Blog posts by Helen Hopkinson2015-01-05T10:28:48.0000000Z/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Optimizely WorldThe extinction of the EPiServer CMS 6 certification exam/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2015/1/the-extinction-of-the-episerver-cms-6-certification-exam/2015-01-05T10:28:48.0000000Z<p>Happy New Year! In line with the article posted on EPiServer World at the end of last year <a href="/link/063331b7e6d643329efc04b1843ce4ef.aspx">http://world.episerver.com/articles/Items/certification-updates/</a>, the CMS 6 certification is now no longer available. As Peter mentioned, information regarding updates of the certification exams will be released soon. Until then, all information regarding the certification can be found on <a href="http://www.episerver.com/ecd">http://www.episerver.com/ecd</a>.</p>Announcing the first EPiServer Commerce Certified Developers/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/3/Announcing-the-first-EPiServer-Commerce-Certified-Developers/2014-03-14T17:26:51.0000000Z<p>I’m happy to announce the names of the first developers to be certified in EPiServer Commerce! Congratulations to the following developers, partners and EPiServer employees and we look forward to following the development of some great EPiServer Commerce solutions. </p> <p>The certification exam will be available at regular, scheduled certification sessions from March 31st. <a href="http://www.episerver.com/signup" target="_blank">Sign up today!</a></p> <h3>EPiServer partner developers</h3> <ul> <li>Martin Pickering - Maginus – UK </li> <li>Håvard Grendal - Making Waves – Norway </li> <li>Robert Strube - Nansen – USA </li> <li>Mari Jorgensen - Geta As – Norway </li> <li>Mattias Bomelin - Avensia – Sweden </li> <li>Johan Petersson - NetRelations – USA </li> <li>Khurram Khan - Welcom Software – UK </li> <li>Fredrik Haglund – Sweden </li> <li>Viktor Gars - Nansen – Sweden </li> <li>Magnus Nilsson - Star Republic – Sweden </li> <li>Christer Heinbäck - Consid – Sweden </li> </ul> <h3>EPiServer employees </h3> <ul> <li>Shannon Gray </li> <li>Per Gunsarfs </li> <li>Mark Hall </li> <li>Magnus Rahl </li> <li>Magnus Stråle </li> <li>Steve Celius </li> <li>Quan Mai </li> <li>Paul West </li> <li>Dan Wyand </li> <li>Tobias Nilsson </li> <li>Jonas Bergqvist </li> <li>Tim Blanchard </li> <li>Kristoffer Sjöberg </li> <li>Ton Nguyen </li> <li>Ossian Berggren </li> <li>Raitis Grinbergs </li> </ul>Selected Commerce certification pilot testers!/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/2/Selected-Commerce-certification-pilot-testers/2014-02-28T17:24:28.0000000Z<p>Congratulations to the following for being accepted to the pilot test program for the first EPiServer Commerce certification exam.</p>
<ul>
<li>Robert Strube (Trainer) – Nansen – Chicago, USA</li>
<li>Johan Pettersson (EMVP) – NetRelations – Los Angeles, USA</li>
<li>Håvard Grendal (Partner) – Making Waves AS – Oslo, Norway</li>
<li>Mari Jørgensen (Partner) – Geta As – Oslo, Norway</li>
<li>Milos Malic <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">or</span></strong> Dejan Caric (Partner) – Laboremus – Oslo, Norway</li>
<li>Mattias Bomelin (Partner) – Avensia – Stockholm, Sweden</li>
<li>Magnus Karlsson (Partner) – HiQ – Stockholm, Sweden</li>
<li>Viktor Gars (Partner) – Nansen – Stockholm, Sweden</li>
<li>Khurram Khan (Partner) – Welcom Software – London, UK</li>
<li>Martin Pickering (Partner) – Maginus – London, UK</li>
<li>Christer Heinbäck (Partner) – Consid – Stockholm, Sweden</li>
<li>Chris Sharp (EMVP) – Nansen – Chicago, USA</li>
<li>Jeroen Stemerdink (EMVP) – eFocus – Amsterdam, Holland</li>
<li>Fredrik Haglund (EMVP & Trainer) – Stockholm, Sweden</li>
</ul>
<p>Good luck and I look forward to congratulating you when you’ve passed the exam.</p>Don’t forget to sign up!/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/2/Dont-forget-to-sign-up/2014-02-27T21:26:44.0000000Z<p>Surely you haven’t missed that Friday February 28th at 10am CET is the closing date (and time) to <a href="http://world.episerver.com/Blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/2/Commerce-certification--Sign-up-for-the-pilot-test/" target="_blank">sign up for participation in the Commerce certification pilot test</a>? We had some minor issues with the registration form on the first day of registration, so if you’re unsure of whether your registration was posted properly, please feel free to repost it. (If you didn’t reach a “Thank you” page, it didn’t work basically.) </p> <p>I have yet to confirm any registrations, so if you haven’t heard from me, it’s all good and you will be doing so within the next few days.