. One of my general manager’s projects was to have a website for our company. Since I have the background in making one, I decided to start my own freelancing business. My first client… my company that time. Yes, I applied as a web designer in my own company. But before I did that, I registered my domain name, www.freelancerpilipinas.com. Right there and then, my freelancing started. I started accepting projects outside and earned money from them until today. Those projects keeps me alive every day.

I try to expand my freelancing career by visiting other freelance sites. I came across the popular website, www.getafreelancer.com (which is now www.freelancer.com)  and bid on some projects. I got hired and did projects while working. Whenever I got projects that needs coding, I look for another freelancers to make it for me—as simple as that. I just go with the flow. But one time, when I had a big project, the biggest project that I had, won in bidding, problems started to hit me. I didn’t know how to use PHP, of course, I can only do designs. Manipulate the CSS and HTML, and no more. So I hired one Pakistani and one Indian freelancer from that website, I will not drop their username or real name here because they are one of the Gold Members there (I just shake my head when I remember that). I don’t even post a comment on their page because for sure they’re not going to approve it. I hired them to do the PHP and JavaScript. In the first two weeks of the project they asked me to pay at least 60% because they said that the code was already made and that they’d just put them on the site once done. Only minor changes would be made if ever the client wishes to change something. So I deposited that 60% on their account. The next week, I didn’t see any progress on the site. I emailed them and asked why. They said they’re having a long vacation and they are not allowed to work. I accepted that and waited for about a month. I visited the site and saw the same thing. My client were very angry that time and I didn’t know what to do. I tried to contact the coders but they’re not responding until today. That sucks right? And the worst thing that happened was, my client backed out, asking for his money. That really sucks. I’m sorry but I really hate that site. Whenever I see their ads on Facebook and other sites, I am reminded of those two coders.

The Psychology

I didn’t accept projects after what happened. I just can’t accept the fact that I lost my savings on freelancing. I never opened my laptop for freelance work again. I got hooked on playing online and offline games all day. After work, I would go straight home to play until early morning. Sometime even at work, I would harvest my farm and feed the sim-animals.

At work, my boss asked me if I can conduct an interview to the sales personnel applicants. She suddenly remembered that I use to work in an agency before. So she told me that I should practice my HR skills. I accepted it with delight. Each week I was interviewing and conducting psychological exams from different sales applicant. Many of them finished computer science, mass communication, and some were unlucky to enter college, but they were the ones who passed the interview and got hired by my boss.  One day, when I was not busy at work, I reviewed some interpretations I made on the psych exams of the applicants. It reminded me of my on-the-job training at the mental hospital. I used to write long explanations on certain answers of the subject. I remember my colleague’s story about the middle-aged girl who got mad during her work. Her supervisor was mistreating her, did bad things to her, and as if treating her like a dog. She was a janitress in one of the  government offices in Manila. According to her, she didn’t know why he (her supervisor) is treating her like she’s so dumb unlike other workers.  “I am doing my job well. I clean every single step on the stairs, I pick even the very small trash that I saw on the floor, and flush condoms that I saw every afternoon noon on the men’s lavatory ” she said while smiling and nodding on each word she delivered.  My classmate was not surprised because he already knew her background. (But me, I was wondering why there are condoms in a government office restroom) Before we could conduct an interview with them, we were instructed about what to do, about the subject’s background, how we should act  while listening, when to ask questions, and other necessary things during the interview, like we shouldn’t comb our hair in front of them, chew gum, play the pencil, and others. About the condoms, it was true as per the news we heard that time, there was a fleshly action happening in some comfort rooms where she’s working. I found out that she was raped by this evil supervisor, and she went crazy. When she was seized by this bad supervisor for the second time, according to my classmate, she stabbed him with a kitchen knife many times. Later on that day, she was found by her co-workers sitting beside the corpse  smiling.

The come back

I became conscious about my salary when I learned that most of my friends were earning much than me that time. So I went back and looked for a client who needs design. I found one but not on the freelancer site. Again, I would be needing a PHP coder but no more foreigners this time. I asked my friends if they know someone who can do freelance coding. One of them replied and gave me one. This guy is so nice. So professional. He finished the task I gave him on time. My income increased and I was so happy.

From time to time, I would took a peek at how did he did the codes – the PHP. I was curious to know what those three letters meant. I asked my coder, who later on became my friend who is also asking me a lot of technical terms I never heard before. As for my question about PHP, he didn’t answer me, instead he replied; visit this website site you’ll get the answer. www.w3schools.com . I clicked the link and read about PHP.  The site is very informative. Even though you’ll find some examples not very well explained for a dumb like me, you’ll get some points.

I practised and followed their tutorials from start to end and tada! In two months, I could do some echoing-return-value  simple PHP code! But of course I am still asking my friend why these or that is not working. Where is the problem, what is the solution, etc. etc. Until I learned how to validate, how to debug, how to return a value of x, and so on.

My friend and W3schools also help me learn the basics of Jquery and Ajax – which is I love most in my design.