Working of several dozen projects a year, I need a way to archive older files to a DVD but still find them quickly when I need them again. Here is a little trick that I have put into practice. I find it is useful when coming to a new project or back to one after a lengthy absence.

After burning a DVD for archiving older project files, I make a text file with the name of every file on that disk. That way I can do a search in the text document and quickly see which disk to pull out for the file I need.

Here is the process: In the Start Menu, go to Run and type “cmd”. Browse to the directory you want to index, say the D drive (type d:). Then type “dir /s >> document.txt” (the “/s” will get all sub folders too, if you don’t want this, just leave it off).

This will list everything into a new text document named “document.txt” There are other options you can do to this, such as “dir /s /b >> document.txt” which will list only the filename, none of the date modified or size information. For more on these options, see Microsoft’s Documentation (or type “dir /?”).

My fifth iteration of an online portfolio. I have moved back to HTML for this one. I wanted it to be quick to load and easy to navigate using the browsers forward and back buttons. I also wanted to allow visitors to bookmark individual parts of the site. View portfolio #5.

This is the fourth iteration of my online portfolio, and the first one done entirely in Flash. I was pretty happy with it at the time, because I had just learned about XML and all its wondrous powers, so one of my main goals to to be able to update this site through XML. Scope this bad boy out.

OK, now we are starting to get somewhere. This is the third iteration of my online portfolio, and it is finally getting easier to navigate and doesn’t look like a 5 year old vomited construction paper all over the place. Check it out, if you dare.

Ok, another not so great example of web design, but at least it is better than my first attempt.

This one takes a lot of the content from the first portfolio and packages it up a little nicer. This was created in 2002, I was a sophomore in college. I had just begun to learn Flash and I remember being ecstatic that I was able to create the rotating menu at the top of the page (completely key-framed, I had no idea was actionScript was at the time beyond the stop() command).

Anyways, on with the show!

Wow!

Talk about awesome!

Frames! Tiled wallpaper! Boring Flash navigation! Yellow text!

This was my first stab at creating a digital portfolio. It was 2002. I was a sophomore in college at the time. Not really sure what I was going for here, but I don’t think I kept it for very long.

I am including this not because I think it is good work, but because I think it is interesting to see a progression of skill over time. Hope you enjoy it!

View the masterpiece.