Taking a break from industrious information systems, we decided to use our tools for good, trying our hand at building a blog platform, to see just how tricky it actually was.

The verdict: tricky being an understatement. The simple type-post-view architecture is simple, that much was a given. The unknown quantities were tagging, viewing, archiving and the ever-present feed issue.

Still, some deft database querying, a bundle of expletives and a few hundred lines of code later, we have our baby, a blogging system with search-engine-friendly URLs, full RSS support and automatic archiving.

The web grows at a speed and with it volumes of blogs, articles and user generated content compound forming an intricate and chaotic web of pages, images and more recently video. Google changed everything by not only offering the tool to search through all this content but crucially a way to rank its importance through PageRank™.

So, ten years on is PageRank serving us well? For example a search for "Yoga London" in Google brings up no less than 440, 000 results the first 3 results being Camden Council, View London and Yoga Holidays. The first thing this alludes to is that Google knows of places that "know" rather than the answer to my question rather than point directly to studios and gyms which offer yoga in London.

What does this mean for Google and PageRank? The answer is simple and has been bandied around for a while now - semantics...

At Byng Systems we're all about collaboration and communication for enterprise web applications but our technology is just as adept at representing a brand or identity. Take the example of generating a tag cloud for our website...

• Tag cloud for Byng Systems

LinkedIn Applications

After a torrent of investments, LinkedIn have sharpened up their features set with a new application development platform designed to bring services from the outside into the LinkedIn network.

Shielding their corporate membership from an influx of useless applications and social networking widgets that have troubled Facebook, LinkedIn have sensibly launched with a handful of carefully selected and established applications from SaaS providers London to Tokyo.

Cost Effective Web Development

"Want not, waste not" is a fitting maxim for the latest breed of Web2.0 application developers being called to meet fantastical expectations with slashed budgets. From vendor of dishwashers wanting a "quick forum community" to "party hard" accountants launching a photo gallery; all and sundry would love to have the latest must have module on their website whether they have a need for it or not.

Fortunately for software developers, many of these "must have add-ons" are ripe for cherry picking from the multitude of SaaS (Software as a Service) providers that exist online today. For instance our ByngGallery component running through our ByngControl content management framework can now tap into a free Flickr account saving our clients on development, training and storage. Another example might be shipping off customers to hosted forum software using our Single Sign-on connector in the BaseCode. All these tricks help us meet our goal of satisfying our clients' needs and budgets whilst maintaining a high service level.

A question I often get asked is whether Byng uses the jQuery JavaScript library and another popular follow up question is why not. Source of much self reflection and questioning I often found myself wondering why I don't feel at home with jQuery as much as Mootools. That is until I read an excellent blog post on Clientcide explaining some of the theory behind Mootools.

Without summarising the article (which makes some generic points applicable to many JS frameworks) several key points really stuck out and apply aptly to Byng's company philosophy on software development.

Due, we're sure, to some alignment of the planets, combined with our great clients and superb software, we're growing, and quickly.

To service these clients in the manner to which they will become accustomed, and to keep our PHP and JavaScript development in its current industry-leading position, we need to take on staff in the following roles:

• Project Manager
• Javascript Developer
• PHP Developer

We hear about the network effect around web technologies and especially related to social media as the value of the network is correlated with the number of users registered. In the case of pure social networking websites (Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, LinkedIn) there is a race for numbers -- there success is inextricably linked to the number of users on their network so it's no wonder that the bubble in starting new "Facebooks" burst some time ago (along with the rest of new media investment)

Probably the most important part of that post is that link to a decent MooTools date picker (or calendar) as this has been so lacking. Enter (weird name) MonkeyPhysics who has developed a slick object orientated component.

Until the MooTools Forge materialises there are a handful of plugin sites around to find your widget: http://www.esteak.net, http://www.clientcide.com or http://www.mooforum.net

At Byng Systems we have our very own MooTools repository but I'm afraid until the day arises that is not under GPL and remains under lock and key (hint: or on our public web applications!).

Back to the Aptana workbench for some more web application development on our new product, Contractiva...

Many hardened web developers get upset after they have spent years honing their software development skills making slicker, sicker and faster web applications only to find themselves confused being a graphic designer. To a programmer this feels like a painter confused with an architect and when vice versa a seamstress confused with a fashion designer!

Shoreditch based web technology company, Byng Systems, is looking for a Lead PHP Developer to take on a lead programming role on business and enterprise web application products. Candidates must be proficient in object-oriented and ORM PHP development with evidence of previous experience of working in team environment and experience in LAMP technologies.