Monday, 25 June 2007
Action Testing
Calling all testers: I've uploaded some new functionality which only you can see for now. There is a new section on the site which makes some suggestions for actions you can take to reduce your emissions. We're still adding content, so there might not be many ideas on the list, but all the functionality is there now. It needs a good test, and hopefully I'll be able to make it public by the end of this week.
Thursday, 21 June 2007
The Carbon Diet goes public!
Yesterday, I uploaded the first version of the Carbon Diet that is open to the public! You don't need to be a tester any more to use it, so it's open to the world now.
Since the last blog post, there have been a whole bunch of changes. You can now enter your data in different units, with sensible defaults depending on where you live, there is a whole bunch of explanatory text to guide you through the process, and all the graphical bugs should be ironed out. I've also added support for users in the US, so we're now international!
You can also store mileage with your fuel purchases, so although the site doesn't use it to calculate CO2, we should be able to add some fuel efficiency graphs for you in the future.
Since the last blog post, there have been a whole bunch of changes. You can now enter your data in different units, with sensible defaults depending on where you live, there is a whole bunch of explanatory text to guide you through the process, and all the graphical bugs should be ironed out. I've also added support for users in the US, so we're now international!
You can also store mileage with your fuel purchases, so although the site doesn't use it to calculate CO2, we should be able to add some fuel efficiency graphs for you in the future.
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Redesign
Today I've been working on a complete graphical overhaul of the site, which I've uploaded early so that I can get feedback on it. I think it's much nicer than the last one, and it shows off the new logo as well!
There are also major changes to the workflow of the site. The site should now be much easier to navigate, and more internally consistent.
There are some changes still to be made before this becomes version 0.6 final, mostly to the tour and to the textual content of the new layout, but that can be tomorrow's job.
Take a look, and let me know what you think!
EDIT: I've just realised, I forgot to re-style the login and other user management pages. I'll fix it tomorrow ;)
There are also major changes to the workflow of the site. The site should now be much easier to navigate, and more internally consistent.
There are some changes still to be made before this becomes version 0.6 final, mostly to the tour and to the textual content of the new layout, but that can be tomorrow's job.
Take a look, and let me know what you think!
EDIT: I've just realised, I forgot to re-style the login and other user management pages. I'll fix it tomorrow ;)
More Updates
Last night I uploaded version 0.5 of the site, hurrah! This version is mainly backend improvements, so it's unlikely you'll notice anything hugely different, except possibly a few improvements in the calculations used and a few cosmetic changes here and there. I've postponed the suggestion functionality a little, because there are a few things I want to get right before I write that part.
However, one interesting new feature which you can use is available - the Carbon Diet now has a mobile interface, which you can use through your phone's web browser! This should make entering data much easier as you won't have to boot up your PC just to put an electricity reading in. It still needs heavy testing, but if you want to take a look, load up http://carbondiet.org/m in your phone's web browser.
In other news, I'm now taking a short break from paid work to develop the site full-time. I'm doing a graphical redesign this week, but then I'll hopefully be removing the tester restrictions and letting anyone sign up and get dieting!
However, one interesting new feature which you can use is available - the Carbon Diet now has a mobile interface, which you can use through your phone's web browser! This should make entering data much easier as you won't have to boot up your PC just to put an electricity reading in. It still needs heavy testing, but if you want to take a look, load up http://carbondiet.org/m in your phone's web browser.
In other news, I'm now taking a short break from paid work to develop the site full-time. I'm doing a graphical redesign this week, but then I'll hopefully be removing the tester restrictions and letting anyone sign up and get dieting!
Monday, 28 May 2007
Version 0.4
Yes, that's right, I've uploaded the next version of the site today. This one has a fair amount of new stuff in it. As well as improving the workflow and look of the site, I've added the last major domestic emissions source - cars. You can now track your fuel purchases and factor your vehicle usage into your CO2 calculations. That is the most important contributors covered (as far as the site is concerned). Other sources, like heating oil and flying will be added later on after the 1.0 release.
I've also added a tour, so that you can see what the site is all about before you sign up. This is one of the things that really had to be done so that I didn't have to explain everything to every user individually. We're getting to the point now where I can start thinking about opening the site up to a wider audience... maybe after the next version :)
Incidentally, the main thing for the next version is to add CO2 reduction suggestions, so watch this space for more details soon!
Oh, and I must namecheck LibraryThing for the very nice design of their tour, which I'm afraid I've blatantly copied. LT has been a very big influence on the Carbon Diet; I've been trying to keep my design as simple and as usable as theirs. I don't think I'm there yet, but with any luck (and skill) it should be OK in the end!
