FAQ

If you’re interested in learning some details about absolutecross.com, or if you have a question, please read the Frequently Asked Questions below. Please be sure to check here for answers before contacting me.

Where can I learn more about the person who created this site?

Absolute Cross was made by David Newkerk — to learn more about him, please visit his profile page.

I sent you a message, but haven’t got a response… what’s the deal?!

Though I try my best to respond to every message, there’s a chance I may not be able to. If you can’t catch me via email, you can also find me in the drupal.org support forums (user Keyz) and Drupal IRC (user Keyz_).

Your site doesn’t work properly in my browser!

This site supports all modern, standards-compliant browsers, such as current versions of Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera.

Internet Explorer support details:

This site offers absolutely zero support for versions prior to IE6; minimal support for IE6 (the site is “legible” without any catastrophic failure, and visitors are strongly advised to upgrade their browser); most support for IE7 and IE8, however the some aspects of the design (e.g. some round corners and various effects) are not supported in IE (hey maybe IE9 or IE10… or IE37 will catch up and have those features). The majority of visitors to absolutecross.com use modern browsers, and I feel it best to offer the richest experience on the site to them, and spend my time improving the site and creating new content, rather than chasing down bugs in ancient browsers.

Upgrading to a great browser like Firefox only takes a few minutes and is completely free. Some other options for both Windows and Mac include Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera. If you’re really stuck with Internet Explorer (*sigh*) then please upgrade to version 8 — it’s safer, and at least fixes some of the countless problems with IE.

If you’re forced to use IE6 at work, ask your IT department about installing Google Chrome Frame (which enables you to keep using IE6, but allows technologies common on websites today to work correctly).

Mobile device support

This site may not work correctly yet on mobile devices (cell phones, PDAs, etc). I do not have access to those devices to test on, so I don’t know yet. I plan to offer a mobile version of the site in the future.

If you’d like to suggest specific code modifications that would make the site more compatible with other browsers, operating systems, and mobile devices, I would gratefully welcome your input — please contact me with your suggestions.

May I translate your tutorials/content to other languages?

Yes, I would be happy to have you translate the content of this site to languages other than English. The site has full multi-lingual capabilities (it runs on the internationalization-friendly system, Drupal). Please contact me if you’re interested in submitting a translation for use on the site. If you’d like, you may post your translated version on your own site as well, though the English version of this site’s content may never be reproduced on any other site without permission.

Why are there links to other sites and sponsor ads?

The site is very expensive to maintain, and the ads help pay for it. All links and ads are carefully chosen and relevant.

I’m a beginner at web/graphic design… where is the best place to start?

There is no single perfect answer to this question… however, I will offer my advice:

  • Firstly you’ll need a graphic design program such as Adobe Photoshop (for serious users) or Gimp or Paint Shop Pro (for those who are just tryin’ it out).
  • I suggest you learn HTML and CSS no matter what, but a program like Adobe Dreamweaver might be helpful for you. Aside from speeding up your ability to get through some of the more tedious parts of web design, it can also help teach you HTML automatically - just keep the “Design & Code” view open and watch how the code develops as you work.
  • Learn to design sites with standards-compliant, semantically correct XHTML and CSS. Don’t use tables for layout on your pages—only use tables for tabular data (like a spreadsheet). Layout with CSS can be a bit more tricky to understand at first, but the rewards are substantial - and only gets exponentially more important as people increasingly browse the web on mobile and non-computer devices and other ways we never imagined before. After years of table-based design, trust me I learned this the hard way ;)
  • Check my article that outlines a few ways you might be able to save lots of money when buying your web/graphic design software.
  • Books can be a good place to start. You will want to learn as much as you can about both HTML and the graphic design program you will be using.
  • There are literally mountains of free helpful information available on the web… use Google to find it quick and easily.
  • Practice!
  • Look at other sites you admire for inspiration
  • Most importantly… don’t give up!

If you feel your site has relevant and appropriate content which would be useful to the visitors of Absolute Cross, you may suggest your link. I may either include the link in a list of recommended sites, or include the link within a relevant page or article on the site. If interested, please contact me.

Will you post a review of my product or service?

If you have a product or service that is relevant to the audience of Absolute Cross and would like me to write a review, please feel free to contact me. I’ll get back to you with further details and contact information.

Will you make a website, theme, design, logo (or whatever) for me for free?

Life has become quite busy for me with the growth of Absolute Cross as well as my web/graphic design company, job, etc. Under most circumstances, I will no longer be able to make free stuff for people (though I’m certainly willing to give you some advice if you need it). If you have a high-traffic site and would prefer to work out an advertising deal or something along those lines in exchange for my services then please contact me. Otherwise, please visit my design services page for further details.

What kind of computer do you use?

I use a 17” Apple MacBook Pro, running OS X Snow Leopard. I also run Windows XP/7 and several distros of Linux using VMWare Fusion for cross-platform browser testing and tests before major server upgrades.

What type of server does this site run on?

The hosting provider I’ve selected for Absolute Cross is ServInt. I currently have a VPS with them (Essential VPS package) which has been a pleasure to work with. Both performance and support have been great.

Though I’ve scaled back temporarily to better match the site’s current traffic patterns, in the past I have always used dedicated servers for Absolute Cross. Since I have years of experience with dedicated servers, I offer my recommendation of my preferred company for dedicated hosting, SoftLayer. I have had a fantastic experience over the past several years with my server at SoftLayer and recommend them wholeheartedly.

What CMS (Content Management System) does this site use?

Believe it or not, until very recently this site was completely hand coded, static HTML, page by page. Recently I have dove in and rebuilt the site from the ground up using Drupal (which is, in my opinion, hands down the best CMS). Stay tuned for a future guide on everything you’d like to know about how the site is put together (modules used, theming tricks, important settings and concepts, etc). I’ve been involved with Drupal for several years now, developing sites for friends, family, and clients, and am also a member of the Drupal Documentation team.

Potential advertisers are welcome to inquire for information about available ad positions, rates, and demographic data.

Can I take/use the images on Absolute Cross?

Unless the image is located in an area which is clearly specified as having images you may download (such as the Textures section), no you may not. All other images are copyrighted and may only be used with my direct permission. Copyright violation will be followed up with legal action—please don’t do it.

What software did you use to design the site?

For graphics I use Adobe Photoshop CS4. I code XHTML, CSS, jQuery, and PHP in the terrific free editor, Komodo Edit. Sometimes for my CSS, I use the excellent CSSEdit. I write all code from scratch and can’t stand WYSIWYG editors such as Frontpage (Dreamweaver is somewhat ok… but I’d say, once a raw coder always a raw coder *grin*).

I found an error/problem on the Absolute Cross site. How can I report it?

If you find any errors, misspellings, broken links, browser bugs, or problems of any kind while browsing the site, please report them using the form located on the Contact page.

Back to top