...by the inmates...for the inmates...
Tuesday, February 24, 2004Elmore Leonard's 10 rules for writing
Elmore Leonard's ten rule for writers. Brilliant.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.(this is my third link from Teresa Nielsen Hayden in one day, which has to be some kind of record) Link (via Making Light) [Boing Boing Blog]A rule that came to mind in 1983. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them. What the writer is doing, he's writing, perpetrating hooptedoodle, perhaps taking another shot at the weather, or has gone into the character's head, and the reader either knows what the guy's thinking or doesn't care. I'll bet you don't skip dialogue.
IMN Launches RSS Tracking Service
ClickZ reports: “Email firm IMN claimed dibs on being the first company to launch a syndication tracking service for publishers employing the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) standard. RSSAds made similar claims two weeks ago, although its application hasn’t yet launched.” [ Via MarketingWonk ]
By meryl@lockergnome.com (Meryl). [Lockergnome’s RSS Resource]
YAAAB: Yet Another Article About Blogging
ZDNet: What's up with blogging, and why should you care?
[Scobleizer: Microsoft Geek Blogger]
Coremetrics, WebSideStory Debut New Offerings
Coremetrics, WebSideStory Debut New Offerings [ClickZ]
And More Comics
Comic blog includes feeds for Adam@Home, B.C., Big.Nate, Calvin and Hobbes, Dilbert, Doonesbury, Drabble, For Better or For Worse, Foxtrot, Garfield, Get Fuzzy, Nancy, Peanuts, and PvOnline.By meryl@lockergnome.com (Meryl). [Lockergnome’s RSS Resource]
How Big Companies are Testing RSS Feeds to Circumvent Email
From MarketingSherpa.com: “Getting the wrinkles ironed out of your email program? Figured out a CAN-SPAM compliance program? Don’t rest on your laurels. You might be facing a defection of customers who want to bypass email for a spam—free format called RSS. RSS — shorthand for either Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication — isn’t new. Technogeeks have been using it to keep up with each other’s Blogs and other Web publishing efforts for years. MarketingSherpa estimates perhaps a quarter of a million users around the world have downloaded the reader software they need to get headlines and news via RSS feeds.”By meryl@lockergnome.com (Meryl). [Lockergnome’s RSS Resource]
BitTorrent FAQ and Guide
Been hearing about BitTorrent, but don’t know what the deal is? The FAQ should clear things up for you. By meryl@lockergnome.com (Meryl). [Lockergnome’s Technology News]
Top 5 Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2003
"America’s growing fear of litigation...". Top 5 Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2003A critical part of the role of judges is deciding who can sue for what, but these days anyone can sue for just about anything.[via Overlawyered < The Legal Reader] [jenett.radio]
75 Top Security Tools
What kind of stuff do I read in my feeds? Well, I see there's a list of the 75 top security tools. Now, why do I link to those here? So that when I need them, I'll be able to find them in Google.Thanks to Alex Moskalyuk's feed for bringing that one to me.
[The Scobleizer -- Celebrating the Geek lifestyle]
New Book - How to Do Everything with Mac OS X Panther
How to Do Everything with Mac OS X Panther is a thorough presentation of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther for beginners and intermediate users.
In this hands-on guide, How to Do Everything with Mac OS X Panther, Kirk McElhearn shows his readers how to get the most out of OS X Panther. Features such as Exposé, iChat AV, .Mac, iCal, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD are explained and illustrated in detail. The book provides easy methods for networking and customizing the Mac and important details about computer security, such as encryption solutions. [MacMegasite] [dws.]
Importing Remote RSS Files
“In this article, get an example of making a request for a remote RSS file, and then importing each individual item into a database. Running a directory like WWWCoder.com requires a way of making things manageable for one person. With RSS you can really make life simple by accepting the RSS feeds and creating an import routine for your database table that stores sites. In this article we will provide some examples of obtaining RSS files and then importing the information into a database.”By meryl@lockergnome.com (Meryl). [Lockergnome’s RSS Resource]
Fun rubegoldberg Flash toy
Jed sez, "Cute Flash toy in which you try to determine the order in which to drag various items into the middle. Each time you drag an item, the items you've already placed change ("level up") and interact with each other. The goal is to drag all the items in the right sequence to advance them all to their maximum levels. (The maximum score is 20,000.) There are quite a few possible sequences that do this, as well as some sequences that don't reach the maximum but do produce fun effects." Link (Thanks, Jed!) [Boing Boing Blog]
SmartManila Beta Available
SocialDynamX is ready to share our next product with Manila and Radio users. Code named "SmartManila", this beta1 application allows multiple Manila and Radio sites to be managed within a single interface. Once setup, you can quickly switch between different services and not lose any data retrieved or the connection established to communicate with each unique server.We need to hear from real Manila users and let you tell us what we need to do to make this tool better for your needs. Here is the ZIP file. Download it, unzip it and run SmartManila.exe.
