Summary
A long time ago, I was one of three students to be pulled out of a Mathematics class in school, and shown a computer. We were encouraged to learn how to write a program to draw lines on a computer screen in BASIC. This fascination escalated over the next five years and after graduating in the UK, I started work as an assembly language programmer.
Over the next 20 years I continued to develop software for national media groups and global investment banks. As a full stack developer I used C, C++, Powerbuilder, ASP, JSP, Java, J2EE, HTML, Javascript and CSS, to integrate with databases such as Sybase, SQL Server and Oracle. Based in the UK, I reached the position of Senior Software Consultant, and Technical Team Lead for a blue chip company, managing development teams in China, the Philippines, India and the US.
I've also always had a passion for teaching, and taught Computer Science for 5 years in Yorkshire. Educated to Masters degree level and with over 20 years experience of developing large scale IT solutions, I've been teaching in China for the past 10 years, at universities. My subjects include Python, Java, JSP, Android development and Web development.
Over the past 3 years, I've been researching and developing Joomla! websites. Sharpening my skills in PHP, Javascript and CSS, and applying UX and UI design patterns to produce great looking websites.
I'm a registered freelance web developer in the United Kingdom.
Tim Taylor, Marsco Web Solutions
The Times are Changing
As the world gets smaller, and information technology gets bigger, websites and subsequently browsers have to adapt. Websites should be multilingual, mobile responsive and customer-oriented. Third party developers offer a wide range of different components to extend the basic core of the Joomla CMS. Popular components, or extensions I have written, installed and configured include:
- Multi-language extensions
- Profiling components
- Forum components
- Galleries
- Payment gateways
- Online stores
- Shopping carts
- Security and maintenance extensions
Why Choose Joomla!?
I've chosen to work with Joomla, mainly because of the strength of its security. A major issue with today's online community is 'hacking'. This refers to the process that someone goes through to expose vulnerable areas of your website, just to cause you problems. Most websites are hacked due to mis-configuration, lousy hosting or vulnerable code. So, usually one major concern of potential customers is whether or not their website is safe from threats and attacks.
I follow these ten important considerations when building Joomla websites:
- A more secure login using stronger passwords to access the Joomla Administrator area.
- Take regular weekly backups of the website and databases.
- Use a secret key to login to the Joomla Administrator area.
- Update Joomla extensions regularly.
- Close monitoring of all website activity.
- Use search engine friendly (SEF) urls.
- Perform correct and regular maintenance of installed extensions.
- Use two-factor authentication.
- Use appropriate file and folder permissions.
- Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF).
