Ping and Trackbacks are quite well known terms in blogger world. I’m not gonna talk about trackback(Blog-Blog/ post-post, notifying this blog uses content/resources related/referenced to that blog) here but like to share some of my notes about blog pinging and my collection of rss ping services.

Ping is the name of a computer network tool used on TCP/IP networks (such as the Internet). It provides a basic test of whether a particular host is operating properly and is reachable on the network from the testing host.
Ref: Wikipedia

If you are a blogger, you might have been using some of the most famous ping services to notify the blogosphere about your site update.
Some of you may not know that everytime you post to your blog, you are sending a ping to one or more services depending on your blogging platform. For example, those of blogspot users are pinging to Weblogs.com ping service everytime you make a new post. Ofcos that is if you specified it under “Setting” > “Publishing” > “Notify to Weblogs.com” to “Yes”.
For wordpress blogs by default includes Ping-O-Matic service. As usual, the good thing about wordpress is that you can add any number of ping urls in the text box specifies there.

There are lots of sites offer XML-RPC ping services on the web to track your site/blog updates. What those do is that, you added new post to your blog, you notify(ping) one of those xml-rpc services and they’ll come and crawl your site which in term updated in their database and make available to their visitors and propably those visitors will visit your site. Ah…something like that.
The main thing is that pinging and xml-rpc services publish your post/site to a wider medium, which is good.

XML-RPC is a remote procedure call protocol which uses XML to encode its calls and HTTP as a transport mechanism. It is a very simple protocol, defining only a handful of data types and commands, and the entire description can be printed on two pages of paper. This is in stark contrast to most RPC systems, where the standards documents often run into the thousands of pages and require considerable software support in order to be used.

It was first created by Dave Winer of UserLand Software in 1995 with Microsoft. However, Microsoft considered it too simple and started adding functionality. After several rounds of this, the standard was no longer so simple and became what is now SOAP.
Ref: Wikipedia

The followings are my collection of XML-RPC services. I guess only non blogspot blogs can use that. I suggest blogspot users to use the following links to submit the ping manually:
# Ping.o.matic
# Pingoat
# Blo.gs

You don’t need to add all those in your admin ping list. Only the main links as followed would be enough cos’ they ping to others as well.

Main list I use

• Blo.gs: http://ping.blo.gs/
• BlogRolling: http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
• PingGoat: http://pingoat.com/goat/RPC2
• Ping-O-Matic: http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
• PubSub: http://xping.pubsub.com/ping
• Syndic8 : http://www.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
• Technorati: http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
• TopicExchange: http://topicexchange.com/RPC2
• Weblogs.com: http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
• WebLogAlot: http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php

The List

1. 1470Net: http://1470.net/api/ping
2. a2b: http://www.a2b.cc/setloc/bp.a2b
3. Amagle: http://ping.amagle.com/
4. Blo.gs: http://ping.blo.gs/
5. BlogRolling: http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
6. BlogDigger: http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2
7. BlogShares: http://www.blogshares.com/rpc.php
8. BlogsNow: http://www.blogsnow.com/ping
9. BlogStreet: http://www.blogstreet.com/xrbin/xmlrpc.cgi
10. Bitacoles: http://www.bitacoles.net/ping.php

    http://bitacoras.net/ping

11. BlogDB: http://blogdb.jp/xmlrpc
12. Blogg.de: http://xmlrpc.blogg.de/
13. BlogMatcher: http://blogmatcher.com/u.php
14. Blogoole: http://www.blogoole.com/ping/
15. Blogoon : http://www.blogoon.net/ping/
16. BlogPeople: http://www.blogpeople.net/servlet/weblogUpdates
17. BlogRoots: http://www.blogroots.com/tb_populi.blog?id=1
18. Bloggoone: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/XMLRPC
19. BulkFeeds: http://bulkfeeds.net/rpc
20. Bitacoras: http://ping.bitacoras.com
21. BloggerJP: http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/
22. BlogMura: http://ping.blogmura.jp/rpc/
23. BlogBuzzMachine: http://rpc.blogbuzzmachine.com/RPC2
24. Bakeinu: http://trackback.bakeinu.jp/bakeping.php
25. CoreBlog: http://coreblog.org/ping/
26. Cocolog-nifty: http://ping.cocolog-nifty.com/xmlrpc
27. DataShed: http://rcs.datashed.net/RPC2/
28. Exblog: http://ping.exblog.jp/xmlrpc
29. FeedBurner: http://ping.feedburner.com
30. FeedSter: http://api.feedster.com/ping
31. IceRocket: http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080/
32. Lasermemory: http://www.lasermemory.com/lsrpc/
33. My.Yahoo: http://api.my.yahoo.com/RPC2
34. My.YahooRSS: http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping
35. MyBlog: http://ping.myblog.jp
36. MoreOver: http://api.moreover.com/ping