Download it here: SmartManilaBeta1
and please provide feedback at our SmartManila Beta Test Site.
[Blogging Alone]
FCC Chairman's astounding statement of Internet Rights
FCC Chairman Michael Powell recently gave a talk called "The Digital Broadband Migration: Toward a Regulatory Regime for the Internet Age" at the University of Colorado School of Law. Powell sets out some "Internet Freedoms" that he believes Americans are entitled to: these are astonishingly radical ideas to hear coming out of the mouth of the Chairman of the FCC.
100K PDF Link (Thanks, Alex!) [Boing Boing Blog]
- Freedom to Access Content. First, consumers should have access to their choice of legal content.
- Freedom to Use Applications. Second, consumers should be able to run applications of their choice.
- Freedom to Attach Personal Devices. Third, consumers should be permitted to attach any devices they choose to the connection in their homes.
- Freedom to Obtain Service Plan Information. Fourth, consumers should receive meaningful information regarding their service plans.
Download: Wireless Watch Home v2.0
DOWNLOAD: Wireless Watch Home v2.0.
- 5M
- Win9x/2K/XP
- Shareware
- Screenshot
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=160
{Security} Wireless Watch Home is an intrusion detection application designed to monitor your home wireless network for intruders. Wireless Watch constantly runs in the background and notifies you any time a new and/or unauthorized device has joined your wireless network. The detection of an intruder prompts Wireless Watch to notify you via icon and pop-up window. [Major Geeks]
[Lockergnome Windows Fanatics]
WARE: Expression Engine
I've seen the future and the future is full of expressions. Expression Engine, that is. Still confused? Well not for long. How many of you have a blog? How many of you have a Content Management System? How many of you have been looking for blog software and a CMS package? I've seen the future and the future is Expression Engine.
Released currently as a public beta (1.0b), Expression Engine is a killer app that is sure to change the face of blogging software to come. For those of you who remember my pMachine review awhile back you'll be familiar with the company. Expression Engine is pMachine on steroids. Expression Engine is modular, it's OOP, user friendly, easy to modify, and it's almost 100% plug-ins. What does that mean, almost 100% plug-ins? It means the system was designed from the ground up to be expanded upon, to have things plugged in and unplugged. For you developers, this means an awesome API that is sure to make problem solving a simple task.
I installed Expression Engine, also lovingly referred to as EE, or E squared, or the big double E, in 15 seconds (not including upload times, which will vary). It comes with 12 templates to choose from - or ignore them and create you own. Believe me, in 15 seconds I was running around with a blog that will put most to shame with features and expandability. What features, you ask ?
- Data Modeling
- Speed via page or paragraph caching
- 160 bit SHA1 password encryption
- Double opt-in mailing lists
- Google-friendly URLs
- Multiple categories for postings
- Member groups and associated privileges
- Workflow - Yes, Timmy, you can have the post as first draft, or pending, or in revision
- Image resizing and thumbnailing from your blog entries
- Stat tracking - logged-in members, guests, anonymous, and more
- XHTML compliant Control panel - it is fast. Really fast.
Trust me, if you are serious about your blog or about the CMS on your site, you owe it to yourself to check this product out. I could fill up pages upon pages of how customizable EE is. Imagine each and every user in your system having a different control panel with different privileges, views, powers, and more. You can't fathom the extensibility of EE and I can't wait to dive into it and push it to the edge - if the edge can ever be found!
Stop thinking! Go grab it now and you'll wonder how you ever survived with those other "content tools." It's time to stop having a weblog and move up to an Expression Engine, where your true thoughts are delivered the way you intended them to be. [Eric]
[Lockergnome Web Developers]
It was an RSS Demo
InternetWeek: All about RSS at Demo.
A more in-depth report on the weblogger panel is in the new Red Herring blog kept by Mitch Ratcliffe where I told the audience how RSS lets me keep in touch with what 1300 people are saying on blogs. Mitch was showing off his new Canon Rebel Digital SLR. He said the picture of me was cut out of a small part of an overall picture he took of the panel.
[The Scobleizer -- Celebrating the Geek lifestyle]