Abstract Musings

Category Archives: Blogs

Navel gazing posts about blogs and blogging

So Long…

September 13, 2005 – 11:48 am

Arthur Chrenkoff signs off with his last post. Thanks for all you’ve done, Arthur. I’ll miss your voice in the blogosphere.

But the work he started by reporting “Good News” from Iraq and Afghanistan will continue.

By Robby | Also posted in General | Comments Off

Using an Existing Field in Movable Type for the Flash Photoblog World Map

February 21, 2005 – 4:40 pm

Last month, I added Mark Zeman’s Flash Photoblog World Map to my Photos section. When I originally put the map up, I used the admin tool which came with the map to add the map locations to a separate database. This required using two separate interfaces for each posting — not an ideal solution. So since then, I’ve been looking for a way to integrate the map with Movable Type.

One of the initial options I considered was to use an existing field for the extra information required by the map. This was the easiest option available. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really an option for me, since I was already using all of the fields for my posts. However, I’ve decided to explain how to do it, since it isn’t all that difficult. You can read the details about the more complex option I decided to use, but if the idea of adding columns to your database, or rummaging around in Perl code doesn’t appeal to you, then using an existing field is probably the solution for you.

The object of this post will be to help you implement this solution (using an existing field) for integrating the Flash Photoblog World Map into your MT installation. The main advantage to this approach, besides its simplicity, is that it requires no modification of your MT files or database. All that’s (possibly) required is an extra PHP file in the directory with your Flash Map and creating two templates. You’ll be using the PHP based version of the Flash Map, so you’ll need to have PHP on your server. If you don’t have PHP on your server you could try using Brad Choate’s Key Values plugin, which will let you store the data in one of your fields as key/value pairs and then extract that data into a MT template tag suitable for use in your MT templates.

Read More »

By Robby | Also posted in Internet, Photos, Technology, Web Design | Comments Off

Integrating the Flash Photoblog World Map with Movable Type

February 21, 2005 – 4:28 pm

Last month, I added Mark Zeman’s Flash Photoblog World Map to my Photos section. When I originally put the map up, I used the admin tool which came with the map to add the map locations to a separate database. This required using two separate interfaces for each posting — not an ideal solution. So since then, I’ve been looking for a way to integrate the map with Movable Type.

I initially considered two options:

  1. Using an existing field for the extra information required by the map. This was the easiest option available. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really an option for me, since I was already using all of the fields for my posts. Details on this method are available.
  2. Or, I could add the necessary data to the EXIF data of the image. But this was hardly ideal either. I would need to use another program to add the data to the EXIF fields, not much different from using the admin tool to add the data to a database — my original problem.

So, I went looking for another option. In the end, I decided to add some custom fields to the Movable Type entry interface. In the rest of this post, I will detail what modifications I made to my Movable Type installation. But first, most of the credit for this goes to Deane at Gadgetopia for the instructions on adding custom fields to the Movable Type entry interface and Mean Dean at Heal Your Church Web Site for the instructions on using the custom preferences of the entry form to show or hide the new fields.

One last thing before I get started. A warning: this not a simple hack — use it at your own risk. I am not responsible if you attempt to implement this and something goes wrong. I agree with both Deane and Mean Dean, this is not for the faint of heart. If the idea of adding columns to your database, or rummaging around in Perl code doesn’t appeal to you, you are probably better off if you don’t use this method. You might consider the simpler option of using an existing field.

So far these modifications have worked for me using version 3.15 of Movable Type and MySQL. Also, it goes without saying that doing this will probably create problems when performing any future upgrades to your Movable Type installation.

So with all that said, if you are still interested keep reading for all the gory details.

Read More »

By Robby | Also posted in Internet, Photos, Technology, Web Design | Comments (1)

Stupid and Useless Gestures

January 21, 2005 – 2:40 pm

It is commentary like this:

It’s reminiscent of the line from Animal House, when Otter says, “I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part.” Bluto answers, “We’re just the guys to do it.” The Democrats have become the party of stupid and useless gestures.

That has put Captain’s Quarters in the realm of higher beings. Congratulations Captain Ed, you deserve it.

By Robby | Also posted in Politics | Comments (4)

Stones Cry Out Header Contest

January 18, 2005 – 9:15 pm

Rick Brady at Stones Cry Out — the best name for a blog, ever — is having a contest to design a header for his new blog.

I thought I’d try out my hand at some simple designs and enter some myself, so here are my submissions. (Click on the small images below for the larger version.)