    http://api.moreover.com/RPC2

37. NewsIsFree: http://www.newsisfree.com/xmlrpctest.php
38. PingGoat: http://pingoat.com/goat/RPC2
39. Ping-O-Matic: http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
40. PubSub: http://xping.pubsub.com/ping

    http://mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatt

    http://www.mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatter/ping.php

41. PopDex: http://www.popdex.com/addsite.php
42. RootBlog: http://ping.rootblog.com/rpc.php
43. Syndic8: http://www.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
44. SnipSnao: http://www.snipsnap.org/RPC2
45. Technorati: http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
46. TopicExchange: http://topicexchange.com/RPC2
47. Weblogs.com: http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2

    http://rpc.weblogs.com/

    http://ping.weblogs.se/

48. WebLogAlot: http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php
49. Weblogues: http://www.weblogues.com/RPC/

Only the links download txt file here. I hope this post helps you.
So next time you browse the net and come across new ping services, save the url and share with me too so that I could update my list.

Resourceful Links:
# Community Server list
# Elloitt Back Ping List
# Blog Herald Ping List
# SEO Black Hat Ping List
# Ensight Ping List

Technorati Tags: XML-RPC, RSS, Ping, Syndication, SEO, Useful, Links, Resources, References, Blogosphere, Services

Ok first and for all, this is not my shit. I repeat, this is NOT my shit and no shits were harmed in making this post.

I’ve been wanting to write about this for quite a long time but I wasn’t ready yet and waiting for the right time. Now that I got everything I needed…there you go…

Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit [x4]

I heard that you were talking shit
And you didn’t think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I’m ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That’s right, put your pom-poms downs, getting everybody fired up

Right you guess it, I’m going to talk about shit.
Well sort of, not exactly…but this “Shit” plays a major role in this post.

A few weeks back, Min Thu invited me to yahoo conference with some of his friends including the guys from myothwelwin, shwenet, myohanhtun sites. We talked about our websites, blogging, technologies and just getting to know each other. One time in the conversation, this guy said something about we don’t have/talk about anything related to art on our sites. Another guy responded by pointing him that we have photos which could be counted as art. But this guy disagreed about photos being an art and only takes art as a painting or a design work. I did not argue with him since it was the first time to meet them and I hardly know about any of them. But I kept the unsatisfying feeling about his view on this term “Art” myself and thinking of doing some art related thing on my site when I have a chance.

Well, I dug up some stuff – my old drawings, lost color pencils, paper, crayons and lost inspiration. This is just an intro post for my coming art related section.
So what is art by the way?

According to wikipedia – ART!

By its original and broadest definition, art (from the Latin ars, meaning “skill” or “craft”) is the product or process of the effective application of a body of knowledge and a set of skills; this meaning is preserved in such phrases as “liberal arts” and “martial arts”.

“Art is commonly understood to be the process or result of making material works (or artwork) which, from concept to creation, adhere to the “creative impulse”

Defining art
There is often confusion about the meaning of the term art because multiple meanings of the word are used interchangeably.

So art can be anything creative, not only painting or designs but also include any other form of self express work.
So can I call the following photo an art? It’s not painting, nor it’s an imaginative sculpture. It’s a solid photograph of a pile of “Shit”.

Let me recall a story. Once an art teacher was showing a slide show of paintings and the following conversation is how I remember about so-call art over a discussion of grotesque painting and a snap shot photo.

Teacher: Is it art? Is it any good?
Student: No, I wouldn’t call it an art, it’s a grotesque.

Teacher: Next slide, it’s my mother.
Student: It’s a snap shot.
Teacher: If I say it was taken by ..… (some famous photographer name), would you call it art?
Student: Art isn’t art until someone said it is.
Teacher: It’s Art!
Student: The right people.
Teacher: Who are they?

…

Teacher: What is art? What make it bad or good or who decides?

My point exactly!
Who tells which is art or the form or the medium to be an art? I don’t know, do you?
So I’m gonna say that photo of shit is an art. Who can argue with that?
Think about it, look at it, pretty cool art to me. The texture, coloring, lighting, composition, the structure, the sensation … just perfect, and a great shot too! Bravo the photographer.

I take an art as anything that makes you go “hmm”, “Wow”, “auuu”, “ahhh” and stimulates you, no matter which medium they’re represented with. This shit definitely makes me go “Wow” so there it is – ART!