</p>Commerce certification – Sign up for the pilot test/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/2/Commerce-certification--Sign-up-for-the-pilot-test/2014-02-24T16:30:04.0000000Z<p>A huge milestone is currently in the making with the launch of the first certification exam for EPiServer Commerce on the near horizon. To ensure the high quality of the exam, we need your help through participation in the pilot test.</p> <p>The aim of the pilot test is to gather as much feedback from a mixed audience as possible in order to adjust the exam before its release to the general public. You will be given a maximum of three hours to complete the test, giving you adequate time to provide feedback. After the test, the results will be analyzed and you will receive your results via e-mail approximately 10 days later.</p> <p>As a pilot tester you will not only be one of the first to see and test questions for the Commerce certification, but you will also receive your results before the scheduled exam dates, giving you a head start in the EPiServer 7 Commerce certification race.</p> <p>We’re looking for <b>12 EPiServer developers</b> from our extensive community to participate in the pilot test…but there are some rules for the participation.</p> <ul> <li>Participation is limited to one developer per EPiServer partner. If the partner has organizations in 3 countries, it still counts as one partner. </li> <li>EMVPs and technical trainers from the EPiServer trainer network have received a separate invitation and are excluded from the above rule. </li> <li>Registration closes February 28, 10.00 CET. All registrations will be processed and participation will be confirmed at latest March 3. </li> <li>Participation can only occur at the locations and dates outlined below. </li> <li>Registration can only be done via the registration form on episerver.com. </li> </ul> <p><b>Further practical information regarding preparation can be found on the registration page on </b><a href="http://www.episerver.com/commercepilot"><b>www.episerver.com/commercepilot</b></a><b>. </b></p> <h3>FAQ</h3> <p>On which version is the exam based? <br />EPiServer 7.5 Commerce</p> <p>What will happen to my EPiServer World profile if I pass? <br />Profile cards and avatars on EPiServer World will be updated to reflect both CMS and Commerce certification status.</p> <p>Is CMS certification a prerequisite? <br />You do not have to be certified in EPiServer CMS in order to take the exam.</p> <p>When will the exam be available to the general public? <br />The external launch date of the exam is March 31, 2014</p>EPiServer 7 CMS certification - 7.5 or not?/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/2/EPiServer-7-CMS-certification---75-or-not/2014-02-19T16:21:32.0000000Z<p>October of last year saw the launch of an updated certification exam for EPiServer 7 CMS. During the development of the exam, we took into consideration that a new minor version of CMS was soon to be launched and although not marketed as such, the exam has been based on CMS 7.5 since January 1, 2014.</p> <p>So in answer to the question “Is the EPiServer CMS certification based on 7.5?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!”</p> <p><a href="http://www.episerver.com/Training/Schedule--registration/#courseTargetGroup=Developers" target="_blank">Sign up for the certification exam</a>.</p>EPiServer Commerce Certification/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2014/2/EPiServer-Commerce-Certification/2014-02-13T12:51:49.0000000Z<p>The time has finally come for developers to prove their development skills in EPiServer Commerce!</p> <p>Development of the first certification exam for EPiServer Commerce is underway and next week we will announce how EPiServer developers will have the opportunity to become one of the first certified by taking part in the pilot test. The pilot test is an important part of the development process, helping us to analyze the exam before launch to ensure its high quality and evaluate the level of competence required.</p> <p>Registration for the pilot test will be open to all EPiServer partner developers with registration being on a first registered, first served basis. So make sure you don’t miss out and watch this space!