OK, so I'm a tech-geek

My online addiction might, I suppose, have something to do with my career. I spend my life online, thanks in the main, to my 'real' job as technology geek for a marketing agency. So once in a while this blog will contain tech stuff. Like now.

I found this awesome site the other day - miniajax.com has some brilliant examples of how the web can be - giving users an interactive experience that's as good as using a client, non-web, application.

My personal favourites have to be:

• ClickHeat website heatmaps
• Instant image reflections with Javascript
• Really easy field validation
  
• Edit-in-place AJAX editing

Some fantastic stuff there for all you AJAX lovers.

Earning a crust

Some time ago I stumbled across CafePress and loved what they do. It’s a great business. They print stuff on all sorts of products from T-shirts to mugs, mousepads to CDs. They sign up shopkeepers who earn money by selling their own designs on CafePress’s products using an e-commerce system provided by CafePress. You can get started for free with a basic store or pay $6.95 per month for a fully customizable store. CafePress handle everything from ordering, printing, stock control, customer service, returns - the lot! So all you have to worry about is the creativity of your designs…and the marketing of your store.

So I signed up, uploaded a few designs and now I get a regular (3 figure) income every month. It’s not going to pay the mortgage, but it’s something. It’s a start. They also have an affiliate programme that is managed by Commission Junction, so you can earn 15% on sales that you refer - this also brings in a small amount every month for me.

If you’re a budding artist…or even if you can string something funny together to go on a T-shirt or two, I’d urge you to sign up. And it’s fun to know people out there are wearing your designs!