Goals of 2013

So another year over, and – surprise surprise – I kept my New Years Resolution! Wasn’t too tricky to be honest, but the “Less Weight, More Dates” resolution was – as of the time of writing (which is before the Christmas Break) – kept. The latter especially I broke emphatically **smiles shyly**.

2012 was a big year for me (shy smile aside), I changed jobs moving from Manual Link Building to 3 Door Digital, released WP Email Capture Premium (finally) and grew in ways I never thought I would. I also ticked off a life goal (go to the Olympic Games), and went to two gigs (a lot for me!).

Onto 2013. A year of change methinks, where I think I’ll finally grow up. I am not setting resolutions, but rather goals for the year. Here are four that I’ve thought of that – if I haven’t achieved any of these by December 2013, I’ll be disappointed.

Start Speaking

This is a fairly big one for me. Recently, I’ve noticed I’ve become a bit of a go-to guy when it comes to WordPress. I’d love to do some sort of talk somewhere. I’ve a few ideas of talks I want to do, and also half-pitched to Alex an idea for Sascon (which may or may not happen). However, one thing I’m thinking of targeting is WordCamp this year, which is an unconference. I’m not too familiar with the concept of unconferences, but what I am lead to believe is that you simply put your name down on the list to speak, and they will fit you in somewhere.

I have an idea for a talk at WordCamp, so I will try and prepare something.

Blog More

This is where this site comes in. I think I could probably count on two hands how many blog posts I wrote in 2012. I used to be so proficient, blogging almost every day. Last year I dropped off the face of the earth, it is something I wish to correct in 2013.

The main blog will be this one, but will be open for guest posts on other places. Let me know if you want me to write something and what you would like me to write about.

Of course, I’ll also keep blogging occasionally on the 3 Door Digital Blog, Blogging Dojo, WP Email Capture and You’re Supposed To Be At Home.

Please remind me on the last one if I haven’t got the Hinckley United post up on the last one by the time you read this, then call me names in the comments.

Save More Cash

Away from the internet, I’d like to start saving a bit more. When I moved jobs my savings did take a wee bit of a hit, but I should be able to build them back up again, but it’s taking longer than I thought (damn Christmas! Damn Nexus 7!).

I was told by somebody to have one goal in your life that is seemingly “unachievable”, as they are often achieved. One of my seemingly unachievable life goals is to never ever have a mortgage. My plan is to save up a figure in my head in a instant access savings account, split that figure in half, and put half into something that is a bit higher interest that I can’t touch.

I do spend a ridiculous amount of money at times, so can easily cut down. Sandwiches for work and less fruit machines (yeah not sure why I play fruities, started in University, never really stopped) are two of the ways. Hell I’ve a nickname of being a mingebag, I may as well become one.

Start a Pension

Yes, this is more to appease the parents rather than me, but it did shock me that out of all 5 of my immediate family, I don’t have any retirement savings. I have talked about it, but I didn’t get around to setting up.

Yeah it’s dull, but I don’t want to be poor when I’m old.

And I don’t want to be old.

Anyway, those are my goals in 2013. Hopefully with them being in writing I’m more likely to keep them!

Hello World. Again

Let’s try again, shall we?

For those who have known me for a fair amount of time will know how I got into this online marketing malarkey was via blogging. During university I used to write a fair bit, blogging usually once per day. That dropped when I started work, and instead I was down to one a week. I relaunched this blog a couple of years ago with the thoughts of writing something thoughtful, and insightful, once a week. “Piece of piss”, I thought.

Wrong.

Yeah, the issue was mainly that Author+, followed by WP Email Capture got in the way. The latter of which has been pretty successful for me. As such, writing to you lot, just – well – wasn’t profitable.

Sorry.

But now it’s calmed down, and I’ve thought long and hard about starting this up again. I’m on a mission to kind of restructure what I do outside of work on this big bad thing called the internet. I’m a geek, so most nights after work I’m usually found doing some cooky shit on the internet. Or playing Words With Friends, one of the two.

Or in the pub. One of the three.

