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	<title>Ravlich Consulting :: Blog</title>
	<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog</link>
	<description>Technical tips and tricks for non-profits and small businesses</description>
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		<title>Blogging in style</title>
		<description><![CDATA[You&#8217;ve just distilled your month&#8217;s triumph into an insightful, witty article, which has to be shared online. Logging into your blog, you click the “create new post” button, then return to the article in MS Word.
Your next step decides whether or not you commit a cardinal sin of netiquette.
Do you:
a) copy the article in Word, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=64</link>
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		<title>A question of value</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The fundamental belief underpinning Free, Open Source Software (FOSS) is that knowledge should be shared, and should not be subject to or constrained by notions of tangible ownership. Arising from this principle is the ideal that users should have the right to monitor, understand and modify the applications that run on their computers.
Proprietary (or closed-source) [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=56</link>
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		<title>Medium as message</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Marshall McLuhan&#8217;s phrase, &#8220;the medium is the message&#8221;, is common fare to anyone in the communication sector. While the sentiment may be obvious today (after 45 years of that critical perspective influencing culture), it holds additional significance for non-profits.
As non-profits grow, inconsistency is a common mistake. If the core of your organisation is built on [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=51</link>
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		<title>Styling it right</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the most important features of a good website is not directly visible to the end-user. A clear, detailed style guide is the key to a professional, readable site.
Your style guide should cover the following areas:

Fonts/Typesetting
Colours
Images
Content length
Advertisements (if applicable)
Banners (if applicable)
Page structure
Sitemap conventions

An example font style guide would read as follows:
Headings
Headings use the Verdana [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=46</link>
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		<title>Caveat licentiate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It is advisable to obtain and thoroughly examine several quotes before purchasing a website, database solution or software product. Unlike hardware or other physical equipment, such intangible products are usually provided under license, which can obscure hidden costs and headaches for the unwary buyer.
The following guidelines offer some general considerations, but trusted technical advice is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=37</link>
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		<title>Paring down your content</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As a general principle of website content, smaller amounts of text are more likely to be read thoroughly.
The re-working of wordy content into concise phrases will make your website easier to digest and to navigate.
Asking a friend or colleague to preview the content and highlight any redundant sections can simplify this task.
Edit: This post has [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=31</link>
			</item>
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		<title>PDF and PPT pitfalls</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When offering key presentations or policy documents for download, there are a couple of key considerations.

Necessity: is PowerPoint and/or PDF the best way to communicate this information effectively?
File size: has this file been optimised for painless downloading?

The best choice?
The first question requires discernment by the company, taking into account other alternatives or dual strategies to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=23</link>
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		<title>For want of a dictionary</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Browse through any online news service, and you&#8217;re likely to spot at least one. Hopefully, this site does not contain any.
Spelling errors and misuse of words are two simple issues that can create a devastating first impression on a visitor to your site, or (worse still) reader of your sign/brochure/card. While the occasional typographic error [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=13</link>
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		<title>Free image editors</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This post is the first in a series on Free Open-Source solutions for small businesses and non-profits. 
A common requirement among our clients is image editing software. To a small budget, the industry standard Photoshop looks a little daunting, and can also be a complex application for your average user. Luckily, several free options will [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ravlichconsulting.com/Blog/?p=3</link>
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