Wednesday, June 20. 2007
Posted by Jonathan Street
in Programming, Web Tools, Website Management at
22:23
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Release Early, Release Often - Yeah Right . . .
For a couple of weeks now I've been intending to release two new tools for this site. For one week they've been live on the site (though not linked to) and still I haven't mentioned them.
It could be said I'm procrastinating. This is a shame because as updates go this is even more significant than the dedicated pages for the scripts I've put together.
css/js compaction
The first tool is a port of the original js/css compaction tool and represents the penultimate migration of code from the old domain. All that is left now is the msn contacts web service which I currently have no plans to move across. This tool is basic and if you're working with several javascript or css files and making modifications frequently then there are probably better tools available. For the majority of people, who don't alter their javascript or css files very often and just want to save a little bandwidth or reduce their page loading times, then this tool could be ideal.
Check your spam status
The second tool is the most interesting and certainly required the most work. It's taking the ideas developed in these two posts about checking your rbl/spam status and automating the process to their logical conclusion. This second tool allows scheduled checking and automated updates of any change. At present it checks 75 real-time blacklists of varying degrees of importance. Furthermore it will check these lists up to once a week on your behalf.
It's a simple tool but it's easy to use and should be a big time saver. Expect more of the same . . . soon.
p.s. - I already have some ideas for additional tools but if you are having trouble finding a tool you think will make your life simpler then get in touch as I may be interested in building it as a part of this site. Easiest way to contact me is via a comment. If you don't want it to be public just state you want it to remain private in the message.
It could be said I'm procrastinating. This is a shame because as updates go this is even more significant than the dedicated pages for the scripts I've put together.
css/js compaction
The first tool is a port of the original js/css compaction tool and represents the penultimate migration of code from the old domain. All that is left now is the msn contacts web service which I currently have no plans to move across. This tool is basic and if you're working with several javascript or css files and making modifications frequently then there are probably better tools available. For the majority of people, who don't alter their javascript or css files very often and just want to save a little bandwidth or reduce their page loading times, then this tool could be ideal.
Check your spam status
The second tool is the most interesting and certainly required the most work. It's taking the ideas developed in these two posts about checking your rbl/spam status and automating the process to their logical conclusion. This second tool allows scheduled checking and automated updates of any change. At present it checks 75 real-time blacklists of varying degrees of importance. Furthermore it will check these lists up to once a week on your behalf.
It's a simple tool but it's easy to use and should be a big time saver. Expect more of the same . . . soon.
p.s. - I already have some ideas for additional tools but if you are having trouble finding a tool you think will make your life simpler then get in touch as I may be interested in building it as a part of this site. Easiest way to contact me is via a comment. If you don't want it to be public just state you want it to remain private in the message.
Monday, June 4. 2007
Alternative for site tours
Back in March I posted about amberjack which allows you to create tours for your site. A couple of days ago Duncan Riley, over on techcrunch, highlighted another service. Demofuse also allows you to create site tours and has some nice features I didn't see with Amberjack.
The main advantage of demofuse is it allows you a lot more interaction with the page, highlighting sections, giving tips etc. Where I think it is weak is in moving around the site. This functionality just doesn't seem as smooth as with amberjack.
Beyond the functionality the main difference is that amberjack is a downloadable javascript library licensed under the LGPL and demofuse is a hosted service. There is no mention of a fee for using it but this is something to be aware about.
My personal preference would still be amberjack - I would prefer the control which a downloadable library allows and for my tastes the added functionality which demofuse offers would be better integrated more fully into the design of a site rather than being limited to a site tour. It's a tough call though and I can certainly see situations where demofuse would be the better option.
The main advantage of demofuse is it allows you a lot more interaction with the page, highlighting sections, giving tips etc. Where I think it is weak is in moving around the site. This functionality just doesn't seem as smooth as with amberjack.
Beyond the functionality the main difference is that amberjack is a downloadable javascript library licensed under the LGPL and demofuse is a hosted service. There is no mention of a fee for using it but this is something to be aware about.
My personal preference would still be amberjack - I would prefer the control which a downloadable library allows and for my tastes the added functionality which demofuse offers would be better integrated more fully into the design of a site rather than being limited to a site tour. It's a tough call though and I can certainly see situations where demofuse would be the better option.
