robrohr.org : blogging

Lisa is blogging (and running for President)

robrohr — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:30:45 GMT

A good friend of mine, Lisa Cox, has just started blogging, while starting a grassroots run for president. This gives you an idea of her energy level and verve for multitasking. Personally blogging while running for President. That's virtually unheard of, and may be the edge she needs to overcome the Romneyatch political juggernaut that has swept her state.

Lisa's still figuring out the little niggling details, like inserting images, hyperlinking, and universal healthcare, but if I know Lisa, these technicalities do not stand a chance when pitted against the sheer force of her will.

Lisa recently brought my attention to the artist, Alex Katz, who she had "discovered" at the Denver Art Museum. In her stead, I offer an artwork by Alex Katz found at the Neptune Fine Art gallery in New York, titled Cow.

Click the image for a larger view. Now look into the eyes of this bovine. You will not win a staring contest with this artwork. It's unnerving, yet fascinating; disturbing, yet soothing.

Lisa, best of luck with your Presidential bid, and with your blogging. If you need any assistance with any of the more arcane aspects of blogging, I'll be glad to help. If you need assistance getting elected to represent the folks of this fine country, I believe there will be a lot of unemployed staffers for the Romneyatch campaign in the near future.

By the way, anybody wishing to join in my not-so-subversive campaign to give Romneyatch a new, hip, 21st century nickname so he can connect with the younger generation of voters, feel free to ask me how to "juice the google."

Community Server with newMediaObject

robrohr — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:03:01 GMT

If there is an image, then all is good. If there is no image, then I am not sure what I am to do. Server permissions?

This warning was generated using the Warning Sign Generator web page given to us by the same folks who gave us the Warning Label Generator.

A fine piece of work in the long tradition of Acme style sites.

Will it work? Who knows? A boy can hope.

If this works, I can nuke my FTP to Foldershare to Community Server hackery that I currently use to "easily" get my pictures onto the web server.

- "The Management"

Testing newMediaObject

robrohr — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:35:00 GMT

It turns out there was a problem with the file version of the update of the Community Server MetaBlog implementation that was available on Robert McLaws's website, but I believe I have fixed the issues.

If you see my head, then the newMediaObject implementation worked and I can nuke my Live Writer -> FTP -> FolderShare -> Community Server image upload hack and replace it with Live Writer -> Community Server. I know Margot will definitely like that.

Update: hitting the MetaBlog.ashx file now shows that the newMediaObject method is now available, but Windows Live Writer continues to complain when I insert an image.

Am I 2.0ish yet?

robrohr — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:52:34 GMT

Testing graphic upload capabilities via newMediaObject handler for Community Server.

We shall see whether I need to revert to my FTP + Foldershare munge.

Update: Robert McLaws has updated the Community Server MetaBlog interface so that it supports use of the newMediaObject as a method for pushing images/video/etc. to your server. newMediaObject enables moblogging from cell phones, as well as smart client blog post generators, like Windows Live Writer, for instance.

OK. I've looked at Live Writer, and I like what I see. I like the extensibility, and I like that I can use a gui to muck about with the images that I insert into the blog post (drag-and-drop, baby).

Live Writer posts to the blog software using the MetaBlog API (including the newMediaObject for adding media files).

Community Server has yet to officially implement the newMediaObject method, so individuals like Robert McLaws, Ken Robertson (qgyen.net) and Laurent Kempé do the heavy lifting and figure out the implementation.

So I've installed the Ken Robertson fix to Community Server, but my blog server is not completely convinced that it can handle the newMediaObject implementation, so Live Writer shrugs its shoulders and says, "Shucks!"

So I've implemented my FTP -> Foldershare -> web server fix in order to appease my security concerns while enabling my pretty graphical post editing experience.

Uploading images in blog posts...

robrohr — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 20:34:26 GMT

This is a sample PNG of the interface of the Microsoft Live Writer interface, tested for image insertion and uploading through a ghastly hack.

What a pain!

When I first started blogging, I used Blogger at my brother's recommendation, for several reasons:

It was free.
It was somewhat easy (for me).
It was highly customizable.