</p>EPiServer 7 CMS certification knowledge areas/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2013/9/EPiServer-7-CMS-certification-knowledge-areas/2013-09-20T13:08:55.0000000Z<p>Surely you haven’t missed that you can already sign up for the EPiServer 7 CMS certification launch on October 14th? </p> <p>What do you need to know to improve your chances of passing the EPiServer 7 CMS certification exam? The knowledge areas covered in the exam are now available on <a href="http://www.episerver.com/cms7cert">www.episerver.com/cms7cert</a>. </p> <p>What’s the best way for you to prepare for the exam? Read about the <a href="http://www.episerver.com/Training/EPiServer-Certification/Preparing-for-the-exam/EPiServer-7-CMS/" target="_blank">recommended courses and reading material</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.episerver.com/Training/Schedule--registration/#courseProduct=CMS&courseTargetGroup=Developer&courseLocation=Stockholm" target="_blank">Sign up today!</a></p>Sign up now for the EPiServer 7 CMS Boot Camp!/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2013/9/Sign-up-now-for-the-EPiServer-7-CMS-Boot-Camp/2013-09-19T09:58:31.0000000Z<p>Are you new to EPiServer development? Get a kick-start with the EPiServer 7 CMS Boot Camp. The boot camp is for .NET developers with little or no experience of developing solutions with EPiServer CMS. During five intensive and inspiring days, participants learn the prerequisites required to become a capable and competent EPiServer developer.  By mixing theory with hands-on exercises, participants progressively build up a website from installation. </p> <p>The boot camp also includes the certification exam (launch date October 14 ). As we recommend that certification candidates have practical experience from working in several EPiServer CMS development projects before taking the exam, participants will be able to take the exam up to six months after completing the course..</p> <p>Do you need a kick-start to quickly become productive, EPiServer 7 CMS Boot Camp is the training for you. <a href="http://www.episerver.se/Utbildning/Schema--bokning/#courseProduct=CMS&courseTargetGroup=Developer&courseLocation=Stockholm" target="_blank">Sign up now</a> for the next course in Stockholm October 7th!</p>EPiServer 7 CMS Certification/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2013/9/EPiServer-7-CMS-Certification/2013-09-11T11:40:48.0000000Z<p><strong>The time has come for you to become an EPiServer Certified Developer in EPiServer 7 CMS!</strong></p>
<p>October 14 is the official launch date of the EPiServer 7 CMS certification! During launch week, we’re offering no less than five test dates in Stockholm and London in order to meet the demand from developers. Sign up today and become one of the first ECDs in EPiServer 7 CMS!</p>
<p>Information regarding recommended courses and tutorials is available on the <a href="http://www.episerver.com/Training/EPiServer-Certification/Preparing-for-the-exam/" target="_blank">EPiServer website</a>. As the certification test is currently under development, the knowledge areas covered in the exam will be available September 23.</p>
<p>The certification exams can be taken at our European headquarters in central Stockholm and at the EPiServer UK office in London. <a href="http://www.episerver.se/Utbildning/Certifiera-dig/Testinformation/" target="_blank">Information regarding certification elsewhere in Sweden</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.episerver.com/Training/Schedule--registration/#courseLocation&courseTargetGroup=Developer&courseProduct=CMS" target="_blank">Sign up today!</a></p>Working with EPiServer CMS every day..../blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2008/3/Working-with-EPiServer-CMS-every-day/2008-03-31T15:19:00.0000000Z<p>...has its good points, its great points and its not-so-great points! I've recently been very involved in the migration of content from the "old" EPiServer Knowledge Center to the "new" EPiServer World. And I'd be lying if I said that working with EPiServer CMS 5 as an editor every day doesn't make me want to swear out loud sometimes, something I'm sure my colleagues would confirm.</p>
<p>EPiServer CMS <em>is</em> an easy-to-use, intuitive application that makes it easy as pie for Web editors (and anybody else involved with updating a Web site) to add, edit, delete and update information on a Web site. I'm the first one to agree that it really couldn't be easier than it is with EPiServer CMS, and I'm honestly not just saying that because I work at EPiServer.</p>
