… so it’s all good.
Yes, admittedly it has taken longer than expected – and there’s more to do. Which means of course things might take some more time. But we are nearly there and will be launching our new look and a brilliant client support area very soon.
Oh, and there will also be an announcement about the latest Ireland based business to join our green family! 
… new template, new layout and – most importantly – a clear, easy-to-read guide for you if you want to manage your own open-source, green-hosted website!
Watch this space! 
It might have seemed quiet… but that was only because some serious work was going on with two new content management sites really starting to take flight on the EcoWeb.me green servers.
Turbike.org – a WordPress site about a personal, off-grid, pedal powered electricity generator. Set up by Sean Callagy this site is his diary of the project and the reality of trying to pedal your way off-grid!
AquaticTherapy.ie – a Joomla 1.6 site that which aims to bring (and develop) Watsu, Healing Dance and other hydrotherapies in Ireland. More about Joomla 1.6 in coming weeks.
Oh, and while those sites were being set up and activiated, some existing clients continued to receiving very specific support with their sites. Two in particular.
The FreeDiveIreland.com online store was upgraded to ensure it’s running with the latest version of OpenCart (v1.4.9.5). EcoWeb.me also created a special new module for OpenCart to enable ‘cash in advance’ payments be arranged through the store.
While all this was going on meetings were also being held with the good people behind ReidysBistro.com. They’ve been busy behind the scenes gathering images, restaurant menus, setting up twitter etc and are now starting to pull it all together into an active WordPress site over the coming weeks.
So it’s all go here! Because – thankfully – more and more people are choosing ecological ways of doing things. Including green hosting on carbon-positive servers like those used here at EcoWeb.me
Frank Albrecht’s TheLife.ie is the second of his sites that he’s chosen to host on the EcoWeb.me servers!
As Frank is on our Tri-Star hosting package it was simply a matter of creating an add-on domain and then loading his site’s files into the relevant directory. All this was done through his cPanel from where he can also control what happens with AntArts.com (and another holistic site he has in the pipeline).
Well none actually.
This is an ‘ordinary’ html site – no content management system here! What you’re looking at was entirely created on a computer before being uploaded to the server. However, Frank has plans to expand the site’s content and so it’s likely he will install a cms in the near future.
We’re in discussion about whether WordPress or Joomla might be best and will keep you posted about which he chose – and why!
Those familiar with the restaurant scene in Sligo will know Ger and Geraldine Reidy formerly of Lauras of Carney, Envy Food and Hardagons of Sligo.
They are now running their own establishment, “Reidy’s Bistro“, on Stephen Street, Sligo where they cater for lunch, dinner and special occasions.
They’ve recently come on board the EcoWeb.me green servers and work has started ‘behind-the-scenes’ on their site. At the moment all you will see there is a landing page referring you on to their Facebook page. But when their site is complete you’ll be updated here about what CMS they chose and why. It will be interesting to see which of the two leaders (WordPress, Joomla!) might suit them best.
In the meantime isn’t it good to know that there’s another Sligo business on a carbon-positive server!
AntArts.com
Offering unique, handcarved fair-trade pendants from Auroville, India, AntArts.com are now hosted on the EcoWeb.me green server. AntArts is the first of our sites to be completely based around the free, open-source OpenCart software.
Using it, Frank Albrecht (AntArts owner) is able to present this range of fair trade jewellery in easily followed categories. Astrological symbol pendants are due to appear soon and in time more ethical and environmentally conscious products will be added to the AntArts range.
After they had uploaded the logo through the normal OpenCart channels, I was able to show Frank and his designer (Monika Mincewicz) the impact of changing the background colour of the site. Once they had chosen their colour it was simply a matter of making those changes permanent in the OpenCart css files.
Interested in hosting your own online shop? OpenCart is definitely worth considering. Of course, it’d be nice if you were to host it on the EcoWeb.me green server. But if not, you could also try Hostgator*.
* Yes, that is an affiliate link, and EcoWeb.me will receive a commission should you order. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to reward EcoWeb.me in this way.If you’re using the world’s most popular content management system you can find some essential WordPress video tutorials here. Or via the Tutorials > WordPress menu link.
Happy viewing! 
It took a while but the migration of FreeDiveIreland.com to the EcoWeb.me servers is now complete. Like IrelandHarp.net, the FreeDiveIreland.com site is a Joomla! driven site and there are also a few free Joomla! extensions in action too.
Again the Alfcontact extension provides a simple method to allow people make contact with Feargus Callagy the site owner. Then there’s a nifty Joomla! module called FB LikeBox FanPage that allows site visitors see the most recent post Feargus has made on the FreeDiveIreland facebook wall. Visit FreeDiveIreland.com to check them out.
As regards the template… well, it’s a fairly straightforward modification of the default JA Purity Template that comes with every Joomla! 1.5 installation. Instructions on how to do this are given to each EcoWeb.me client if they request them. But if a person hasn’t time to work through them, then I can step in and help out.
IrelandHarp.net
The final touches were put in place last night – and another site is now hosted on our green server: IrelandHarp.net
This is a Joomla! run site and makes use of some very nice open-source Joomla! extensions to enhance it’s performance. Making it easy for the site-owner to create and administer this very presentable site.
The Alfcontact module is being used for the contact page and the PhocaGallery component was installed to drive the display of images and videos on the site. Oh, and there’s also a Phoca module being used to display the random image in the left-hand column.
The free DivShare service is also being used to play samples of the “Tale of the Gael” Irish traditional music. Visit the site, click ‘recordings’ on the left and scroll down. Harp, flute, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, voice… it’s all there. Well worth a listen!
WineStreetWellness.com homepage
While many are still being migrating at the moment, a brand new website client comes on board: The Wine Street Wellness Centre.
An initiative by Grainne Gilmartin (McTimoney Chiropractor), the centre opened in 2008 to provide the people of Sligo with a ‘one-stop-shop’ for complimentary, alternative and natural therapies.
The need to publicise their Dec 11th Open Day prompted them to launch their site before it’s fully complete. But if you check in there every few days, you’ll see just how easily relative newbies to the cms world can make the necessary changes.