The remnants of that blog are still visible at http://stampy.uvm.edu/robrohr, the original robrohr.org. I would create my ray HTML templates with custom tags inserted into the bitstream where all of the bloggy goodness was to appear. I had control of styles and layout; Blogger hosted the database of posts and would generate new pages from my templates whenever I added a new post, and those would be pushed back to my web server via FTP, at which point my bloggy goodness was available to nauseate global internet audiences.

Sometime around 2002, the University at which I worked decided (rightly) that unencrypted userid/pwd traffic across the campus boundary wouldn't be allowed, and the era of FTP came to a sudden close. At that point, I decided to look into installing blog hosting software on my server directly, avoiding the transfer of pages and account information outside the Uni. Thus begat .Text which begat Community Server 1.0, which begat Community Server 1.1, which begat Community Server 2.0, which begat Community Server 2.1 (framework 1.1 then 2.0). And the framework loaded and the service account had permissions and it was good.

Since then, I have tried various tools to create blog posts remotely, looking for anything that would make post creation easier than the builtin web editing pages. Many had promise until it came to handling inline images in the blog posts at which point they all gracefully/gracelessly choked.

Up until today, my process for mashing images into posts involved pushing images to the web server using Foldershare, then inserting raw HTML <img /> tags in my post source view. It worked but it's far from WYSIWYG, and not the most natural editing environment.

My current setup which I am testing with limited success is as follows:

Set up FTP server on client machine.
Block all FTP access to all but the loopback address (localhost :: 127.0.0.1)
Link FTP destination folder on client to web visible folder on the web server via Foldershare.

By this method, I can use FTP to publish images to the client machine, images which get synchronized to the appropriate folder on the web server. FTP auth traffic never goes over the wire (loopback - Whee!). Images get pushed to the web server via encrypted synchronization channel (Foldershare). No script kiddies will have any success pounding away at my FTP. Not pretty, but I can finally use a pretty good tool to generate posts with rich image handling.

Squee!

So you want to import a picture...

robrohr — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:57:44 GMT

Yesterday, I downloaded and installed Windows Live Writer (Beta) and everything worked swimmingly as long as one didn't wish to include images in the blog post. Unfortunately, one did want to import images. One has been wishing for an easier way to get images on the server and included in blog posts for quite some time.

Naturally, Community Server has not implemented the newMediaObject method of the MetaBlog API for importing images/media into the blog content repository. This is the preferred mechanism by which Windows Live Writer and other blog automation applications insert images into your posts. So I hopped over to the Community Server web site to see if anybody had hacked newMediaObject functionality on top of the MetaBlog web service (I would not be surprised if somebody had). Lo! Behold! Lo and Behold! I had somehow missed the fact that an upgrade to Community Server (ver 2.1) was now available! Hey, maybe the new upgrade would add functionality to the MetaBlog implementation!

So, I downloads, and I upgrades, and what do you know? I melt the blogs again. It wasn't so bad this time around. I eventually found I had screwed up a permissions issue that resulted in me getting a cryptic, and not so useful error message, along with a pile of events in the event log. Anyway, all that helpful advice referring to the ASPNET account in troubleshooting Community Server? This actually refers to the Network Service account when your blog server is running Windows Server 2003 as the underlying OS. I'm sure you wanted to know.

In summary, the blog server is back up and functioning, and nobody needed to raid the google cache of old versions of all the pages in order to rebuild the site like last time I melted the blog.

Creating blog posting using Windows Live Writer

robrohr — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 02:32:23 GMT

From time to time, I check out various methods for generating new blog entries. This entry was generated using Windows Live Writer. Not only is it a WYSIWYG editor, it downloads your custom style sheets from your blog so you see exactly the layout that you would see once the post is published.

Hmmm... Importing images to the blog hosted on Community Server 2.0 via MetaBlog API is not currently working. This is something that I hope can be solved quickly. - Rob Rohr

Image handling is considerably better than normally available using web entry. Now if only the MetaBlog API handles photo importing into the Community Server structure. Since MSDN blogs are hosted on Community Server, then I suspect future versions will support photo imports if this version doesn't.

Blogging from Word 2007, Beta 2

robrohr — Sun, 28 May 2006 04:18:00 GMT

They said it couldn’t be done, but I didn’t believe them. I have just blogged this puppy from inside Beta 2 of Word 2007. I installed Beta 2 for OneNote 2007 the day it was first available, and used it for the last three days of my English class. So far, I really like what I am seeing.

