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Tips for successful Web 2.0 websites

This article lists some interesting tips/guidelines for Web 2.0 sites:

  1. Liberate content and services via a public, open API. Content will continue to be separated from the experiences that mediate access to it, this makes adaptable experiences possible. Example: RSS readers let users consume content in the ways they choose and have control over. Doing this turns your Web application into a platform and is one of the most important habits of highly effective Web sites.

Flash ConvolutionFilter

The ConvolutionFilter available in Flash 8...

combines pixel data in a bitmap with data from neighboring pixels to produce a given result. Having control at the pixel level allows you to produce a wide array of effects on a bitmap. These include things like blurring, beveling, embossing, sharpening, and more. All are possible using ConvolutionFilter. Link

You can use the ConvolutionFilter to create fire, smoke and liquid effects.

Google Reader

Up until now I've been using Thunderbird as my main news reader. It's been convenient to consider "news" and "emails" as similar content and check them both in the same software. However, because my news reading history has only been kept locally, once I get home I can't tell which ones are read.

Picasa 2.6.0 to Gallery 2.1.2

Here are some steps to get images out of Picasa, and into Gallery 2.

Export from Picasa

  1. In Picasa, select the photos you wish to upload then from the top menu choose Folder/Export as HTML Page. Note that if you're exporting an album, it will be Album/Export as HTML Page.
  2. Select the required image size and click Next.
  3. Select XML Code as the Web Page Template, then click Finish.

Applying Drupal Security Patches (another Linux newbie note)

Another Linux newbie note: To apply the latest security patch via shell (or PHP Shell), use
wget to download the patch file to the root of the drupal installation:

wgat
http://drupal.org/files/sa-2006-008/4.7.1.patch

Then use the Linux patch command to apply the patch using the -p0 switch to use relative paths (or something like that).

wgat -p0 <4.7.1.patch

CMS Software Review

I've been looking at some different open-source systems, trying to decide which one I might use.

Mambo/Joomla
Pretty neat and tidy admin interface and the templating system is fairly easy. Tends to be based more toward news entries rather than longer static content. As with xoops, it has a rigid section/category system which, for a simple website, just gets in the way.

Typo3

Compiling a DVD

Tried to put Souther Still's "All These Streets" video onto DVD but as usual with video, having some problems.

MVC - Model-View-Controller

So it seems the key text for MVC is How to use Model-View-Controller (MVC). In a nutshell MVC uses three conceptual objects.

  • View - Manages the graphic and text elements - basically the bitmapped display. Renders the interface (usually to the screen)
  • Controller - Interprets mouse and keyboard inputs from the user. Each controller does not maintain state or store data. It simply manages messages as they arrive.
  • Model - The main behaviour and data. It stores the data and application logic for the interface. Responds to instructions to change state from the controller, returns information about it's state from the view

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