One Year of Freeway 7 -So what?

Freeway
1

not sure if it’s really true, but as far as I remember, late june 2014, Softpress announced Version 7 as the most responsive ever seen.
Now - one year later - it’s perhaps time for a summary.

With introducing the Adaptive web design (aka Responsive Design) in late 2011, the job as a front-end developer evolved rapidly to a highly professional one which requires a couple of more disciplines than ever before. The gist of Responsive design is, that a webpage has neither a width nor a height and our job is, to present „content“ on all devices the best we can. This means with a minimum (or none) of resizing or panning or even side-scrolling.

While for the one, those disciplines offer huge chances, showing their highly professional faces - for others it’s the biggest pain in butt ever. Solving those pains require in general a huge knowledge of technical requirements (position, float, clear …), but as well a good plan and strategy regarding content (TheOutline).

####So the end for all Hobbyist?

I have my own, exclusive opinion about it. I might be alone with it - and even offend some of you. This opinion is „Yes - for many good reasons“. One of the most important point here is, that WebDesign is a profession and part of the service industries. It generates turnover and feeds its employees.

####Do Templates save us from the BigEscape?

Perhaps - but what I saw in the past, I doubt. Point is, that a template is „As Is“, which will mean that you can change words, images and colors (as long as you know how) - that’s it. You won’t ever adjust a template, if your need is different from its basic structure. Only if you understood to write theOutline to the template - you might use it.

####What about Backdraft?

Backdraft is GREAT, but the developer gave up - more words necessary? Perhaps, yes. For both, templates and backdraft it requires a huge amount of extra time to solve specific problems. Backdraft is even recognized as an entire different product. People are not used to have a problem in Freeway - they have a problem in Backdraft or Esperanto.

####Give me all your clients - I’m too lazy

Those are not my own words. They are from honorable Mike Monteiro saying them more than once. I agree. All craftsmen had to learn their jobs several years - often enough an entire life. Is WebDesign really different? No need for learning, trying, testing or even ever read the manual? Some do - others not. Those that really start to review their strategy will have success and I saw several stories of success. Sometimes they even mail me :slight_smile: And I’m happy - really happy cause only those strengthen a product and its community.

After one year of Freeway7, I know the ups and downs. But as a summary (and beneath some flaws), it works perfectly fine. Softpress will gradually improve it. But Softpress can’t go back in time. Progressive enhancement is a many-layered issue requires both: the developer and the user. It makes sense that both using the same language.

One Year of Responsive (Freeway) Design - tell me about your stories of success.

Cheers

Thomas

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2

It is extremely disappointing you wish to promote your own services at the expense of others. Caleb Grove, the developer of Backdraft has not given up, he has merely changed his business model.

http://getbackdraft.com
https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/thread/view/161732#m_161732

He generously has made his top quality product available for free and now offers premium support to those who may wish it. He has also promised Backdraft 2.1 is in the works.

All the best

Gordon
http://www.gordonlow.net/

On 3 Jul 2015, at 11:01am, Thomas Kimmich email@hidden wrote:

Backdraft is GREAT, but the developer gave up - more words necessary? Perhaps, yes. For both, templates and backdraft it requires a huge amount of extra time to solve specific problems. Backdraft is even recognized as an entire different product. People are not used to have a problem in Freeway - they have a problem in Backdraft or Esperanto.

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On 3 Jul 2015, 10:01 am, Thomas Kimmich wrote:

With introducing the Adaptive web design (aka Responsive Design) in late 2011, the job as a front-end developer evolved rapidly to a highly professional one which requires a couple of more disciplines than ever before. The gist of Responsive design is, that a webpage has neither a width nor a height and our job is, to present „content" on all devices the best we can. This means with a minimum (or none) of resizing or panning or even side-scrolling.

While for the one, those disciplines offer huge chances, showing their highly professional faces - for others it’s the biggest pain in butt ever. Solving those pains require in general a huge knowledge of technical requirements (position, float, clear …), but as well a good plan and strategy regarding content (TheOutline).

####So the end for all Hobbyist?

I have my own, exclusive opinion about it. I might be alone with it - and even offend some of you. This opinion is „Yes - for many good reasons". One of the most important point here is, that WebDesign is a profession and part of the service industries. It generates turnover and feeds its employees.

Cheers

Thomas

Thomas, as an amateur webmaster, I certainly agree that “WebDesign is a profession,” and even more so with the advent of responsive design. I use Freeway 7 Pro, and if it weren’t for the advice given me by a half dozen or so professionals on this forum, I would be lost. I’ve encountered numerous problems that generous professionals here have solved with an expertise that I could not possibly achieve without devoting the time myself to becoming an expert.

In brief, a responsive website in Fwy 7 Pro is fairly easy for the pros and very challenging for us amateurs. Without the help I get here, I couldn’t get it done.

I had once thought of switching over to Dreamweaver. But my brother-in-law, an M.I.T. graduate and computer professional, suggested to me that at this late stage in my life I would probably find the learning curve too steep. The learning curve in Freeway 7 Pro is steep enough!

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On 3 Jul 2015, 3:06 pm, Gordon Low wrote:

It is extremely disappointing you wish to promote your own services at the expense of others.

If you say services, you perhaps refer to those 2000 posts on this board? Or do you mean the free GermanTalk I run (cause there is no other support available)? Ah - you mean the free video episodes and articles I share. Or do you mean TheLounge with its paid stuff?

Well - if the latter, I’d like to add, that with each Backdraft-file an exclusively free one week subscription was included. Free for his audience and him - just to prevent the author from having a postbox looking something like this:

Just count your friendly requests you personally had - multiply them by let’s say 78 (other requesters) and you know what generosity could mean as well. We use to know the frontside of the moon, some even its backside.

Cheers

Thomas

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In my opinion, it’s not really Freeway that changed. Today it just offers better functionality to help us meet the responsive standards. But technically that already was possible before.

Before for me personally it was hovering between real amateur level (drag and drop) and level 1 out of 10 for Pro’s. This was my choice and today I can still do that if I want. If I choose to still do that today, it’s my choice not to meet the current requirements and standards for the web and I can’t blame Freeway for this.

But I decided to go for Pro level 2 and that forced me to upgrade my personal skills. Exactly like Thomas is describing. You need to be willing to invest, learn, outline etc.

During this process, many times I’d thought there was something wrong with Freeway, but in practice and afterwards I can say that 95% was due to my personal lack of knowledge. I had a huge AHA!WTF!BBQ!-moment where the best construction method became clear to me. The remaining 5% represents some strange and buggy behaviour in Freeway.

I did learn, (a BIG thanks to Thomas and his excellent video’s in The Lounge!) and today I call myself an above average, enthusiastic amateur. I can’t code, I can design and thanks to Freeway Pro I can do very nice things that meet the current standards.

And to the people constantly giving support to the community (we all know who): THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

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