using an older version of IE, huh?

Since we first released the AS3 MailChimp Library we've recieved numerous comments, emails and message regarding updates, changes, errors and more. Here is the latest version of the Class and what it includes:

• Update the code to a separate class so it's easier to integrate and call the functions
• First and Last name are optional
• Data Center issues that people were running into now has a solution!

For those that previously had issues with the data center errors, we've integrated a new variable that allows you to change the data center settings so your code will work. We hope this is a great fit for now. I'd love to hear what other kind of changes...

Even though most internet connections are getting faster, it's become increasingly important to build faster, smarter, and more light-weight websites. Yahoo and Google now factor load speeds into their rankings, which makes it even more important.

In order for a website to load quickly it must be built correctly from the ground up. Images, scripts, stylesheets, codes, etc all must be optimized for the web. I'm not going to get into building a fast site from the ground up, rather, I want to discuss a few ways that you can speed up your site without changing any code.

1. Combined JavaScript and CSS files.

Most...

When you build a static website with a few separate HTML files you find it easy to optimize each page for search engines, load times and meta information. When using a template based application like WordPress, this kind of customization is a bit trickier. But with a few good hacks you’ll be able to easily optimize each page for your needs.

The Problem: WordPress uses the same meta data for each page. The solutions is simple, though:

<?php
//if single post then add excerpt as meta description
if (is_single()) {
?>
<meta name="Description" content="<?php echo strip_tags(get_the_excerpt($post->ID)); ?>" />
<?php
//if homepage use standard meta description
} else if(is_home() || is_page())  {
?>
<meta name="Description" content="whatever your blog/site is...

With a recent project, I wanted to display recent posts, of the same category, on the page. After trying a whole bunch of plugins and not being satisfied I did a little research and testing and made this up. It works pretty well for my needs, but as you'll see, it is quite flexible, and can be utilized for not only categories, but tags also. Quick note, all this code goes inside the loop!

First step was to get the current category, in my case, I wanted the parent category. I used the following to store the category in a variable:

category_parent);
...

Over the past few months I’ve been collecting a list of some interesting and helpful articles about social media and business development and marketing.

Most of the time people just don’t have the time to find these resources that can truly help their business grow through social media. Therefore, we’ve put together this comprehensive list of great article that should help your business understand and utilize social media more effectively. I’m sure there will be more of these lists in the future. For now, enjoy!

• 21 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed
• Social Networking for Business: 8 Tips on How to Relate and Communicate
• The Business of B2B Social Media
• HOW TO: Create a Successful Company Blog
• 16 Interesting Wordpress Plugins to maximize Traffic and Followers from Social Networks
• Which Social Network Is...

With the dawn of “Web 2.0″ it became apparent that the Internet and the World Wide Web was evolving. At that point in Internet time there had been so many advances in the technology, infrastructure and potential of the web that nobody could resist it’s importance to the future of our cultural and economic future. The only problem was that nobody could accurately define what the hell “Web 2.0″ meant. That loose, ambiguous word was devoid of any “defining” characteristics of the actual version of the web, and consequently, versioning the web became tedious.

On the Previous Versions of the Web

Every time period in our history has been defined as a...

Blogging is one of the most important social media channels available to any business. It’s great because it’s free and it’s easy to do. The only problem is that most people have no idea what to blog about. My response to all clients is the same: Blog about your industry and what you know about it.  Here at kohactive we blog about technology, web development, social media and our iphones. Note that we blog about what we know and do. And not only that, but blogging has made us money and it can absolutely do the same for you.

Calm down, I know you’re getting...

Social media has emerged as one of the most important forms of communication for businesses and consumers alike. In the past year that I’ve been actively engaged in Twitter, Facebook, Diggs, Stumble Upon and so forth, I’ve found a new world of resources, experts and friends. But it wasn’t until the day my mom asked me how to join Twitter that I actually realized the value of these networks.

Over the past few months every single business imaginable has created an account for all social networks. While some business are doing an amazing job marketing and connecting with their customers, other are doing the exact...

Whenever we engage in a web production, we always build a site map. A site map is the architectural framework for the project, whether a large scale system or a five-page website. When clients understand how to build site maps, the web design process becomes increasingly efficient for both parties. The following is a resource we’ve created to assist clients in preparing and organizing for small to medium size websites.

Since information architecture in large scale applications and systems is a bit more intricate, we’ll stay away from that and focus on small to medium size websites, including small five-page sites to larger, more dynamic websites.

For this tutorial, we’ll build a site...

One of the most common questions I get asked prior to project engagement is “How do we prepare for the project?” or “What do you need from us?”. Throughout the years I used to make a checklist for each client. Although it was quite tedious, it got the job done.

So after reflecting on the previous years, I’ve decided to put together a comprehensive guide to help clients prepare for a web project. Just a little disclaimer, this guide is intended for common website projects, not for large scale applications or systems (that guide will come in the future).

1. What Kind of Client are you?

The first step that...

When the iPhone first launched without Flash enabled browsers it was not a big deal at all. How can you expect that little device to handle some of the interactive flash sites you see nowadays. Even with the release of iPhone OS 3.x.x it’s not that big of a deal. Most people use their iPhone for web, mail and those awesome apps. But when the iPad came out without a flash enabled browser it seemed like this Apple vs. Flash battled ragged on. Here is my perspective on the issues.

First off, the iPhone’s memory and cache just can’t handle some flash which is alright,...

While every business is realizing that Social Media is a powerful and dominating marketing channel, most fail to realize one of the basic, underlying principles of effective communication: trust. In order to effectively utilize social media to reach audiences, build relationships and grow your business you must understand the importance of trust.

Most business jump on Twitter and Facebook and start promoting their products and services without ever taking the time to learn about their followers. This is primarily where they fail. In order to build an online reputation you must gain their trust. The following are 5 simple tips to help...