Sidebar currently throwing errors

[Rick Turoczy]

Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL
result resource in /home/ignorego/public_html/inc.functions.php on
line 210

Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL
result resource in /home/ignorego/public_html/inc.functions.php on
line 228

[Rick Turoczy]

[John Metta]

Heh, I see an error from Rick, then a nice swanky new site from Kyle.
Wow- Nice looking. That green theme is something we might want to
explore ('course those of us on the dry side of the mountains might get
regionally grumpy :)

Thanks, Kyle.
-J

[Bill Jackson]

How about a photo header that goes from forest to desert? Regional
grumpiness averted! ;)

BTW, my Twitter account is suspended, so I'm limited to email for
now. :(

-Bill

[Jake Ortman]

I always thought a photo header featuring photographers from around the
state would be fun (long-term goal, obviously -- other fish need to be
fried, first). Feature their URL in the image, so they get some exposure out
of it, but Oregon-centric photos by Oregon-based photogs would build a bit
more community.

-Jake

[Bill Jackson]

Great idea!  Why didn't I think of that?  ;)

Saved for posterity as issue 2.

-Bill

[John Metta]

Jake,

I agree with you about images and attribution, and have started working
on the framework using our blog
<http://blog.orblogs.org/2008/09/show-your-best-on-orblogs/>. Basically,
I'm slowly collecting pictures from people, and those pictures will be
randomized and shown on the main page- with captions and links to the
author. We can do something similar on the ORBlogs page as well- since
everything will be set up.

If there's someone who wants to take over this imagery issue (perhaps
who can program PHP) let me know. We should expand the image guidelines
to include all images, then.

With Patrick's new work- those other fish will be fried soon, so it's
good to keep things in mind. Thanks Jake.

-J

[Jake Ortman]

OK, I must've totally missed that blog post where you pretty much addressed
everything I asked about already. Sorry about the noise :-)

[John Metta]

No worries! Even overlapping communication channels have a purpose. That
doesn't change the fact that it's a great idea- and my post was specific
to blog.orblogs.org- so you still have a point about putting the images
on the front page of the agreggator.

Sam- that's a good question for you: Can you work the graphics around
the concept of random images? Will that (colors, intensities, etc) throw
things off?

Cheers,
-J

[Bill Jackson]

Haha, I must be an idiot.  I read that blog post when it was sparkly and new, and forgot all about it.  :P

Still, I like evolving the idea to make the photo source pool more dynamic.  Example ideas:

• A specific Flickr tag (i.e. orblogs-featured) perhaps with an accepted-user whitelist to make it a bit resistent to abuse?
• A Flickr group (i.e. "ORBlogs Featured"), which also allows for abuse moderation
• Scanning incoming RSS feeds for items with a particular category tag (i.e. "orblogs-featured" again) and 'url' attribute pointing to an image.

Hmm... come to think of it, that last one would cover the previous two as well; check out this (tags) and this (yes, I went ahead and created a group).  It would just need either:

• ability to specify whether a given feed category filtering
  
• and/or ability to handle multiple allowed categories, and multiple categories in a tag (i.e. see how Flickr formats the category in the tags feed above),
  
• or manipulation of the incoming feed to add the category.
  

Basically, I really like the element of surprise for this sort of thing, rather than "Oh, there is photo #5 of the 50 that have been submitted, approved, and more-or-less-manually added to the rotation."

Cheers,
-Bill
P.S. Forgive the stream-of-thought here, I ain't got time to bleed... I mean, edit.  ;)

[Jake Ortman]

"Sam- that's a good question for you: Can you work the graphics around
the concept of random images? Will that (colors, intensities, etc) throw
things off?"

I've personally used this script with good success for the purpose:
http://alistapart.com/articles/randomizer/

Basically, you just dump a bunch of images in same directory as the .php
file, and then call the php file in your image source. There is more
advanced functionality to it, but for simple randomizing background images,
it works perfectly.

-Jake

[John Metta]

Jake,

Good thought. I have a bit of an updated one (using captions and image
dates) in the backend of http://jmetta.com as well. Mostly I was worried
about Sam's upcoming graphics design color scheme with the differing
images. Of course, those are just details.

Bill,

I'm currently programming a Twitter spambot to harrass @Twitter until
your account is restored. Those are fantastic ideas! I think that is the
start of something far beyond my original intent and closer to what Jake
wanted. We should make a todo list of graphics issues.

If I didn't want you for the backend team, I'd ask you to run with it.
Unfortunately, I'm too worried about getting the Java running to NOT ask
for your help on that... by the way, would you mind helping on that :)

DAMMIT TWITTER!
-J

[Bill Jackson]

On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:20 PM, John Metta <mett...@gmail.com> wrote:

Bill,

I'm currently programming a Twitter spambot to harrass @Twitter until
your account is restored.

Careful, don't get yourself suspended too!  ;)

Actually, you might want to try tweeting @crystal and @ev too.  Crystal is a Twitter support person, and Evan... well, no, explanation needed.  I have found he is very responsive to @ev in the past.  :)

Those are fantastic ideas! I think that is the
start of something far beyond my original intent and closer to what Jake
wanted. We should make a todo list of graphics issues.

Thanks!  I had fun letting my mind roam for a few minutes; something I have far too little opportunity to do most of the time.  :D

If I didn't want you for the backend team, I'd ask you to run with it.
Unfortunately, I'm too worried about getting the Java running to NOT ask
for your help on that... by the way, would you mind helping on that :)

Not one bit!  I really wanted to have been working on it already, but you know how it goes... :(

By the way, I won't be doing anything tonight either; girlfriend is taking me to see Dark Star Orchestra at the Crystal.  :)
 

DAMMIT TWITTER!

YES; DAMNIT, TWITTER!

And you know I'm serious, too; how often do I not end a line or paragraph with a smiley?  :)