<p>However....there are also some not-so-great points about the application and I'd like to take just a few moments to dwell on one of these to let my fellow editors know that they are not alone in their occasional editing frustration.</p>
<p>What can possibly have irritated me enough to warrant an entire blog post? Well, it's the "small" things that have got to me over the past few months. I say "small", because they are not a life-or-death bug or feature and do not therefore receive the highest attention from Product Management, and rightly so. One of these "small" things is the bookmark functionality in EPiServer CMS.</p>
<p>To add a bookmark to a page in EPiServer CMS, you place the cursor where you want the bookmark to be entered and either click the Insert Bookmark icon or right-click and select Insert -> Bookmark. Either way opens the Insert Bookmark dialog, where you enter the text that you want to make up your bookmark. But when the Insert Bookmark dialog opens, the cursor isn't automatically placed in the text field where you enter your bookmark. You have to move the cursor with the mouse and click in the Bookmark name field. </p>
<p>Yes, it may seem like a petty thing to all you hard-core developers, but when you have the task of creating at least 10 bookmarks on several hundred Web pages, after the first hundred unnecessary clicks, you get to the stage of wanting to swear out loud, believe me.</p>
<p>So, what am I trying to say with this blog post? To all you EPiServer CMS editors all over the world, whether you're a beginner or advanced EPi user, you're not alone when it comes to occasionally getting irritated by some of the "smaller" issues. Even us editors at EPiServer suffer occasionally, but believe me when I say that I'm fighting for your cause from the inside! Please also feel free to air your frustration about your "small" irritations on the <a href="../../Forum/User-Forum/">EPiServer User Forum</a>.</p>Who really is (or was) Merriam Webster?/blogs/Helen-Hopkinson/Dates/2008/2/Who-really-is-or-was-Merriam-Webster/2008-03-05T12:56:00.0000000Z<p>An increasing number of EPiServer CMS editors write text for the Web in a language other than that native to them. Many Web sites created in countries that do not have English as a first language are localized to include English and other languages. Anyone responsible for the production/translation of text into English will naturally - hopefully - want the English text to have the same quality as the original text.</p>
<p>Working with English texts all day every day at EPiServer, I also often need a bit of language help along the way. OK, I may be a native speaker, being born in the UK, but that doesn't automatically mean that I can spell everything right the first time, especially since I have to spell everything right in American English and not British English. </p>
<p>One tool that I couldn't live without in my day-to-day work as a tech writer is the Merriam-Webster online toolbar. Merriam-Webster Online (<a href="http://www.m-w.com">http://www.m-w.com</a>) is THE dictionary for American English, but who really is (or was) Merriam Webster? Did he or she ever exist? I was interested to know and came up with the following information after a bit of research.</p>
<p>Noah Webster of Connecticut, USA, published the first truly American dictionary, "A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language" in 1806. After Noah Webster's death in 1843, the Merriam brothers bought the rights to Webster's dictionary. The rest is history and now it's possible to search the dictionary directly from a toolbar in your Web browser. Noah Webster would be amazed if he could see what had happened to his first dictionary.</p>
<p>Download the Merriam-Webster Online Toolbar for Internet Explorer from <a title="http://www.merriam-webster.com/downloads/general/toolbar_ie.htm" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/downloads/general/toolbar_ie.htm">http://www.merriam-webster.com/downloads/general/toolbar_ie.htm</a>. Afterwards you can easily search the dictionary by entering your search word in the search box and clicking the Dictionary icon. It couldn't be easier!</p>
<p><a href="/link/cb9007b433704eb9b9b25b57b67b9285.jpg"><img height="85" alt="merriam1" src="/link/4410f41adcc64c71ae62bbaf89955e29.jpg" width="382" /></a> </p>
<p>Are you looking to expand your English vocabulary and impress others at work? Subscribe to the Word of the Day and learn a new English word every day at <a title="http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl">http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl</a>. </p>