This past week I finally finished up and launched a redesign for the Aces Tattoos website. As part of the redesign I reworked the logo (see old logo here), rewrote the entire site, new design, new... well everything's just new.. that sums it up. The site was done using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, a bit of PHP and even some jQuery. This was my first non-flash site in a looong time and even though it wasn't a terrible process, playing browser-roulette definitely made me remember why I love the Flash world so much. In the end though the goals of the project were satisfied I think (a site to showcase the work of the artists, could be maintained by the client using no code [Adobe Contribute] and a design the client was happy with). It did feel good to do another freelance project after a pretty long layoff. And while I don't plan to get back into freelancing a ton, I do see/have a few projects on the horizon and look forward to the creative freedom you just dont get from the 9-5.

If you get a second, stop by Aces Tattoos and check out the artist portfolios, tell them how awesome their site is or get some ink of your own from one of their amazing artists.

Well I'm not about to go through that hell to get CS3 to run, so I try a few "less invasive" solutions found on the forums. I removed some file associations, and ran the CS3 clean up script again, rebooted. Dragged the files from the DVD to my desktop, created a new user profile and tried again from the new profile. And it appears to be installing... oohhh spoke to soon, I get this lovely error message.

Again WTF?? Looking at the error it cant find a file from the Flash CS3 installer I downloaded for the trial. But I'm installing the whole suite, with all the files on it, why does it need the installer from the trial? And besides that I'm not even trying to reinstall Flash since its already installed? Argh! So I run the setup again only this time I choose the option to completely uninstall all CS3 installs. Then I wait an hour for the uninstall to complete (again WTF??). Once its uninstalled I reboot, run the CS3 clean up script again (choosing option 1) and run it over and over again until it cant find anything else to clean (took 3 rounds this time) -- (as a side note, in order to run the CS3 cleanup script you will need to have the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility installed). Now I begin the install process again (from the desktop). This time though I try running the install from my main profile, and it seems to be working. It takes about 30 minutes and then right when I think I'm home free I get this lovely error.

Crap! So I uninstall...again...and switch to my other profile and try installing from there, only this time I choose just to install Flash CS3 and see how it goes (I don't want to waste another hour and a half if it doesn't work). It runs through the install and I get the error again. This time I figure I'll try and open Flash, maybe I don't need the shared components that didn't install. Yeah... nice try buddy. I get this Helpful message. This has to be the most stupid error I've gotten yet. It hasn't once asked me for my serial number, it doesn't give me the option to input my serial number. This sucks!

About this time I've had it, and I call Adobe tech support back and explain my problem. Now, if theres a silver lining in this story at all it has to be that Adobe's tech support staff are very cool, very helpful, and actually have answers (you can tell they never worked for Dell). "Jeff" at Adobe informs me that I should uninstall CS3 AND CS2 and try again. He also fills me in that the CS3 cleanup script has two more levels of cleanup (levels 3 and 4) that don't appear in the options. I assume this is because of what its about to do. Level 3 will remove/cleanup not just CS3 remnants left on your system after uninstall, but those left by the CS2 uninstall as well. Level for will do this for ALL Adobe products. So he suggested I try removing CS2 and CS3 first, clean with level 3 (run it as many times as needed until no more files are found). Then try installing CS3 again. If that doesn't work then uninstall all Adobe products, clean with level 4, and try the reinstall. I've spent waaay to much time on this already so I say screw it and uninstall all Adobe apps, CS2, Flex Builder, After Effects, and for good measure I uninstall my Macromedia products as well (Studio 8 and Homesite). Run the clean up script on level 4 (twice). Reboot and reinstall CS3.

And it worked! WOW I actually got to the registration screen and everything. Opened all apps and they work. But what a horrible experience. Now I get to reinstall After Effects and my plug-ins (oh joy), and Flex Builder and Homesite. I forsee Friends of Ed creating a book series, "Foundation Adobe CS3 Installation", Amazon cross selling people who buy the software with something like "Customers who purchased Adobe CS3, also bought 100 capsule bottles of Excedrin, Pepsid AC, and a book titled "How to find a job when you've been fired for missing a deadline because you were installing Adobe CS3".

