Hello world, it’s been a while since my last post. I must say, when writing my last post. I felt I had turned a new leaf in terms of blogging. I would be writing posting one or twice a week or even on a daily basis like my gf (Rush). Who is killing it, Check out Rush Blog.. If your a cool dude like me, and your into Fashion, Art & Culture.

Anyways.. to my point.

“I’m not a blogger”, I have a blog. I have had a blog for a couple years now.. First one started in ’05. (Woah,, that’s five years ago)

Well, i’m not a blogger anymore at least.

Right.. now.

I’m a web-developer that blogs

And don’t you forget it

Right now, I’m working on NIK, my first mobile app.

A whopping 19 comments is how much my “Holy Bananas, I’m 22 tomorrow” racked up. Yea some of them are just of me replying, but that’s not what’s important. I must say, that was the most heart felt post I have ever made. I also got the most heart felt comment ( from my Dad). I knew the post was special as I didn’t care what I said or how I would of come off saying it. Plus the pictures really was the icing on the cake.

Rory @ Darien Lake - 2009

Shortly After I posted, comments came flooding in (with slight encouragement of course): Many thanks to Rushel, Tannie, Kelroy, Marcel, Don, Jerome, Kevin, Nikiesha, Kimberly, Richard (My dad) & Ravi. Hearing from all my family and friends meant so much to me. You guys really meant my birthday so special.

The folks at work, even made me a card.

Rory's birthday card from Work

For the past 6 years I have dreaded my birthday (except turning 21 of course, as I was in America). I have been involved in the “online world” as I like to call it from I was 15. I just found a couple of my posts from Young Entrepreneurs.com just today. It feels great to go back and read them to see where I came from.

I remember when I discovered YE, I felt like I found other folks just like me. I tried my best to read each and ever thread I could find.

I always dreaded my birthday, as I felt I never achieved anything and i’m getting older. eg.) When I was turning 18, I remember reading about a 17 year old internet mogul who just made $10,000. I felt like: “I’m turning 18, and I haven’t done anything”

Funnily, I’m turning 22 and I don’t feel like that anymore. I still feel I could of done more and started other ventures, but im satisfied with where I am in my life.

At 21: I have finish University of the West Indies, got my BSc. in Computer Science, moved out of my parents house and got a job. Not just any job, but a job that’s doing exactly what I love.

Life is something, I got this job, because all of my preview online ventures that started when I was 16+.

That included: blogging, affiliate marketing, website and application creation. If there’s a way to make online, chances are I have tired it.

I have done quite a lot in my 22 years.

I have “saved lives at Disney World”, “endangered lives at Darien Lake Theme Park” and now I’m living my life in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Rory at Disney World, Orlando - 2008

Rory at Darien Lake, New York - 2009

I have been numerous Workshops and Conferences:

Kingston Beta and Reconnect to name a few ( or all)

Rory (somewhere) at Kingston Beta - 2010

I have created online businesses, some good, a lot bad.

I have found a wonderful girl Rushel Miller (who shares my interest and passion) for the internet. We are starting a venture together: Destination Jamrock . My first real business partner.

Rory & Rush - 2010

I have done alot in my 22 years…Thank you lord.

It is now 2010 and I have come a long way. Reaching the insignificant age of 22. The past 22 years has been good, I really can’t complain even though I had my disappointments along the way (I’ll save those for another post).

I’m finish schooling this semester to head into the working world. The next phase in my life is really about the transformation of amassing “good ideas” and  start implementing. I have a book and online micro-blog fill with “good idea” but guess what. No-one cares.. People only care about what you’ve done or are doing.

I won’t fall back into the trap or planning and planning.

So I have my small decent idea RB [helping kids to actually do their homework on time] and with my girlfriend ( Lead Designer) by my side. Nothing can stop me.

Short and sweet.. just like me( I’m 6’1)

Listening to Music

So.. remind to almost 2months ago. When I wrote the post “Never will that happen to me again” . I won’t even bother to recap that.

Back to Kingston Beta.. now and the beautiful Spanish Court Hotel. With my partner in crime “Curtis” by my side. We went to the first Kingston Beta for 2010 and boy was it worth the wait. Everything felt right.I won’t give a review of the evening as you find one here.

The networking segment was good, I finally put some faces to twitter accounts/ website which is always fun.

I basically only wanted to hear what people had to say, not really to talk. But people gave me the “So what did you do?” treatment. So I began to mention Filmbet. Got a few postive reviews. soon confused looks. That all in life I guess.

The pitches were good, I liked the guy from TechShopJa.com. As he seemed young and fighting like me.

I spoke with him after.. he’s doing it FULL-TIME. Which is awesome.

Looking forward to April.

My last post that I made over a month ago titled “It seems to be coming together…”, where I detailed who FilmBet was coming along quite nicely ( which it was). My exams started shortly after that so my focused changed. Then after exams I started playing some online games ( Counter-Strike and Warcraft 3) oldies but goodies .

I cannot pinpoint the real reason that I have placed FilmBet on the backburner, one theory is that since the coding is almost done and I have reached the design aspect which is not my favorite.

Well, its back on again.. I won’t continue this post as I want to get back to Filmbet

Quite nicely if I must say so myself. In my last post I made FilmBet (FB) known to the public. So far so good, the feedback that I have received has been encouraging. People seems to be understanding quickly what they need to do and are able to do it. Which is  the must important thing. Before design and all that jazz. Speaking of design; One and two comments from people have hinted that the design needs work. Which I have to agree, but I was following the guide of just releasing something, get the basics going then I will focus on the design later. I think this was to better way to go and I’m glad that I took this approach as currently I have a functioning website like looks lame, but than an awesome looking website that does nothing.

