WordPress made some changes to the available themes just before Christmas which I have only just noticed.
I particularly like the changes in Regulus 2.0 by Ben Gillbanks as you can now customise the theme a little. You can choose to have the calendar displayed (Howard will be pleased), change the 'Blogroll' to use link categories, change the header image and the colour scheme. Also, the irritating 'Message essage' bug is fixed.
There are new, improved blog statistics available from WordPress.com with more to come.
No additional Javascript needed. Integrated reports from the dashboard. Superb.
As Matt said in a recent interview, these guys are active bloggers themselves so they understand what users want, what is useful, what is not and they also listen to feedback.
Dear Jeff Bozos
It is 39 years and 7 months since my last confession.
Back in 2001, I opened an Amazon Associates account, placed a link to a wonderful Oracle book I wanted to buy on my personal Web site, clicked through on the link and purchased the book from Amazon (UK). This abuse of the referral program credited my newly opened Amazon Associates account with the princely sum of 1.55 GBP.
I have never claimed the money which has subsequently sat dormant for over 4 years in my Amazon Associates account. This was partly because I was wracked and tormented by feelings of guilt. Even when I tried to forget about my heinous crime, the Quarterly Associates Newsletter email from Amazon kept reminding me of my sin.
Another reason was that the paltry amount was below the minimum required by Amazon before you can actually withdraw the money.
I could have continued to abuse this system more fully to make even more money (maybe even as much as a fiver) when I consider all the purchases I have ever made from my favourite online retailer.
However, now is the time to reveal my secret and take my punishment like a man.
Shamefully yours
Norman Brightside
Doug Burns raises a surprising number of issues in a seemingly throwaway comment about music.
I used to say I only have three passions in life 'Music, Football and Girls. The only thing that changes is the order.' :-)
Stuff that is too personal to discuss in a blog. I am startled about certain stuff I have seen posted in blogs. Personal stuff that I would never dream of posting.
Oracle versus Music versus Football. I started this blog after lurking on the Oracle blog community for a while and initially thought I would post occasional enlightening, technical articles which were met with worldwide acclaim. After a while, I realised, those posts would be few and far between.
The other Oracle bloggers cover that stuff far better than I ever could. Also, I would make idiotic mistakes and have people correcting me all the time. I think I can spend my time more profitably reading and learning from others. To be honest, the technical niceties of PL/SQL 'bulk collect', bind variables and 10046 trace analysis can be a little dry when that is your day job. I probably care more and have more to say about music, football (blogging, software etc).
Another quandry about ' blogging etiquette '. I commented on Howard Rogers' view on the importance of calendar functionality in a blog. He answered my questions fully and politely (but I still hold a contrary view). Now do I take my followup to email or continue to comment on his blog article when most people probably aren't interested ?
Indeed, should this lengthy post be a comment to Doug's comment, a private email to Doug or a post in its own right ?
Diction. When I read my own blog, I see long, rambling, interminable sentences. This concerns me. Especially as I write a lot of technical reports as part of my job for paying customers and I also play a major role in the content of my kids' homework. I - sorry, my son - recently got a B+ for a scintillating project on San Francisco. I swear it should have been an 'A++'.
Old news is like yesterdays papers. No-one is interested.
The chart of failed spammers is as good indicator of traffic to your blog as any.
Old gems may totally get ignored depending on timing.
I might have one avid reader.
Lots of people are looking for information about 'Dixons Tax Free Shopping', 'SonicStage 3.3' (are you listening, Sony ?) and, oddly enough, 'Paul Scholes + family'.
Google is a popular but sub-optimal search engine for blogs as monthly archives may contain a wide variety of unrelated content (Roy Keane, Antibes, Blog, Chameleons, DAB) which will ultimately confuse people and waste time.
Not many people will comment. Even fewer will link.
Days Inn Hotel. No restaurant service because it is Christmas. No cooked breakfast because it is Christmas. No Sky Sports which is normally available but has been withdrawn because it is Christmas. Boddingtons is available despite the proximity of Christmas at a very reasonable 2.95 GBP for a pint.
The Marksman hostelry, a mere half a mile away, but a little more earthy, has Sky Sports at every booth and on big screens and sells Stella Artois for 2.20 GBP per pint.
The news is out. Yahoo! will be offering WordPress hosted blogs for small businesses and charging a monthly fee for the service.
I think this is good news for all WordPress users (.com and .org) as it provides a revenue stream for future development.
Some professional (but impecunious) bloggers feel it is very important that there should be a regular, repeating cycle to the frequency of your blog articles to capture the hearts and minds of your tens of readers.
Thankfully, I am a mere amateur so I will post when I feel like it and have prolonged periods of radio silence when I feel like it.
Bob Geldof wanted The Killers to appear at Live 8 at Hyde Park in London.
The Killers themselves desperately wanted to take part.
Harvey Goldsmith couldn't find room to accommodate The Killers in the running order because of problems about the closing time and the provision of police/ambulance/London transport cover for a late ending at Hyde Park.
Eventually, The Killers played one song on another band's kit at Live 8 in sharp suits to save time on the changeover.
The Akismet spam filter included with WordPress.com means I am not troubled by comment spam on my blog at all, ever.
However, I recently reviewed the spam sitting there all alone in quarantine. Most was inviting me to sample all sorts of delights describing all manner of different and very imaginative ways that a man and (wo)man can be joined together.
One spam comment stood out head and shoulders above all others though with a blissfully simple but effective, marketing message.
GREAT VACUUM CLEANERS