I am currently at a great stage. I made so much money from coding (Just HTML and CSS, with some wordpress stuff) in November and December, I managed to pay ~$1500 for a dedicated server for a year (with cPanel and WHM).

During that time, I just sucked at graphics, whether it be GIMP, Fireworks or Photoshop, so could only code PSD to HTML or Wordpress. However, now that I have enough time and money to do what I want, I have explored PHP and Ajax even more, and can just fork out the money for a professional graphics designer. Sometimes I still do basic logos in Fireworks though.

Now, how did I do this:

1. Stop using Dreamweaver, Frontpage, Visual Web Designer etc - $400 for the crappiest code on the planet? No thank you.

2. Start looking at doctypes and validations. To me, if it doesn't validate with a strict doctype, the page is worth crap all.

3. Keep it to minimal code, and make use of the sliding doors effect wherever possible. If you don't know what that is, research it.

4. Never use javascript rollovers, use CSS with a sliding doors effect. My friend Jason, who has been doing computers for 40 years or so, has good tutorials on various CSS and Javascript things:

1. Glassy CSS menu - The only image used in the whole thing

2. Using 8 corners with one image

3. This one is a bit more complex, but there is a CSS file for download on the second page which supports all the corner varieties:
Image-free Rounded CSS Corners - Take 3

4. Much more complex, you need to know your way around Javascript to get this one down pat:
Template


This guy taught me personally, and is the most computer savvy person I know, if you can master and fully understand these techniques, you shell get rich eventually. I'm 15, and I can do it - can you?

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