Archive for the 'Technology' Category

GöSPress Plug-in

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 1 May 2007 in Technology. 3 Comments

No, I don’t have plug-in mania… I just haven’t found a Spell Check for WordPress that I actually like yet… I can’t stand the Visual Editor, I refuse to use it, and spell checking options become severely restricted if you don’t… So here it is, based on Amir Salihefendic’s GoogieSpell, GöSPell. Now your readers can even check the spelling in their comments (if you let them…)

GöSPress is a spellcheck plug-in for WordPress built around Googie Spell developed by Amir Salihefendic.

GöSPress delivers spellcheck to those who prefer not to use the Visual Editor, along with the ability to allow spell check for reader commenting, the selection of available language dictionaries, and limited ability to customize the appearance.

I’ve only tested this on WordPress 2.1, so anyone running earlier versions who’ld like to give it a whirl and let me know about its compatibility (or lack thereof), please do so with my undying gratitude.

Download GöSPress

WordPress AWStats Xtended Info Plug-in v.2.1b r005

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 5 April 2007 in Technology. Closed
UPDATED :: April 5, 2007
2.1b r005 makes the plug-in function properly… When I changed the directory I forgot to change the line where it was referenced in the ‘js/awstats_misc_tracker.js’ file, kicking out at 404 error in the logs, not statistics. Good catch, and much thanks to Dave, Dominique Stender, and GreyDuck.

IMPORTANT!
REVIEW THE README FILE FOR IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE UPDATING FROM VERSIONS PRIOR TO 2.1b r004!

You can download the update here.

Enjoy!

WordPress AWStats Xtended Info Plug-in v2.1b r004

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 31 March 2007 in Technology. Closed
UPDATED :: March 31, 2007
2.1b r004 makes the plug-in function properly on any page that isn’t your home page… Seems that a relative url pointing to the AWStats script doesn’t do much from a static page.
IMPORTANT!
REVIEW THE README FILE FOR IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE UPDATING TO VERSION 2.1b r004!

You can download the update here.

Enjoy!

WordPress AWStats Xtended Info Plug-in v2.1

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 16 March 2007 in Technology. Closed
UPDATED :: March 16, 2007
2.1b r003 Fixes the whole kit and kaboodle… It seems somewhere between r001 and r002 I screwed up the linking to the misc tracker javascript… I fired the entire Quality Assurance team :P

UPDATED :: February 25, 2007
2.1b r002 Adds version checking. (3/16: But broke the rest…)

Originally posted February 24, 2007
I’ve updated my AWStats Xtended Info plug-in to version 2.1b r001 2.1b r002 2.1 r003 (3/16: third time’s the charm…).

The plug-in now includes an options page so that you can choose which page types you would like to insert the AWStats script into and automatic version checking. (3/16: And I fixed the rest of the damned thing.)

Additionally, I’ve moved the plug-in to its own page… You can find the page here. Update your bookmarks!

del.icio.us Links for 2006-11-02

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 2 November 2006 in Links and Technology. Closed

Here are some more places on the net you might like, but you don’t have to take my word for it… Oh, wait, yes you do…

I’m not a Computer Nerd… (or more FREE software)

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 20 July 2006 in Links and Technology. Closed

There was a comment placed on the site recently by Json over at Broken Soap Box, he said:

I don’t have a vendetta against Mr. Gates or his empire, but if you’re tired of Windows for whatever reason, take it a step further. Use linux :D After a short learning curve that left patches of hair missing from my head, I’ve been Windows free for quite a while now, and I don’t regret the decision at all…. aside from finding a decent FTP app, that is :D

Alright, I’ll fess up, I too have a linux box hidden in the corner… It’s my trusty pal Ubuntu, whom I try to teach new tricks as often as possible. Seriously, though, when mentioning free software, I was slack in forgetting to mention the grand-daddy of it all- Linux. Whatever the flavor you choose or use, Linux is great (and FREE) OS, although geared moe toward “computer users” than the average Joe Public consumer, each year it becomes friendlier and more accessible to the masses.So thank you Json, you’re quite right, Linux is a great alternative. Although I still think the MS-empire is evil.

If you too would like to indulge in some free OS bliss, give Ubuntu Linux a whirl on a secondary or old box. It’s fun, you might like it…

Where in the world is michael-gerard.com?

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 9 July 2006 in Technology. Closed

If you frequent my blog you might have noticed its absence over the past month and a half. What is going on, you ask? It’s a long story, but here it is in a nutshell…

As you might know, I host eight websites. It is both easier and more economical for me to just use my own computer rather than pay monthly for hosting. That all works perfectly until… Well, enter Murphy and his damnable law. Here’s the breakdown.

12 May 2006 :: My poor, poor PowerMac G5 suddenly stops booting. A quick Apple Hardware Test shows the Logic Board to be bad. Call Apple, get a case number, and give the computer to CompUSA.

23 May 2006 :: Hurrah! My big aluminum baby comes home with a shiny new logic board and power management unit. But still doesn’t work. Call Apple, get a case number, and give the computer back to CompUSA.