Adobe: This is unacceptable. You can't screw up the install process like this. The conflicts are with YOUR OWN SOFTWARE! Your betas and trials should not conflict with the installation of the product suites. I should not loose 3 full days of productivity to install software. The installation process should be the easy part. This may be the biggest software launch in your history, but its also the worst software experience in history. You may have given sold us some cool tools to use, but made it an absolute pain in the ass to have the opportunity to use them. I really, REALLY, hope that this is not a sign of whats to come with future Adobe software releases. Maybe this was like a software hazing ritual, only I didn't have to light any body parts on fire or drink until I puked (although both of those options sound less painful then this experience has been). And I'll say this, I was hesitant to upgrade my software at home because of the inflated pricing and forced bundling (I own Photoshop CS2, Studio 8, and After Effects 7 Pro, and it still costs $1100+ to upgrade??? WTF??) but after this I can say it will be a while IF I do.

Having said all that, I have to say thank you to Adobe tech support, who I'm sure is getting worn out with calls and deserve a raise for all of the overtime they're gonna have to put in on this. The Adobe installer team (assuming they aren't in protective custody) should be buying the tech support team breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, condos... for the next few years for completely screwing up the most basic part of using software. Thanks Adobe!

Note: I did all of this by copying the install files to my harddrive first, installing from the DVD did not work...at all...ever.

First, I have to comment on the death threats directed at Kathy Sierra. This gets a big huge WTF??? Granted, I only just recently came across her work when I read "Don't ask employees to be passionate about the company!", which I thought was pure genius, I was an instant fan. What in the hell would possess someone, or drive them to the point of threatening her for what she puts on her blog?? If you don't like what she has to say or don't follow her way of thinking, guess what moron you can close your browser?! navigate somewhere else. The people making these threats are faceless cowards who have no business conversing with society.

Second, on a much lighter note, Aral Balkan has announced the SWX format for Flash Data exchange. Personally I think its great! Not sure if I'll use it, who knows, but I think anything that offers a way for more people to use Flash the better . And while I think Patrick Mineault makes some good points, I have to agree with Aral in that not everyone developing in Flash is ready for remoting and XML parsing (although I will say I wish they all were). The use of Flash is growing in leaps and bounds, which also means a ton of inexperienced people will be building flash apps (dare I say the wrong way?). From my perspective, SWX becomes just another option to separate the content from the presentation, allowing for a more maintainable app. And from where I sit, options are never a bad thing. How valid this option really is, only time can tell. As Aral mentioned, SWX is still in its infancy, lets wait and see if it becomes a drain on society or a boost, before we completely disregard it as a valid solution to a problem.

And last, Adobe announces CS3. I'm not quite sure where to start with this one. I think Adobe has done a tremendous job with the software. The enhancements and new products are truly awe inspiring. Having said that, I have to say I'm really disappointed in the pricing strategy. Maybe I'm way of base here but Adobe doesn't seem to give much any credit to those who own multiples of their products. For example, I own copies of Macromedia Studio 8 Professional, Flex Builder 2, Contribute 3, After Effects 7 and Photoshop CS2. For me to upgrade to the Production Studio Premium costs $1199. However if I had only Flash Basic I could upgrade to Production Studio Premium for the same price. So someone that has spend thousands on software has the same barrier of entry as someone who spent a couple hundred. Doesn't that seem wrong (at lest for the guy who spent thousands)? So what will likely happen for me is I will upgrade to Photoshop CS3 Extended and upgrade to Flash CS3 individually, or possibly upgrade to the Web Premium suite and continue to use AE7, and rather than switch to Sound Booth, Illustrator,and Encore, I'll continue to use my copies of Acid/SoundForge, Corel Draw, and Nero. So much for converting me to all Adobe products, great job Adobe Marketing team I think you all screwed the pooch on this one.

1. browse to the site and track down the page where the tutorial begins,
2. copy the URL of the page to my clipboard
3. then I paste the URL into a Google Search ( I use the Google Toolbar, but a the site works just as well)
4. then when Google returns the page, it politely adds a link to [Translate this page] (I believe it uses your system language setting, but don't quote me on that).
5. And wala.. I have the tutorial in English*

Note: Some translations don't carry over perfectly, so be understanding as you read through the text, as some things may sound out of place.

Enjoy!