I've also added a tour, so that you can see what the site is all about before you sign up. This is one of the things that really had to be done so that I didn't have to explain everything to every user individually. We're getting to the point now where I can start thinking about opening the site up to a wider audience... maybe after the next version :)
Incidentally, the main thing for the next version is to add CO2 reduction suggestions, so watch this space for more details soon!
Oh, and I must namecheck LibraryThing for the very nice design of their tour, which I'm afraid I've blatantly copied. LT has been a very big influence on the Carbon Diet; I've been trying to keep my design as simple and as usable as theirs. I don't think I'm there yet, but with any luck (and skill) it should be OK in the end!
Thursday, 10 May 2007
Version 0.3 and beyond...
Version 0.3 of the Carbon Diet website has just been uploaded for your delectation. This version builds on the existing functionality, adding the ability to track mains natural gas usage. There are also some layout changes, a bit more explanation text in some places, and a bunch of bugfixes and efficiency improvements.
Now that you can track more than one source, you can compare them side by side and see which is dominant. If, for instance, your emissions from gas are higher than electricity, you might want to look at ways of reducing that one first, such as turning down the thermostat a little, or investing in a more efficient boiler or solar water heating system. The possibilities are endless, and now, the Carbon Diet gives you the information you need to make the right decisions!
Now it's time to start work on the next version, which will add the final major piece of emission tracking functionality - vehicle fuel! There will be more later, such as tanked oil and gas, but they will come after the public release.
The complete plan is this: version 0.4 will include vehicle fuel tracking, as well as functionality which allows you to attach notes to dates. Version 0.5 will then add the social aspects, with public profile information, blog and web page widgets, league tables, and so on. At that point, it'll be mainly tidying up, working on the design, and rewriting text for version 1.0, which will be released to the world properly.
After that, I'll be working on support for flights, other fuel sources such as heating oil, tanked gas, and so on, as well as proper graph customisation options. That's all a little way in the future though, we shall see how it goes I guess...
Now that you can track more than one source, you can compare them side by side and see which is dominant. If, for instance, your emissions from gas are higher than electricity, you might want to look at ways of reducing that one first, such as turning down the thermostat a little, or investing in a more efficient boiler or solar water heating system. The possibilities are endless, and now, the Carbon Diet gives you the information you need to make the right decisions!
Now it's time to start work on the next version, which will add the final major piece of emission tracking functionality - vehicle fuel! There will be more later, such as tanked oil and gas, but they will come after the public release.
The complete plan is this: version 0.4 will include vehicle fuel tracking, as well as functionality which allows you to attach notes to dates. Version 0.5 will then add the social aspects, with public profile information, blog and web page widgets, league tables, and so on. At that point, it'll be mainly tidying up, working on the design, and rewriting text for version 1.0, which will be released to the world properly.
After that, I'll be working on support for flights, other fuel sources such as heating oil, tanked gas, and so on, as well as proper graph customisation options. That's all a little way in the future though, we shall see how it goes I guess...
Friday, 4 May 2007
The Carbon Diet goes live!
Ah yes, the day has finally come! The first version of the Carbon Diet is live, online now at www.carbondiet.org! This is only the initial version, so it's quite basic, but I really should explain what it does.
Basically, the Carbon Diet is a carbon calculator on steroids. The idea is that you enter easy-to-get data, like electricity meter readings, gas readings, and vehicle fuel purchases, and the website calculates exactly what your carbon footprint is on a day-to-day basis. This gives you a much better idea of how you can cut your carbon emissions, and when you do, you can see it happening straight away!
At the moment, the site only copes with electricity readings, but I've got a feature rollout planned which should have natural gas on there shortly, followed by the rest in due course.
If you would like to become a beta tester for the site, then head on over there, sign up, and once you've gone through the confirmation process, send me an email with your details so I can activate your account!
Basically, the Carbon Diet is a carbon calculator on steroids. The idea is that you enter easy-to-get data, like electricity meter readings, gas readings, and vehicle fuel purchases, and the website calculates exactly what your carbon footprint is on a day-to-day basis. This gives you a much better idea of how you can cut your carbon emissions, and when you do, you can see it happening straight away!
At the moment, the site only copes with electricity readings, but I've got a feature rollout planned which should have natural gas on there shortly, followed by the rest in due course.
If you would like to become a beta tester for the site, then head on over there, sign up, and once you've gone through the confirmation process, send me an email with your details so I can activate your account!
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