Stones Cry Out, Badlands National Park, September 2003

Stones Cry Out, Badlands National Park, September 2003

Stones Cry Out, Sunrise at Badlands National Park, September 2003

Stones Cry Out, Sunrise at Badlands National Park, September 2003

Stones Cry Out, Badlands National Park, September 2003

Stones Cry Out, Badlands National Park, September 2003

The scenery for all the photos is Badlands National Park in southwestern South Dakota. My wife and I visited in September of 2003. The first five photos were taken at sunrise along the Window Trail. And the last photograph was taken from our campsite.

Now head on over to Stones Cry Out and give Rick some feedback on all the great designs that have been submitted. I have a feeling I might regret plugging the contest. I certainly don’t need any more competition.

By Robby | Comments (4)

Pay for Blog

January 16, 2005 – 10:28 pm

Ann Althouse on blogola:

Is the blogger’s interest in his own credibility much of a safeguard? You might think that all a blogger has is his credibility, and anyone who’s built up his traffic to the point where someone wants to buy his influence won’t want to squander his credibility. But people cave in to temptation all the time when things they care a lot about are at risk, and bloggers are especially vulnerable. For one thing, the blogger — writing without pay — is more likely to need the money and to feel frustrated about having done so much work without getting paid. Add to this the fact that writing multiple posts day after day can burn a person out. A blogger might be thinking: look at all of this work, but how can I walk away from all of this traffic? One strategy for ending one’s grueling blog project might be to sell it off, by taking money during the next campaign season. If the blogger is discovered looting his blog’s credibility: well, he needed to quit anyway.

She’s right on the money. If a blogger is willing to trade reputation for a payday, it’s probably time for the blogger to stop blogging.

I don’t agree with her, however, that Kos would have refused the money the Dean campaign was offering — had he the advertising rates he has now — to keep his reputation intact. Unless I’m misreading his response, he doesn’t seem too concerned that the disclosure that he was paid for more than just technical advice will tarnish his credibility.

By Robby | Comments Off

Some Questions in Need of Some Answers

January 14, 2005 – 10:20 am

La Shawn Barber is doing some research for a project and asking bloggers (and blog readers) for their input. Here are her questions and my answers.

1) How long have you been blogging?
Four months of writing my own blog, but I’ve been lurking and infrequently commenting on blogs for several years. For me, it all started with Slashdot and went downhill from there.

2) Do you believe you’re addicted to blogging? Please explain, and be honest. It is habit-forming, I must confess. (If I decide to use your response, I may have follow-up questions.)
Yes, it is incredibly habit-forming. Even though I’ve had a website for years, I never really posted personal thoughts on it; it served more as a test bed for me to write code — testing web development stuff and the like, more educational in nature, not informative. I started my own blog as an outlet to write about current events/things I found interesting. Prior to the election, I would get worked up about stuff and vent to my wife. Some days she would strongly encourage me to avoid reading any blogs, but I found that I couldn’t go for long without reading some blogs. And now that I have my own blog it has only gotten worse. Offline, I find that I am constantly thinking about or planning something to write about for my blog, or even worse adding “features” to it. (What can I say? I’m a programmer, and the internet is my environment.) Plus, I must be addicted because writing is hard for me — if you want code, I’m your man — but creating meaningful prose is a struggle for me, so I do it to satisfy my own personal itch; it’s just an itch I can’t ever seem to scratch.

3) Have you ever taken a hiatus? If so, for what reason and how long?
I’ve never intentionally decided to take a break from blogging; something usually comes up that takes me away for a while. I try to post something every day, unless I’m incapacitated (sick or away from the internet — which is a sickness to me) or traveling somewhere (probably falls under being away from the internet — only I love to travel, so that compensates for the lack of the internet). So occasionally, I’ll not post, but not for long; although when I moved my blog off of Blogger, I didn’t post much while I was preparing my new site.

4) Have you ever thought of giving up your blog? Why or why not?
Nope; I’m having too much fun.

So go on over to her site and share your experiences. And even if you don’t participate, the comments are worth a read. Fascinating stuff.

By Robby | Comments Off

Recognizing the Small Bloggers

December 22, 2004 – 4:45 pm

La Shawn Barber provides some background on the smaller blogs which helped to break and spread the Rathergate story.

La Shawn on her blog also shares her motivation for writing the story.

These are the kinds of contributions I had in mind when I wrote the other day that “Bloggers” might have been a better choice for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. (Not that the President isn’t a darn good one.)

By Robby | Also posted in Internet | Comments Off