SaigonNezumi.com

Today the new website for Saigon Linux Group (SLG) Vscapeone was launched. The new website still runs on WordPress and uses the new Genesis Theme Framework and Enterprise Child Theme by StudioPress.  StudioPress offers some great premium themes for websites that focus on business, consulting, etc.  I am currently using three of them for 4 WordPress projects I am working on at the moment.

The launch of the new WordPress site is a milestone for SLG Vscapeone after the difficulties we faced since last October.  Most of you are aware that my company was a victim of embezzlement and fraud.  This forced me to refer several of my clients to other companies while I unsuccessfully dealt with my Vietnamese business partner.  Revenue was lost but when compared to many other companies in Vietnam set up jointly with Vietnamese and Expats, I was very, very lucky.

SLG Vscapeone was left idle for about 6 months trying to resolve the problems but with the support of my team and past clients, we decided to give Saigon Linux Group (SLG) Vscapeone a second life about three weeks ago.  During this short time, we received roughly 4 requests for services from companies in and outside of Vietnam.  So now we are moving ahead.

I got a great team of consultants.  Just take a short look at their profiles at this URl: http://www.saigonlinux.com/us/ We all have a strong background in implementing open source technologies and a passion for Linux.

This is turning out to be an exciting time for us in the next phase of the Saigon Linux Group (SLG) Vscapeone.

Visit our website: http://www.saigonlinux.com

Saigon Linux Group (SLG) Vscapeone

Hey guys, I am currently recruiting for the following position/s:

Remote Help Desk ERP application support engineer

These positions will be based in HCMC, Vietnam.

Requirements:

• Knowledge of ERP software and business process of ERP software (JDE knowledge is a big plus)
• English speaking and writing
• Knowledge of MS-Office
• We are looking for people who has knowledge in the following ERP modules:

• Financial: GL, AP, AR, FA, financial reporting.
• Distribution: Sales order management, Procurement, Inventory.
• Manufacturing: Work Order management, BOM, Routing, Customer service management, MRP scheduling.

Apply for Remote Help Desk ERP Position [ERP-1]

Cross-posted from: HR.vscapeone.com

Wow, another beginning to a busy week.  Several more meetings scheduled for this week plus a BarCamp Saigon organizational meeting.  Saigon Linux Group will be separated from Vscapeone and become it’s own company, finally.  It will be run by three Managing Partners from three different countries.  Our first potential client wants us to develop an e-commerce site.  It will be a busy week

Here is an update to the Browser usage at SaigonNezumi.com:

1. Mozilla Firefox – 47.9% (50.6%)
2. Internet Explorer – 41.2% (34.8%)
3. Apple Safari – 5.2% (5.0%)
4. Google Chrome – 3,2% (5.4%)
5. Opera – 1.6% (3.6%)
6. Konqueror – 0.6% (0.6%)

I am seeing a large number of new websites here in Vietnam, including my own, talking about SEO, aka search engine optimization.  Many are offering services to help your optimize your website.  Be weary of these sites, you can learn how to ‘optimize’ your website yourself.

The key is not to build a SEO website, instead, change your terminology.  The important key here is to build an ‘accessible’ website that meets ‘web standards’.  If you can build an accessible website that validates XHTML and CSS (hence meeting web standards), guess what, you will have a so-called SEO website.

To validate as XHTML, you will have to follow certain guidelines that abided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).  In short, some of the things the W3C requires for XHTML is that you add alt and title elements to your images and hyperlinks tags.  You should also add abbr and acronym elements for abbreviations and acronyms, respectfully.  By adding the alt elements to images, you are helping make your website more accessbile to ALL internet surfers including those with hearing and visual disabilities.  If you have time, you try adding the longdesc element to which contains a full description of images.

These are actually the ‘keywords’ you here SEO pundits talk about it all the time.  I know what I am talking about too.  My websites tend to do very well in Google, MSN and Yahoo.  I never hired anyone or used any software to get my websites ranked so well.  I just design my websites to be more accessible by abiding with XHTML and CSS W3C guidelines.

SaigonNezumi.com was not validating as XHTML with my new template until I fix some mistakes in the code.  My Amerasian Foundation website has been in the top spot on Google for nearly 5 years now.  The original website validated as XHTML 1.1, now it is running on WordPress but still validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional.

If you need help making your website more accessible, read this book online by Joe Clark:

• Building Accessible Websites

If you want to learn more how to develop a website that meets current web standards, I recommend the following resources by Jeffrey Zeldman and Eric Meyer:

• Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman
• Jeffrey Zeldman Presents
• Eric Meyer – The CSS guru

After I move into my new house/office in a couple months, I plan to spend more time working designing more accessible websites.  WordPress makes it easy for the new guys but I really want to see if I can design a nice site with Django.

In the meantime, if you really want to spend money trying to figure out how to ‘optimize’ your website, give me a call.  You can waste your money on buying me a cafe sua da for advice

Asia Injury Prevention Foundation‘s Wear a Helmet new campaign website went live today thanks to the effort of AIP Foundation’s staff, Vi Truong, my Web Content Editor at Vscapeone, and I.  It took nearly 8 months to complete the English version of the campaign website.  We expect the Vietnamese version to go live within a couple weeks.

The website went through two different theme designs during the 8 month process.  We chose WordPress as our web publishing platform to help make editing and maintenance easier for the AIP Foundation staff.  I had to edit the CSS for the drop-down horizontal menu which was a feat in itself.  It does not use any javascript so that it would render on all browsers.

Most of the site validate as XHTML and CSS.  I am waiting for the latest Kimili Flash Plugin to be released next month for the fix to the height and width problems.

Please visit the website at www.wear-a-helmet.com.  If you find any broken links or other problems, please inform me.  Your help will be greatly appreciated.

About the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation

The AIP Foundation is a non-governmental organization founded in 1990 to combat the growing traffic crisis in Southeast Asia. It has since expanded its reach throughout Vietnam and into the neighboring countries of Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand.

In partnership with multi-national organizations like the World Health Organization; FIA Foundation, World Bank, ADB, Aus Aid; Embassy of Denmark, US Embassy; companies such as Intel, Michelin, Chevron, DHL and Johnson & Johnson; and also the governments and local officials of the communities where it operates, AIP Foundation launched the Public Awareness Campaigns in April 2007 which has been a big achievement in Vietnam.

The Public Awareness Campaigns (PAC) includes billboards, postcards, concerts, fashion shows, and TV commercials, all designed to focus on unsafe behaviors. The past PAC focused on wearing helmets (see www.wear-a-helmet.com) and was extremely successful in helping to influence the passage of the mandatory helmet law in December 2007. In the near future, we plan to launch a new PAC covering drunk driving and speeding in the next 12 months. Contributions to the PAC can be arranged on an ad hoc basis.

Wear a Helmet website: http://www.wear-a-helmet.com