Anyway this about it for my art introductory post and hope to follow with some more inspirational shits later on. So still tune.
ShitPeace Out!

P.S: Anyone knows where I got that conversation from?
Hint: from a movie.

Technorati Tags: Art, Photography

Have you guys heard of this “Lightbox JS” yet? It’s pretty cool way of displaying images.
It’s really neat and compatible across all modern browsers.

Lightbox JS is a simple piece of JavaScript that allows you to place images above the page rather than within. A thumbnail image can be clicked on to show the full size image ontop of the page which remains darkened in the background. Closing the overlayed image brings the webpage back to normal, the user never leaves the current page.

I got an idea to use this lightbox in a new section that I’m planning to add here. At the moment I’m a bit lazy to test it yet but one of our very own developer has already used that in the new revamp of FijiTimes site and it’s working like a charm. You can have a look at in the story section. Click on the story image to enlarge and see how it go. Cool huh!

Benefits
Places images above your current page, not within. This frees you from the constraints of the layout, particularly column widths.

Keeps users on the same page. Clicking to view an image and then having to click the back button to return to your site is bad for continuity (and no fun!).

More info on what/how to use LightBox JS can be find as follows:
# Lightbox JS by Lokesh Dhakar
# LightBox Gone Wild at particletree
# Working Samples at FijiTimes.com

Technorati Tags: LightBox JS, Development, Scripts

In case if you haven’t noticed yet, I’ve updated mayvelous with:

• WordPress 2.0.1,
• Squible beta 1.1 (with a few tweaks),
• Upgraded Falbum 0.6.4,
• Favicon changed (make it more bigger),
• Navigation Menu changed,
• Added Logo (kind of…will get proper one later),
• Added proper “Aside” or side note category,
• Squible beta 1.1 include build-in “delicious” links.

(more…)

WP 2.xx versions up.
Upgrade to 2.0.1 guys. I’m doing it tonight.

All in all we’ve closed 114 bugs in the 2.0.1 release, which you’re welcome to check out if you’re curious about every fix. To summarize:

• You can now specify an upload directory, and whether to use date-based storage or not.
• Caching has been fixed under certain PHP enviroments.
• Permalinks have been fixed for weird enviroments as well.
• XML-RPC uploading works.
• Compatibility with older versions of PHP.
• Several WYSIWYG fixes and cleanups.
• Imports now use much less memory.
• Now works with MySQL 5.0 in strict mode.

Download Link: WordPress 2.0.1

I just found out that I have some authority to kick someone out from the seat.

Once you become an intermediate(not yet senior) developer, you’re getting some authority over juniors.

Today we are moving upstairs and switching places with sales team, so everyone choosing and reserving places.

I got in late and no good seats left for me but a good senior advices that I can use my authority to kick someone from the seat. (How cool is that :p)

So, I’m planning to use my full authority over some unfortunate juniors and take over the world!! (I mean seats)
Mwahhhwarrrr!!!!!!!!!

(Ok, I can never do that sound properly, but it creates a great feeling and a grand(rather stupid) sound effect saying it :p)

After many headaches, my very first blogger design has been accomplished for my blogspot site “Little Mayvelous Things“. There are a lot need fixing yet it’s up and running as planned.
The first impressions I’ve got from some reviewers (very unfavorable reviewers: my bro and sis), it’s was “Eeeuu PINK!”, “Too Childish”, “Very girlie”, “Too flowery”, etc etc…I was pretty disappointed that they didn’t like my design.
Nevertheless, my siblings are always too much pain in the … that I’m so use to ignoring them.
Anyway it took me the whole day and night to think of the layout, color, font and design as I never been good with designing.

I’m trying my hand on site designing and hope to design this main site when I have time. Blogger template is easier to redesign than wordpress cos’ blogger has only one file to think of where else WP involve lots of template files. Another reason I’m very slow in rework of mayvelous.com is that I have no php/mysql experience and never build a site using those. So cracking each WP theme templates line by line is very painful process especially when you’re not familiar with php coding.
Anyway now my first step of cracking blogger template has been done, there’ll be only sometime I manage to crack WP as well.
May be next year… will put that in my new year resolution.

So please do visit my newly redesigned site and review how you like or hate about it. Any help or suggestions regarding accessibility issues/errors are most welcome and will try to fix them as I can.
The design is still in progress with a few layout adjustment to made. Anyway I had a busy xmas weekend with that.
Hope you enjoy browsing “Little Mayvelous Things“.

Technorati Tags: redesign, template, theme, blogging, blogspot, sitereview