Hello Google Gadget Developers!
We know you folks code in anonymity and we can't tell you enough how
much we appreciate the great creative gadgets you have developed with
the Google Gadgets API and how much we appreciate you making the Google
Personalized Homepage the great place that it is. With much fanfare, I
am pleased to announce the Google Gadget Top Authors Page.
http://google.com/ig/authors
To get listed, make sure you add the following preference fields to
your gadgets:
author_photo - Include an URL to a photo (70x100 PNG format
preferred, but JPG/GIF supported).
author_aboutme - Give us a statement about yourself (try to keep it
to ~500 characters).
author_link - Link to your website, blog, etc..
author_quote - Give us a quote you'd like to include (try to keep it
to ~300 characters).
http://www.google.com/apis/homepage/reference.html#Moduleprefs_Ref
FAQ:
- How do we know which gadgets are yours?
==> We guess algorithmically using the author_name field (this may
change). If we accidentally include gadgets that aren't yours, let us
know and we'll fix it.
- Do I have to provide these fields in all my gadgets?
==> It's nice to do that but one is fine. If one gadget's author_*
fields are different than another, we algorithmically pick each field
from one of the gadgets.
- How long does it take to get listed? If I change a field, how long
does it take to change on the site?
==> Typically 1-2 weeks to get through the various processes, e.g.
reviews.
- How is the ranking chosen?
==> Ranking is chosen by the popularity of your gadget(s) and by the
presence of the author_* metadata fields.
- Which authors are qualified for the list?
==> Any developer (independent or corporate) who is not a Google
employee.
- Are there any prizes for being a top author?
==> Aside from fame, not at this time.
- What if I don't want to be listed?
==> Just don't include these new fields in your gadget. Over time, we
expect the top authors to all have photos and aboutme's. Please *do*
continue providing author_name, a working author_email,
author_affiliation and author_location. These fields are valuable for
other reasons, both for Google to contact you in case of problems, as
well as for statistics about the developer community.
- How often does the ranking change?
==> Typically every week or two.
- Do you have any future plans for this page or pages like it?
==> Sorry, it's company policy to not discuss futures.
- What if I have a suggestion?
==> Post it to the Google Group, which we love to read.
Thanks again for all the great work you folks have done. As always, we
appreciate your continued interest in the Google Gadgets API and we
welcome your feedback.
Regards,
Ralph
