Well, i am deep into the building process now… I am programming code, fixing errors, dreaming up new cool ideas and prioritizing what will be the feature set in the beta version of WhoYouKnow.com.
I really want to launch to beta testers asap because I know the feedback I get from them is what will really determine the initial version of WhoYouKnow that gets heavily promoted. Its one thing to dream up ideas and cool features but it doesnt make sense to spend too much time on them if it turns out users dont use them and want something else.
So with that in mind, we are now accepting beta testers for WhoYouKnow.com. If you are interested in being one of the first people to sign up and try out the site then please email me, Denham, with the subject line “Beta testers”. All beta testers will receive premium exposure on WhoYouKnow once it launches so it will be well worth your time!
For those of you that have an idea for a website I suggest you learn how to program. I know its not for everyone, some people’s eyes gloss over when I start talking to them in technical terms. Just so you know there was a time not too long ago when I knew a big fat ZERO about programming.
However I made the conscious decision to learn programming. Especially since i had a web business idea. If you plan to run your own web company you are going to have to understand the technical aspects. There is no way around it. You may eventually have people taking care of the technical work for you but the worst thing is to go into a meeting with your programmers and not be able to have an intelligent discussion with them. And I truly believe alot of the value your web company brings to the marketplace is the creative use of available technology.
You can never learn everything when it comes to programming so you really have to pick and choose what you spend your time on. I learned HTML and how to build web applications using PHP, Cold Fusion and MySQl. I havent learned javascript, graphic design or more hardcore programming like C++. I am going to teach myself AJAX though because i see that as a powerful tool that can help WhoYouKnow.com be even more useful to its users…
I just thought of this topic because I am programming the code to insert information into the WhoYouKnow.com database as users sign up. I see it as a thrill and a challenge to get the code right and learn new things along the way instead of seeing it as boring and tedious.
ok back to programming…
Well it was just announced a couple hours ago that Google bought YouTube for 1.6 billion…very interesting… i think they paid way too much… internet videosharing is so new Google could have caught up to YouTube not to mention the copyright issues, I guess that’s what happens when you have billions of dollars burning a hole through your pocket (like when Yahoo bought Broadcast.com for $5 billion in 1999)… but what do I know, I am sure they did their due diligence before pulling the trigger. Maybe they calculated that all those additional people clicking on their adwords ads would be worth it. Anyway, good for Google - I cant wait to see what Microsoft and Yahoo do about this. 
now back to working on WhoYouKnow.com…
As you read this I am building the database for WhoYouKnow.com Beta version. Its tricky because i am considering all the features i want to include in v1.0 but still keeping in mind future versions. In other words i am keeping in mind the extensibility of the database i am building, i want to be able to add new features without having to revamp alot of code or database tables.
And because my brain likes to multitask, i am also building the signup pages as I add fields to the database. I know this isnt the generally accepted way of building a site but i have already spent many hours planning out the site features and i dont want to get bogged down in overplanning… sometimes i like to Just Do It!
Its going to take me a while to build the database because this is the meat of the site but once i am done the initial database then I am going to release the site to family and friends to test out before I release it on the internet in general. I will keep you updated on how its going…Stay tuned…
Thanks for visiting. My name is Denham Turton. I am the founder and CEO of WhoYouKnow.com.
WhoYouKnow.com helps you network with other people.
Here on this blog I am going to write regular entries on my progress in launching the WhoYouKnow.com internet company.
To all the business professionals, business students, Web 2.0 enthusiasts and internet fans out there I invite you to join me on my journey to experience what it takes to launch/manage and grow a web company. I look forward to having lively and informative discussions on this blog.
Right now, nobody has heard about http://www.WhoYouKnow.com… but that’s about to change.
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