The plan is to reduce the amount of sites I am managing or require an epic amount of managing and content creation (blogs, mainly), and build up small sites for stuff that interests me. Blogging Dojo is getting the MyBlogGuest Plugin on it so I can get some guest posts on there. You’re Supposed To Be At Home is being left dormant bar the odd game here and there I go to that is actually new. Retro Garden…well…not sure about that, any offers?

It’s not necessarily to make me a millionaire, more to just try make sites of stuff that interests me. Small, self standing sites similar to Tweets2CSV. I’ve a couple of ideas of sites I’m thinking of running.

This site, along with Winwar (a site that is being both culled and rebuilt), is where you’ll hear about them first. Winwar is becoming a bit of a portfolio for all these new sites. Not wanting to brag but that site looks bloody amazing in development.

Of course, this site isn’t just about my sites, I’m also posting rants and thoughts about anything. I’m feeling I need to get my name a bit out there again. If that means I become a “thought leader” (shudder), then so be it. Please don’t call me a thought leader.

So yeah, that’s the redesign, the reboot, and why I’m doing it. It’s a place for me to share my thoughts whenever I feel the need to. I hope you like it.

Mum Wants a Nice Lunch – The WP Email Capture Challenge

So, in case you have been living under a rock or insanely busy with work (actually probably the latter, it is a Monday morning), I’ve launched WP Email Capture Premium. WP Email Capture Premium is a feature rich, professional version of my 50,000+ downloaded plugin – WP Email Capture.

I’m not going to bore people with the details of the plugin (you can read them here), but rest assured I’m absolutely delighted to get the plugin launched this morning. Feedback from all who have seen it has been positive, so I’m chuffed to bits.

Anyway, I’ve set myself a little challenge for myself, and I need your help!

I’m hoping to get my first sale before lunchtime (Midday GMT) today. Of course, if you would find the plugin useful then feel free to purchase it, but I’d appreciate as many shares of this blog post as possible – Say Hi To WP Email Capture Premium – with the hashtag #mumwantsanicelunch.

The prize? Well I’m not going to suggest a “Money Can’t Buy” prize that isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, but instead I will take my mum out for lunch. She gets a nice lunch, the skinflint in me gets £20 poorer and I know that my plugin sells.

Anyway, will be back in the afternoon with how the project goes.

Update: We did it! Mum got a nice lunch 🙂

A Christmas Gift: Bringing Your Games In On The Last Day

At the beginning of the month, I was out with members of the most excellent Computer Club in the Lass O’Gowrie. At the club, there are various Atari Jaguar home brew developers – who develop their own games on the console. One of the more popular games is Superfly DX – which is a gorgeous one button game based on Copter*. I commented that I made a simlar game in the early noughties, during a summer where I didn’t work nor do much except program video games and speak to the lovely people on Blitzcoder, some of them I still chat to now and again.

Anyway I found the video games I made, including the game mentioned above – Wormhole, so I’ve decided to give them away as a free Download.

I usually give them away (they were on my other blog for ages), but for those who missed them, I’m sharing them here :).

1. The Wormhole – The game mentioned above, a game that was started out as a bet, but turned out to be pretty good. A mate of mine said that I couldn’t create a game that copied the helicopter game to perfection. So I spent the best part of two days making this: The Wormhole. My mate said that it was better than the original, so I lost this sportsman bet in the greatest travesty in recent history.

Download The Wormhole

2. The Square Game – Loosely based on an old Commodore 64 Game: Sensitive, The Square Game was my most ambitious game I ever made. Took over 6 months to make, and features a Level Editor. Fairly well received (featured on loads of download sites), but I didn’t enjoy playing it up until recently, as by the end of the project, I was sick of it.

Download The Square Game

3. Penalty Prize 2002 – A remake of my first ever game made in QBasic! Updated for the 2002 World Cup (the original was for the 1998). Penalty Prize is back, live and in living colour! 2 players only and featuring the last 16 teams in the World Cup (so all you French and Argentine’s have to make a cup of tea!). 6 players for each team trying to win the shoot out. Incidentally, the first game that I was in talks with for being published, and me receiving money for. Result!

