Website 101 Podcast

Amanda and Mike discuss the impact of bot traffic on their websites, share strategies to stop bot registrations, and explain how to identify bot traffic. Overview Discuss strategies to prevent bot registrations and traffic on websites. Discussion includes various security measures like recaptcha, honeypot fields, rate limiting, time-based submission checks, and email verification before access. Ke...

Discussion about the use of AI in creating generic art, the limits of AI creativity, and a new feature in HTML canvas that allows for putting HTML inside a canvas element. Key Topics AI limitations and predictive nature ([01:35 - 04:03]) The analogy of AI as a toddler learning language ([04:03 - 06:14]) AI being used in place of humans in various scenarios ([06:01 - 07:36]) HTML canvas and its new...

From websites built without a CMS to QR codes on work vans and AI-generated novels, we cover a mix of current web and tech topics. Discussion on the benefits and limitations of non-CMS websites, with real life examples and suggestions for using AI as a tool instead of a replacement. The use of AI in writing books  The benefits and potential drawbacks of AI generated meeting notes (18:50 - 23:04) T...

Sean walks Mike and Amanda through Location Scout, a fully functional Android app he shipped over a weekend using Claude Code, React Native, and Tailwind. A discussion about prompting tips and more follows. Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLjfh3Qb46I&t=24s Show Links More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn Mike on LinkedIn Amanda on L...

Can AI replace the apps you pay for? We dig into the SaaSpocalypse debate, vibe coding wins, AI tells in writing, and why "just build it yourself" isn't that simple. Sean, Mike, and Amanda kick things off with quick life updates before diving into two main topics: the so-called "SaaSpocalypse" and how AI is changing the way people write and code. Is Saas dead? AI Writing 'tells' or...

The hosts dig into the rapid rise of AI‑generated video and deepfakes, reacting to everything from celebrity fight scenes to political misinformation. What starts as a fun tech chat quickly turns into a thoughtful look at ethics, creativity, and the risks of synthetic media. It’s equal parts entertaining and unsettling. Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_S4SX0Fc5U Sho...

In this episode we discuss various things that people use to help them improve their productivity at work. Coffee Energy Drinks Music Coffeeshop Drugs / Alcohol Office Talk Cold environments Routine Pomodoro Timer Boundaries and work/life balance Show Links More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn Mike on LinkedIn Amanda on LinkedIn  

Season eight wrap and a look forward to season nine. We'll continue to do Lunch Bytes every first and third Wednesday of the month. Season eight wrap and a look forward to season nine. We'll continue to do Lunch Bytes every first and third Wednesday of the month. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don't miss an episode. Show Links More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Tw...

A discussion on various ethical scenarios and issues, including politics, pricing, green washing, and more in web development. The beginning of the website 101 Podcast - guests, ethical plans, diversity and inclusion. When turning down work for ethical reasons, is it important to provide the reason why? Where is your line in the sand? Porn, gambling, something else? Working with people with opposi...

Re-release of a season 6 episode. The ins and outs of mastering social media for small business owners with Jessica Perrault plus a predication about AI generated content for social. How Jessica got into social media Tips to get started for small business owners Social media and content marketing Understand the nuances of the different social networks Which social network is the most important? Ho...

Want to save time? Learn common keyboard shortcuts for all your software. WordPress update Keyboard shortcuts Development shortcuts Shortcut tools Show Links What is going on with WordPress?! Judge hands WP Engine a win in legal fight with Automattic WordPress CEO Rage Quits Community Slack After Court Injunction Raycast Stream Deck Auto Hotkey Keyboard Maestro Whisper Flow More Website 101 Podcas...

Mike and Amanda discuss the current WordPress controversy and how it affects how it affects developers and website owners. What is WordPress Original WordPress.org Wordpress.com hosting Broad overview of the issue Trademark Lawsuit Advanced Custom Fields vs Secure Custom Fields Matt's conflict of interest Summary Advice for the future Cautionary tale Show Links WordPress WordPress.com (hosting) Au...