This is a test to see that I can post to a Community Server blog as advertised.

Update: Initially I was unable to register the server, as I was using the wrong password, but once I cleared that hurdle, it was easy as pie. Don’t have image posting yet, though. We shall see about that from the community server side.

The best laid plans of mice and men...

robrohr — Sun, 05 Jun 2005 19:07:00 GMT

...couldn't put Humpty together again. Nope, wrong mixed metaphore.

I'm at TechEd Orlando, 2005, in CommNet, blogging and mailing. I'm checked into my hotel and the conference, and have a moment to catch my breath. This is not the first time I attended a TechEd in Orlando. TechEd 2000 was also here, and the hotel I chose that time was this little rinky dink operation that left much to be desired. So I got inspired to nail down my accomodations early and make sure I was in a good hotel, conveniently located. I looked at some maps and chose one of the two hotels that sit directly adjacent to the conference center.

Er... whoops. The convention center in 2000 consisted of one building approximately 3/4 mile long. This is now referred to as the "West Building." Since then, these eager Floridians built a new building, called the "North/South" building, in which Microsoft has chosen to hold this year's version of TechEd. My conveniently located hotel is north of the West building, and the North/South building is significantly to the east.

Visual example:
[] ( ) . , , , :"; O o o o . """"" x

Legend:
[] - Convention Center, N/S building
( ) - Sun
. - Mercury
, , , - Venus, Earth and Mars
:"; - asteroid belt
O - Jupiter
o o o - Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
. - Pluto
"""" - Oort cloud (theoretical)
x - Rosen Plaza hotel

Why blog if you can't engage in a little hyperbole? If I choose to walk through the West building, my walk to and from the convention center is ~1.7 miles each way. If I cut through the lot behind the Peabody hotel, and make a beeline for the north end of the North/South Building (it looks doable from the overhead satellite pictures on NASA World Wind,) I can cut my commute to a mile each way. Of course I risk donating a limb to the local alligators, or running afoul (this is a joke who's effect is only clear in retrospect) of the caretakers of the ducks over at the Peabody.

Oh well. At least I'm not stuck in some low rent equivalent like my colleague, Tom, who's hotel doesn't even have high speed internet access. Wait. What's this? I have to drop $10/day if I want to get on the net from my hotel room? Gosh, this place is practically neolithic.

My other colleague, John, is in the other Rosen hotel, directly across the street from the North/South building, the lucky bustard (got to be careful, Community Server edits out fowl language. But not bad puns.). He decided that the best way to experience TechEd this year would be to run a half marathon this morning, then cram himself onto an airplane, and fly to Florida. On the latenight flight. Ouch. I wouldn't trade hotels with him for the lactic acid that's building up in his legs right now.

Enjoy the conference, folks! I know I will.

All my old content are belong to us.

robrohr — Wed, 18 May 2005 21:16:00 GMT

I've managed to import all my old content from both previous incarnations of the robrohr.org blog (.Text and Blogger driven.) Thank you, Google page cache and Newsgator RSS cache! There are a few internal links between posts that need to be updated, but until I can get Community Server and FreeTextBox to stop mutually mangling my HTML, I will only update internal links at my whimsical pace.

One of the benefits of the Community Server blog engine, is my ability to precisely define posting publication dates, past, present or future, so all my old content is shown with original publication dates. I was not able to do this on the .Text blog (robrohr.org version 2) so all content moved over from the previous blog had a publication date of May, 2004 when I installed .Text. Unsightly.

One of the things I miss about the .Text blog was my ability to auto-link terms. On the old blog, whenever I typed "Margot," her name would be automatically linked to her blog. You will notice that didn't happen here. Let's try a little e-tantrum. Margot Margot Margot Margot! Nope. Nothing.

I've lost all my comments, though, as well as a pile of my blog-cred. Links into my v2 blog point to this useless page that says, "Try the real blog, and use the search box to find what you were looking for." Lame. I know. You are not psychic. You don't know what I wrote, otherwise, you wouldn't be here. The Search function is cool though, and in addition, it works.

I'm conflicted.

