Hi and welcome to the new-look site running on Joomla 1.7!!*

I decided that since I build so many websites using Joomla that it was about time that my own personal site was Joomla-based. In fact it's using the very latest version of Joomla and a fantastic theme from YOOtheme, as well as their superb Zoo tool and WidgetKit, which is still in beta. Because of that, and because the site design and structure is all new, please be aware that there may be aspects of the site that are not completely functional. For example, the smaller gallery images are not able to be set to display at their original size but are being expanded to cover the gallery area, meaning the cropping of images is sometimes a bit random. Other things to fix are listed at the bottom of this article and will be updated as they are resolved.

One thing I do want to do with this site (and by putting it down in writing it may mean I do actually get around to doing it) is write about various Mac related issues that might pop up now and then, such as software reviews or commentaries on Apple devices. That's why I have set up a "News" section of the site, so that although I intend to keep most of the site reasonably static, there is scope to add in some new writing as time (and my enthusiasm) allows.

Joomla 1.7 is a real step forward in terms of how you can update Joomla in the future, and the move further away from Joomla 1.5 (which has been around quite a while) signals a strong move by the Joomla team. Joomla 1.6 was really just seen by most as an interim update (despite it having some impressive next features) and it is great to see Joomla moving forward.

I hope you enjoy looking around the new site. Please take time to explore and leave comments if you wish. For those of you interested in Joomla development, you can learn a bit about the tools I used to build the site under the "About" section.

Cheers,

Phil

* The site is always going to be updated to the most recent version of Joomla so that it is always current

Most recently, I worked as the Knowledge and Information Management Team Leader in the New Zealand Defence Force's Training and Education Directorate based in Palmerston North, with responsibilities related to various systems including the Defence Force's Learning Management System. Previously I was the Flexible Learning and Teaching Manager for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University, New Zealand.

The following is an abridged version of some aspects of my Curriculum Vitae. It is not intended to be a comprehensive listing and had been edited to keep it reasonably brief. If you would like to see a copy of my full Curriculum Vitae, please contact me with your details.

Why the name Bluengrey.com?

Short answer : Lack of fashion sense!

Long Answer : Well, the art of coming up with the name for your web site isn't an easy one. After thinking about it for a while, I settled on 'blue n grey'....a bit of a running joke amongst friends about the colour of the clothes I tend to wear or buy. Why not?

I guess what is more important is the contents of the site. I hope you enjoy having a look at the site, finding out more about me, the work that I do and the things I get up to.