12 June 2006 :: One month, no computer. CompUSA installed a new processor, but to no avail. Depression sets in.

23 June 2006 :: One month, eleven days, and still no computer. Albeit, CompUSA does have another logic board, processor, and power management unit on order.

21 June 2006 :: I recieve an invitation to a poorly timed interview (just guess where my entire portfolio is…) On the bright side, I was inspired to borrow my buddy Shaun’s Mac Mini and get as many of the sites as I could back up (since the only backup of the databases for the others is on the G5… argh!)

26 June 2006 :: CompUSA gives up and sends the system back to Apple.

29 June 2006 :: Apple gives up and notifies me that they will be replacing my system.

Sometime soon… michael-gerard.com will reappear with all your favorite posts and downloads on a brand spankin’ new PowerMac G5.

So, does this story have a moral? Is it, don’t take your computer to CompUSA? Well, in fairness, it was going to be. But honestly, CompUSA’s incompetence has had wonderful results. My dual 2.5Ghz PowerMac G5 will be replaced with a quad 2.5Ghz G5 with today’s equivalent of all my built-to-order options. But I digress, the moral of this story is that patience pays off. So take that Murphy.

The Apple Rises… Newton Shocked.

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 2 May 2006 in Technology. Closed
Newton

Clever title, eh? Really, I just wanted to congratulate Apple on beating Dell’s Market Value for the second time this year. At the close of trading today, NASDAQ reports Apple’s market value at $60.7 billion and Dell’s at $59.8 billion. Further proving that I am a fool for not buying some Apple stock when it was cheap and I had the cash.

Apple also ended the day with a higher market value on January 13, 2006… Not bad for a company with 3% market share against the mail-order PC king.

FREE Software Everyone Should Have

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 2 May 2006 in Links and Technology. 2 Comments

Recently, I’ve been fiddling with the site to get it to display somewhat as it should in Internet Explorer. In the past I’ve said screw that, if Internet Explorer can’t be standards compliant, I’m not going to bother. But I had a bit of free time on my hands and thought I have a go at it. And it was maddening. So I’m here once again in my attempt to push Firefox on the masses… Along with some other software you’ll probably enjoy. The best part is, it’s all free!

  • Mozilla Firefox If you’re on a Winblows PC, Firefox is the best internet experience you can get… Featuring support for CSS and CSS2, along with AJAX, you can see the web the way it was meant to be seen- the standards compliant way. Still not convinced? How about tabbed browsing? You don’t have to open six windows for six sites! Or dozens of handy plugins? Try it for a week. I guarantee you’ll switch.
  • Apple iTunes No computer in today’s multimedia world is complete without iTunes. Apple’s slick interface makes managing and finding your music and podcasts easy, allowing you to search and sort in a plethora of ways. Plus, you get automatically updating Smart Playlists, and convenient conversion, ripping, and burning support. Ditch Windows Media Player, you’ll be glad you did.

That should get you started… Until next time, spread the word, and keep free software alive!

WordPress Plugin: AWStats Extended Info

Published by
Michael Gerard
at 26 April 2006 in Technology. 2 Comments

UPDATE: This plug-in has a new home, on it’s own special page!

So here it is, it doesn’t do much, but if you use AWStats, you may find my first WordPress plugin handy…

AWStats Extended Info inserts the awstats_misc_tracker.js into each page WordPress serves, allowing you to track additional items including screen size, Flash, PDF, and Java support among other things.

Since I use K2 and update it frequently, this plugin was designed to save me from having to continually update the template files.

Requirements

  • AWStats 6 or greater
  • WordPress 1.5 or greater (compatible with 2.0)

Installation

  1. Unzip and upload wp-awstats-ext directory into your WordPress plugins directory (/wp-content/plugins).
  2. In your site’s AWStats configuartion file set the following options:
    • MiscTrackerUrl=”/wp-content/plugins/wp-awstats-ext/js/awstats_misc_tracker.js”
    • ShowScreenSizeStats=1
    • ShowMiscStats=anjdfrqwp
  3. Activate plugin from the WordPress Manage Plugins admin panel.
  4. Navigate to Options > AWStats X and select the pages the script should be added to. Update Options.

Version History/Change Log

2.1b r001 :: February 24, 2007
FEATURE – Added Options Page Subpanel “AWStats X”
FEATURE – User can select pages to load the AWStats Extended script
MINOR – Checked WP 2.1 Compatibility

2.0.2b :: April 26, 2005
Public beta. Changed version number to reflect WP compatibility.

Known Issues

2.1b r001 :: February 24, 2007
BUG – Plugin activation does not automatically set script to be added to all (or any, for that matter) pages… Must be done manually… For now.

Download

WP AWStats Extended 2.1b r001
Released: February 24, 2007

Support
If you have any troubles, feel free to e-mail me using the Contact link in the menu bar or by posting comments here. Good luck and enjoy.

UPDATE: This plug-in has a new home, on it’s own special page!

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