Download Penalty Prize 2002

4. Intruder Alert – After a discussion over at Blitzcoder about certain games, this was the result. The discussion was about games where you play the bad guy (Dungeon Keeper and Wario) spring to mind. This is Pac Man, but instead of playing the hero, you play the ghost, who has to protect his pills from the intruding Pac-Men. First game I made to feature music. Not, fortunately, made by me.

Download Intruder Alert

5. Gridshot – This was a competition entry for “Produce a Vector Game” (lines and internal graphic functions only). This was loosely based on the classic Tempest. Not as good, but still good fun to make.

Download Gridshot

6. Eskew – The Second Entry for the “Produce A Vector Game”. Move a circle around a grid, collecting squares and avoiding blue balls. Was based on a flash game.

Download Eskew

7. Sudoku Blitz – My Sudoku game. Nothing more, nothing less.

Download Sudoku Blitz

8. Lizzie’s Jubilee Manager – I completely forgot I made this! There was a “Stupidest Game” Competition on Blitzcoder, and my game was a Satirical Satirical Commentary on The Golden Jubilee that was happening at the time. Increase Royal Popularity by completing a whistle-stop tour of the UK. It’s crap, but that was the point.

Download Lizzie’s Jubilee Manager

Disclaimer

These games are for Windows PC’s. These games work on my Windows 7 machine. Your milage may vary though. I’m not sure if these games work on Apple Macs.

Some of these games have dismal music (Intruder Alert, I’m looking at you), so you may want to mute your speakers.

I’ve checked (and compiled) these files, so there’s nothing untoward in them. However, if you download these and your computer blows up, you can’t hold me responsible.

A Chance of A Christmas Miracle?

These are most of the games I’ve made, but not all. I made more games that I’ve been unable to find. My Christmas Wish would be to find these games, as they represented a good time for me:-

  • Ripcord – No idea why I don’t have this. Was my first ever game I produced and was a parachute simulator. It was featured on remakes.org (now Retro Remakes) and looked like this. Possible file name – ripcord.zip.
  • Intruder Alert 2 – A sequel to Intruder Alert that was an entry into the Blitzcoder “8 Bit” Competition. Play a Space Invader and destroy wave after wave of Turrets. It looked like this. Possible file name – ia2.zip
  • Blitz Lights – A “Lights Out” Clone. That’s all I know about this I’m afraid.

So if you can think of ways of digging up the files (these were previously hosted on http://mysite.freeserve.co.uk, and then http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk), I’d be extremely greatful!

Merry Christmas Everybody 🙂

Rhys

* Copter was based on another game (which name escapes me – Wormhole’s based more on that flash game – linkback if anybody can remember it)

 

How To Sort Spotify Playlists into Alphabetical Order

So this week I took the plunge and purchased Spotify Premium. In truth the ads were getting annoying and some of my favourite songs were disappearing due to the over five plays, and do you know what, I like it, I like it a lot.

I like the syncing feature with my phone and the offline mode (which is great when listening to music on your phone as you don’t get charged a metric shit load of data) so I set about creating a playlist featuring songs I listen to regularly, which raided all my previously made playlists (including my Epic 90’s Playlist) and the Manual Link Building playlist that we usually listen to in work.

Unfortunately, on test run one, it was tricky to find songs, as instead of being listed A – Z (like it should be), it listed it in the order I copied & pasted it (I’m not a firm believer in orders of playlist, sorry, I don’t care about music that much).

Anyway, there is a workaround, which I’d thought I’d share (until Spotify implement this feature).

1. Create Your New Playlist – Something Like [Original Playlist Name – A – Z]

In this example, I’ll use my equally epic Welsh Music Playlist. If you don’t know how to do this, then really you’re struggling.

2. Organise Your Original Playlist Into Alphabetical Order

I do this by track (as on Spotify Mobile I find it easier to find stuff). To do this click on the track heading.

3. Copy Your Tracks into the New Playlist

Boom!

As I said, it may be obvious to some people, but it took me ages to figure out. Google wasn’t much help, but now it will (hopefully) be. 🙂