With encouragement from a little friend, I decided to take a stab at the design. Designing is by far my weakest aspect of Web Development as I’m not a creative person to begin with.

I got started with this tutorial which helped my understanding of MANY Photoshop functions, but i eventually got fed up with it so I didn’t continue. I figured I need to come up with any design that I like ( really?!) and try my best to some how design it. Using the recommendation of Andrew Hype ( Pick Project) I got  ‘Balsamiq Mockups‘ and started wireframing my design. In no time, I had something that I liked and could move along with.

Now, the hard Part using the devil that is Photoshop to create the layout. ( My history with Photoshop hasn’t been good, I initially tried Photoshop 6/7 way back then. It was embarrassing; I couldnt do anything I mean ANYTHING; Flash forward some years I bought The Photoshop Anthology: 101 Web Design Tips, Tricks & Techniques with hopes of learning and start designing. That again failed. YouTube  brought me to the point where I was actually able to create something). I applied the same principles from the tutorial I started the other night and things just flowed.

PS: Guides is simply the most important aspect of any Photoshop design.  So I came up with my mockup, which I am incredibly pleased with.

A quick note on the coding aspect; I finished a major hurdle in the tallying of votes etc. So the coding is approximately 80% finished!! Just little glitches that need to be handled.

Current / New  / Mockup

I mention FilmBet.com numerous times, bare with it. It makes sense in the end.

I had that moment in the life that I believe will have a positive impact on me from this point forward. We all have actions and have our regrets but this is my moment to bow my head down. I will not beat myself down but use this as a lifting point in my life both personally and professionally.

I went to my second Kingston Beta, and of course just sat one side and was ready to listen to some pitches and just lay low. Half way through the first pitch I came up with the idea to pitch my little project ( Filmbet.com) . Maybe it was because the first pitch seem like the group was pitching a design/ development company which turn out to be a island lifestyle magazine. I was antsy and restless, I figured I would just pitch my idea and get all the awesome feedback and make some connections. If only..

The first pitch was finished, and the second pitch started which was a Guy from Ireland launching a SMS company ( pretty big compared to my little project [ Filmbet.com] ). I figured I should of pitched before this dude, but still was confident that I would be able to come in after him with “hey, this is what I’ve been doing my spare time”. The second pitch ended which lead to the third, more of the same. A executive looking dude with a nice little twitter / Caribbean app which looked to take much more time that my project (Filmbet.com).

At the end, the host begin wrapping up and encourages to socialize. So I figured well I didn’t pitch to the whole crowd I must can pitch to a few selected people in my line of sight. Mehh..I went straight to my car and drove home.

To me someone who have aspirations to one day become a serial entrepreneur. That was quite embarrassing to say the least. That will never happen to me again.. Never will I copt to my insecurities and not do something which I know I could of done.

This post is both a me coming out of my shell and also announcing my little project which I didn’t/ couldn’t tonight.

Filmbet.com ( I mentioned it 4 times already to stress the fact that I’m ok with letting it out of bag before it’s quite ready).
Filmbet is an web application that allows users to bet using credits on the predictions of the box office results. It you guess correct you double your correct, If your guess incorrectly you lose ‘em.
Monthly draws will be made, and the user picked wins a prize ☺
Pretty simple and sweet.
Listen.. the site is in early beta.. Most functionality is not quite here yet/ design still not even 50%, but I want to get it out as soon as possible to hear feedback and if needs be, I can adapt. I wanted to do one and two things before announcing, but tonight just changed me and it’s OUT…..
Head on over log in and vote.. but most importantly give me feedback… Email to redrory (AT) gmail.com or leave a comments here.

My answer will be, I don’ think so.

It’s my final year at U.W.I. and its been a rough couple of weeks.

Project after project and so on.

I am still working on FB, in smaller chunks thoughs, but when my exams are finished I’ll head back to full time.

Latest launch day would be Dec 25th.

Awesome news:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/19/yc-funded-dailybooth-raises-1-million-from-sequoia-kevin-rose-ron-conway-et-al/

A while back I said the post about Kington Beta and figured that I had to be there. Since I left the island to work at Darien Lake Theme Park in Batavia, NY . I missed the last one that was held during May. So I had to come to the first one that was held.

Upon reaching Susie’s On the Terrace, I was surprised as from seeing pictures before I thought it would of been more of a conference vibe or simply to be inside, but it was outside right by the door. The turn out was intially small, but eventually grew

The ‘start-ups’ that were pitching were Socialingua, Monagis.com (they sorta dropped out), PlayJamaica.com and CaribContact)

PlayJamaica : a gaming startup started by two friends ( Str8 Games) that persons log on and complete in tournments for a prize. What I like about this, is that they know they won’t be making anytime soon, and are ok with that. They are currently just getting the word out there.

More on SociaLingua and CaribContact later..

I will be heading back this month, should carry back some picture these time.

*****************************

Three week slater,  I am finishing this post.

All I really remember from Kingston Beta was that most of the companies launched were local based ( with the rest hoping to expand) to the Carribean. My thing whether it be Good or Bad, is that I can’t seem to focus on anything local based. It just not my style, most things that success in Jamaica is normally Entertainment based (Parties or Gaming) or food. Those isn’t where my ‘real’ interest lies. Don’t get me wrong, I like Gaming/Party as much as the average guy probably not average Jamaican (for sure in the case of Partying). Those things just deal appeal, I have no passion for them, unless I am very passionate about something when I will NOT stay focuses on it, as I literally get 3-5 decent busienss ideas in my head daily.

Imma do it MY way..