Blog melted. Recovery proceeding slowly.

admin — Mon, 09 May 2005 17:41:00 GMT

Last week, I melted my blog (http://robrohr.org) as well as Margot's (http://mangot.info). Needless to say, I wasn't pleased. Thanks to Google caching and the Wayback machine, we'll be able to recover most of our posts, and paste them into this new, and somewhat snazzy Community Server application. Old blog posts should reappear slowly, but surely.

Who else is blogging in your neighborhood?

robrohr — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 02:23:00 GMT

An interesting project uses the evaluation version of MapPoint web service to show all bloggers in your neighborhood.

It's called NeighBlogMap. I had to tell the system where my blog was physically (or at least spiritually) located. According to this tool, Vermont is one big blank expanse of barren blogless wasteland. This is not true. I know of Margot at mangot.info, Julie Lerman at thedatafarm.com, Norma of Now Norma Knits 2, etc. I wonder if it will catch on?

Match this up with the service that can figure out where an IP address is found on the globe, and this could rate higher on the cool scale.

Must go to sleep before I turn into a pumpkin.

Where (oh, where) has my web-yokel gone?

robrohr — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 16:35:00 GMT

I've received some feedback concerning the site redesign.

re: I always knew it was true...
M (6/10/04 3:12P)

I miss dancing Rob!!!!

:)

This feedback concerns certain aesthetic choices made when I was attempting to get the site to accept posts that I thought should appear on the blog. The old site (still available at http://stampy.uvm.edu/robrohr) had turned into a read-only archaeological snapshot-in-time of a younger, balder me. I referred to myself as a web-yokel, and had created an animated gif to portray the essence of that inner yokelness.

Apparently, the dancing cryptosporidium in the left sidebar is not enough to allay the needs of this mysterious “M” character. If only I could figure out who this might be. When I get home this evening, I'll have to ask Margot.

Beta 2 of VisualBlogger available

robrohr — Wed, 19 May 2004 12:18:00 GMT

You can download the Beta 2 of VisualBlogger 2004 at http://www.interscapeusa.com/Products/VisualBlogger/

Now includes support for most major blog engines. (.Text, dasBlog, Radio, Movable Type, TypePad, MetaWeblogAPI and AtomAPI. It is extensable to allow for new providers to be easily added in the future. Now if only I can edit postings created in this beasty, I'll be all set.

VisualBlogger 2004 and code formatting

robrohr — Tue, 18 May 2004 22:13:00 GMT

You can paste code blocks into VisualBlogger using the Code Formatter button, paste code into the dialog, select the language from the list and Bob's your uncle.

Example:

1<%@ Register TagPrefix="uc1" TagName="MyLinks" Src="MyLinks.ascx" %>

2<%@ Control Language="c#" Inherits="Dottext.Web.UI.Controls.Header" %>

3<%@ Register TagPrefix="uc1" TagName="BlogStats" Src="BlogStats.ascx" %>

4<div>

5  <table style="background-image:url(/images/blog/robsGiantHead_bg.jpg);

6    background-repeat:no-repeat;

7    background-position: top right;">

8    <tr>

9	  <td class="HeaderTitles">

10	    <h1 class="HeaderTitle"><asp:hyperlink

11	      id="HeaderTitle"

12	      runat="server"

13	      CssClass="HeaderMainTitle"></asp:hyperlink></h1>

14	    <p id="tagline"><asp:literal id="HeaderSubTitle"

15	      runat="server"></asp:literal></p>

16	  </td>

17	  <td>

18      </td>

19    </tr>

20  </table>

21</div>

22<div>

23  <table id="HeaderBar" class="HeaderBar">

24    <tr>

25      <td class="HeaderBarTab" nowrap>

26        <uc1:MyLinks id="MyLinks1" runat="server"></uc1:MyLinks>

27      </td>

28      <td class="HeaderBarTabWindow">

29        <asp:Image

30          ID="BlueTab"

31          ImageUrl="../Images/TransTabRight.gif"

32          Runat="server"

33          ImageAlign="AbsMiddle"></asp:Image>

34      </td>

35      <td class="HeaderBarTabBack" nowrap width="100%">

36        <uc1:BlogStats id="BlogStats" runat="server"></uc1:BlogStats>

37      </td>

38    </tr>

39  </table>

40</div>

41