In this episode we discuss strategies for keeping up with technology trends and how to choose what to learn. Welcome to season 8 CMS - how do you choose a new CMS? Maintenance contracts and security updates Front end frameworks - CSS, Javascript, etc.. Laravel Mix and Vite Friends and colleagues influencing Code Editors (VsCode, Cursor and more) AI and Copilot upcoming topics in season 8 Show Link...

Hear Sean share his 20-year journey as a coder, his love for problem solving, building, and the evolution of his career in Expression Engine and Craft CMS. Sean was interviewed on the Craft Entries podcast. Listen to a snippet of the episode here. You can listen to the full episode at Craft Entries Show Links The Joy of Self Taught Coding More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on...

The season finale is a raw and unedited episode. In this episode we express our gratitude towards our clients. Lunch Bytes - our live stream every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 11:30am EST. Cool Projects Testimonials Referrals Gifts Show Links Lunch Bytes More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn Mike on LinkedIn Amanda on LinkedIn  

Rebroadcast of a season 5 episode - 11 Things to avoid doing on your website - We discuss various things to avoid doing with your website and why they are not a good idea. Disabling copy/paste Open in new tab Click here Using placeholder text and not using labels Low contrast text Not enough white space / breathing room No comments in your code or unformatted code For clients: Identify problems, d...

Chris discusses how ADHD has impacted his career as a web developer and provides resources to other developers. What is ADHD? Chris's history and experience with ADHD Challenges for women getting diagnosed How does ADHD impact Chris's career in web develop Things an employer can do for an employee with ADHD Time awareness / blindness Reactions Chris receives when people learn he has ADHD What teac...

In this episode we talk with Online educator Ryan Irelan about online learning and keeping up with technology in web development. Ryans path to online teacher First course was with Pragmatic Programmers The switch from a la cart to subscription modal Udemy and course platforms Communication with Pixel and Tonic about upcoming features and changes Advantages/disadvantages of discord servers Chat GP...

In this episode we talk to returning guest Ben Croker about how to write a good support request. Turn it off and on Our experiences providing technical support How to troubleshoot before submitting a support request Rubber ducking Use the correct support channel: not DMs on social media When providing support a public, discoverable approach, such as github issues, is recommended RTFM - read the do...

In this episode we reminisce about how things used to be done and how much web development has changed in the last 25 years. From under construction gifs to the rise and fall of jQuery we cover it all. Geocities Table based layouts Float based layouts Clearfix .clearfix::after { content: ""; clear: both; display: table; }  Equal Height columns  Matchmedia.js Conditional comments <!--[if lt IE 7...

In this episode we discuss the advantages of using a boilerplate to start a new website build and what to include or not include when establishing a boilerplate. Github stars and forks Packagist What is a boilerplate Save time by pre-configuring settings for all projects Wireframe components What to include in a boilerplate What to exclude from a boilerplate Disadvantages to a boilerplate ReadMe f...

In this episode we discuss motivation, burnout, and imposter syndrome including our experiences and strategies on how to handle Kevin's origin story How important is doing work that you enjoy doing? Routine work vs cool projects Luck is when preparation meets opportunity - Roman philosopher Seneca Imposter syndrome Don't beat yourself up, go for a walk, talk to a colleague The industry changes so...

In this episode we talk with Mitchell Kimbrough, founder of Solspace, about strategies to help with when work is slow. How Mitchell helped Sean start his freelancer journey Mitchell's encouragement to people to start freelancing You'll never be ready to start a business. Better to start it then later in life wonder What if? Customer service Soft skills Most important thing to do when you realize y...

In this episode we discuss various project management tools, and the pros and cons of each. Additionally how best to communicate with clients. Email from Natalie What is a project management tool Required features Centralized communication UI Dependencies Cost Email notifications - batches, individually Agile Browser extension Show Links S01 E02 Planning Structure, Goals Gqueues Asana Treelo Basec...

In this episode we discuss when and how to say "No". We talk about when developers need to say no as well as when a client should say no. When to say to no to a brand new client. Talk about budget early. Client requirements are unclear. Include expiry for proposals. Overbooked Ethics & Morals Reputation and rumors. Advice when working with a developer. Keep it positive. Give better o...