b.cognosco

I installed the pLessFix script a while back, so my question is do I need to remove that fix now, and if so how? Tools are so much friendlier to non-Geeks like me.

I was never quite sure whether Andy Fragen's pLessFix script was working or not, since I didn't know how to do iterative testing with a script. Now I should be able to install/uninstall easily and see the effect.

pLessFix Tool. I think I've successfully converted my pLessFix into a tool. I have to let it burn in for a couple of days to make sure it's working like I think it's supposed to.
For this tool the advantage is easier installation and constant updating in case UserLand changes the drivers. If they do then the new versions will be utilized for the changed drivers. Uninstall from the menu.
All tools are available from my Public Tools.
BTW, in case anyone forgot I wrote this tool to get rid of the multiple paragraph tags that Radio would insert into the upstreamed code whenever there were blank lines. [ Source: Surgical Diversions]

Fine-tuning Google Site Search

12:03:58 PM

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More tips from RFB on fine-tuning the Google search box.

Sample code for focused custom Google search. The site search feature of Google's free custom search offering works by default only for sites whose addresses are root-level URLs (so, for example, you can use it out-of-the-box to search jrobb.userland.com or blogs.salon.com but not blogs.salon.com/0001111/).
With the help of Ian Landsman and a few other readers over the weekend, I've come up with code that produces a custom Google search of just this blog. I've in fact replaced my calendar with it (well, I've moved the calendar to the bottom of my masthead column anyway, on the theory that robots may still find it useful).
I want to offer the code to anyone to copy and tweak, but I've learned that posting code (even escaped-out code) to a blog entry tends to upset news aggregators, so instead I've written up the learning process with a few code samples as a story. [ Source: Radio Free Blogistan]

Google Search Specifics

11:58:42 AM

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Repost: More details on how to force the Google search to stay within a given URL.

One solution to Google site search. Have I mentioned lately that I love the Internet? Cast a question on the waters and the answer (or an answer) generally comes back within 24 hours.
Ian Landsman sent me a solution in the comments to my previous post. I'd paste the code in here but even when escaped out it will cause problems for at least some aggregators, so look at the comment if you're interested.
Basically, Ian's solution passes the inurl:0001111 specification that limits the search to just my site on this server, including it in the query as a hidden text value by including name="q"
The only drawback I can see to this solution is that, by avoiding the custom Google search, it doesn't permit cobranding (not that big a deal to me as a private individual but perhaps an issue for more commercial enterprises) and it doesn't offer site-specific search option on the results page.
I'm playing around with a hybrid solution on an experimental page (experimental meaning undesigned, no navigation, etc.). Basically, it involves using as much of the custom code as possible but still trying to pass the hidden text values per Ian's solution. It seems to work just fine, but I'll keep banging away at it for a while to see if I've screwed it up.
If it does work, I'm going to replace my calendar with a search box and then probably write up a story with the code so it won't break aggregators but so I can distribute it to anyone who isn't blogging from the root of their domain.
(This entry x-posted to knowhow category because making blogs—or k-logs alike—searchable addresses a key question regarding the usefulness of logging as a KM or knowledge sharing instrument.) [ Source: Radio Free Blogistan]

Berman and Coble Cry Foul

11:17:29 AM

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Repost: During the first Congressional hearing on their heinous P2P bill, Senators Berman and Coble -- the Congressional Bonnie and Clyde of Right to Read laws -- are crying foul over the media tumult they created. Some months back I made a post claiming this bill was nothing but a publicity stunt. Berman has since claimed his only goal was to start a debate on these serious issues, and now both he and Coble claim they have been unfairly treated by the media.

Copyright bill slurs are lies, say US senators. ZDNet Sep 30 2002 4:07AM ET
[...] "There have been some truly outrageous attacks," Berman said. "I never expected that anyone would challenge the underlying premise of the bill, namely that copyrighted owners should be able to use reasonable, limited measures to thwart peer-to-peer piracy". [...]

If I may be so bold, I believe this was exactly what Berman wanted, although I suspect he is genuinely a bit surprised at the negative public perception of his bill. The fact that he actually announced his bill at a meeting of the Computer and Communications Industry Association shows just how little he really understood.

[...] "I've never received such notoriety from a bill that I did not introduce," Coble said. "But if Howard Berman asked me today to co-sponsor it, I would do it again. It is our responsibility to promote efforts to reduce infringement or piracy of intellectual property."
Coble added, "Actually, Howard, when I decided to co-sponsor your bill, I thought it was relatively noncontroversial. But there are others who don't share your convictions about property rights and are currently attempting to march me into the woods for political re-education." [...]

Coble appears to know even less, and when speaking without the benefit of his aides spoon feeding him the words, makes a genuine ass of himself. This pair is the Laurel and Hardy of Intellectual Property but, sadly, are far more dangerous. They have no business making Copyright law, discussing Intellectual property in any form, or taking on themselves the responsibility of securing the creative freedom of our future. They simply have no clue except what they are told by MPAA and RIAA execs.

In typical, self-reinforcing fashion, only one person was asked to speak in criticism of the bill (there's really no need to listen to the opposing side when you already know you're right.)

[...] Gigi Sohn, president of the Public Knowledge nonprofit group, was the only opponent asked to testify. Under harsh questioning from the panel, Sohn stressed that she was not a copyright abolitionist and believed that there was a role for government in punishing widespread infringement. [...] [ Source: Moreover - IP and patents news]

Stupid #prefs.txt not found error

10:56:15 AM

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Had to delete an entire day's worth of posts just to clear this up. This is a stupid error. I don't care if I caused it by putting in too many double quotes.

This is a stupid, brain-dead error message. That something so simple can crop up out of nowhere and you have no clue where to fix it is inexcusable. At least give me some way to find the error besides going backward through posts and killing them until the error goes away.