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Yearly Archives: 2007
Ten Open Source Alternatives
Larry Munson Calling GT Game
Battle Hymn Video
I recorded the video that plays on the screen at Sanford Stadium while the UGA Redcoats marching band plays the Battle Hymn. The video is filled with all kinds of historic UGA football plays and moments, and this video (recorded during Saturday’s game against Kentucky, the last game of the season) includes video from the “Blackout” during the Auburn game. The video is here on YouTube.
You can also watch the video after the jump.
Continue reading
Open Source Math
Hilarious Video of Fake Steve Jobs at Google
Review: WordPress Complete
Christian over at Unofficial Dreamhost Blog sent me a review copy of WordPress Complete to write a review. He published my review today. The following is my review in its entirety.
I recently received a review copy of WordPress Complete by Hasin Hayder and published by Packt Publishing. The back cover of the book explains that the book is a beginner’s guide, while also saying “any IT-confident user will be able to use the book to produce an impressive blog.”
WordPress Complete is divided into ten chapters. The first entails the basics of blogging and the book progresses all the way to usage of WordPress MU (multiuser).
Chapter 1 provides a beginner’s guide to blogging. It explains blogging and the different types of blogs (audio, video, etc), and also provides a list of common terminology. I found the list of common terms a little lacking; it did not include “theme” or “plug-in”, while it provided an incomplete explanation of permalinks. The first chapter also provides a good overview of the major blogging engines (providers and software), but in a copyediting gaffe, the screenshots of each engine are on the page immediately following the description of the engine. The end of this chapter describes using the WordPress forums, finding themes, finding plug-ins, and getting news about WordPress.
Chapter 2 provides the basics of installing WordPress and the first actions when setting up a new blog. Chapter 3 deals with themes, and details the popular places to find themes, how to install them, and how to make basic changes to the design.
Chapter 4 explains posting, and all the options related to posting new items in WordPress. Chapter 4 also explains comments and the administrative settings regarding comments. While the book touches on the topic of comment spam in this chapter, it provides no useful resources in stopping spam. Especially surprising is that the book does not discuss Akismet, the spam fighting tool created by the makers of WordPress. The book also explains gravatars, but makes no effort to explain implementing gravatars into a WordPress installation.
Chapter 5 describes using using WordPress as a content management system, or CMS, to run a website (as opposed to a blog). This mainly entails editing a theme to make WordPress look less like a blog and more like a website for a business. This section is really important and provides some insight into a rarely used ability of WordPress.
Chapter 6 describes feeds (syndication) and podcasting. This chapter goes way too in-depth when explaining feeds, because WordPress provides feeds automatically. A WordPress beginner does not need to know the complete history of the RSS 2.0 format or the HTML behind a feed. The podcasting section, though, provides a useful in-depth look at audio blogging that would be especially helpful for those wishing to utilize WordPress to podcast.
Chapter 7 goes through the motions of making a theme for WordPress. While providing a good look at how themes work, this Chapter is not needed for the beginning blogger. There are thousands of WordPress themes out there for beginners to use, while those who wish to create their own most likely already know where to find this information and would not be buying this book.
Chapter 8 discusses using WordPress MU (multiuser) to multi-blog, and Chapter 9 tells of how to create plug-ins and widgets.
Chapter 10 might provide the best information for the beginning WordPress user. This chapter describes how to backup a WordPress blog (something few users do and many regret not doing) and how to upgrade to a newer version of WordPress.
Overall I found the book very informative and useful for the beginning WordPress user. I did, however, take issue to the large number of spelling, grammar, and English language usage mistakes. The preface of the book contained the most glaring error, misspelling “blog” as “blod”, which is extremely ironic when one remembers the subject of the book. If you can overlook the many errors in the book (I cringed many times while reading elementary mistakes), WordPress Complete is a nearly complete beginner’s guide to WordPress.
*Update* – A user on the Unofficial Dreamhost Blog asked for my rating of the book and my background. The following was part of my response:
I hesitate to put a rating on this book because its usefulness decreases for people who have experience with WordPress. If you are a beginner who lacks technical skills, I would recommend this book. If you have any experience with WordPress or have technical experience, I would not recommend this book. All of the information in the book is easy to find in the WordPress < a href="http://codex.wordpress.org">Codex and other places.
I am an experienced WordPress user; I’ve been using WordPress for my own blog for over 18 months. I also develop non-blog websites using WordPress.
New Style in Honor of UGA Blackout
I decided today to change the color scheme of ChrisMLindsey.com to honor the Georgia Bulldogs and their “blackout” this weekend.
For those that don’t follow University of Georgia football, this Saturday’s football game featured a surprise for Georgia fans. The Bulldogs asked fans to wear black in order to blackout the stadium, and the team added the ultimate icing to the cake. The team wore black jerseys for the first time in modern Georgia football history, and the jerseys caused a riot.
The jerseys, and the excitement in the air, caused great results. Georgia beat Auburn (the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry) 45 to 20.
More links and a video after the jump.
Man Crush: Larry Lessig and His Presentation Style
Video Highlights from 2007 UGA-Florida Game
The best video highlights so far are here on YouTube.
And now, if you will permit me, a brief rant.
As you might know, there was much controversy having to do with the Georgia Bulldog’s celebration (and penalties) after scoring the first touchdown of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (this one’s for you, Michael F. Adams). Many termed the celebration classless, and, of course, former Florida coach and hated enemy of Georgia, Steve Spurrier, had something to add:
“I guess they lost so much to Florida they got to the point they said, ‘Hey, let’s try something different,’ ” said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who went 11-1 against Georgia at Florida. “Let’s all run out there and go crazy and act like a bunch of happy Bulldogs or something, and don’t worry about the 15-yard penalty.”
That quote from the ol’ ball coach is actually humorous, since he was the one that lacked class in his 1995 victory over UGA, where he won 52-17 in an effort to break the record for most points scored against UGA in Sanford Stadium.
But let’s talk about the classiest act of the 2007 Georgia-Florida game.
With 3:25 left in the second quarter, #98 (Greg Billinger) for the Gators slammed Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford after Stafford had taken a knee because he heard whistles blowing after receiving the snap; he hit Stafford after about 2 seconds of no one on the field moving and about 4 seconds after Stafford had taken a knee. And Georgia doesn’t have class?
It’s alright, though, because shortly after that, Stafford handed the ball off to redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno (Herschel Walker, anyone?) who went right, bounced off UGA senior tackle Chester Adams, went back across the field, and ran for a touchdown as Matt Stafford laid a block for him.
There is no doubt that Georgia (and head coach Mark Richt, with newly grown Senate and House of Representatives) did something outlandishly strange when the entire team cleared the bench to celebrate the first touchdown. I myself, in the student section at the game, was pretty upset, knowing that we celebrated in order to kick off from the 8-yard line.
I believe that what happened when Georgia celebrated their first score of the Florida game will be the beginning of a new era of football at the University of Georgia. Mark Richt made his stand in the swamps of Florida, and here’s to hoping that this lasts for a long time.
In case you want to see the box score, check here.