Webmaster Tools
- Google - http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
- Yahoo! - http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/
- BING - http://www.bing.com/webmaster
LiviTweetup Sept 09
Once again the liviTweetup was at our local, the Black Bull in Mid Calder. It’s a good location and not just because it’s close to home. There's always great company with the usual crowd, and some sweet karaoke sounds from @idealchris, @ClaireHammond and @elaine0007, as usual.
I was reminded by a @Showerguy that I haven't given any way for people to get in contact via Twitter. A kick in the butt to get my blog updated and publish it on Twitter. Thanks, Les.
Basics will go up this weekend, design will be worked on in the coming months, as and when time allows.
Drupal Google Analytics Module
Not sure about how to put Google Analytics into a Drupal installation? Go take a look at Brian Stevenson’s videos on installing the Google-Analytics module. They’re Awesome!
Installing & Configuring the Google Analytics Module for Drupal 6.x
Configuring User Segmentation in the Google Analytics Module for Drupal 6.x
Advanced Tracking in the Google Analytics Module for Drupal 6.x
Advanced JavaScript Tweaks in the Google Analytics Module for Drupal 6.x
The Drupal module for Google Analytics can be found at http://drupal.org/project/google_analytics
To disable register_globals in .htaccess
Drupal requires that register_globals is disabled. If your setting is enabled you will get the following message.
"register_globals is enabled. Drupal requires this configuration directive to be disabled."
If you do not have access to your server to modify this setting then add the following line to the top of your .htaccess file.
"php_flag register_globals off"
Learning Magento – Creating a Different Header on the Home Page
Learning to use Magento have a steep curve (and I really hate walking up hill) but I’ll get there.
To add an image to your home page only...
- Upload the image
- Create a static block that contains the html link to the image
- Duplicate app/design/.../template/page/html/header.phtml
- In Magento admin edit the Home Page (CMS > Manage Pages > Custom Pages)
- Update the Layout Update XML field as per http://www.magentocommerce.com/boards/viewthread/52733/
Now I just need to work a way to update the image within the admin system...
Stock Photography Sites via Smashing Magazine
As always Smashing Magazine is, well, smashing.
They have posted a list of free and commercial Stock Photography Sites. A great pool of resources that are getting the creative neurons firing -
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/16/free-and-commercial-stock-photography-sites/
How easy it is when you know why!
I’ve been working with Illustrator for a while now (ever since the downfall of Freehand) but have never really understood why my text box would not resize without resizing my text. It got me so frustrated I’d delete the text draw the text box to the size I needed and then start again, after which the text box would resize without resizing the text.
Today I took some time to look into this and thanks to a post by Craig on graphicdesignforum.com I have an answer.
If you simply click and type, your text will [resize the text when you resize the box]. However, if you create a text box and type, it will allow you to resize the text box without resizing the text.
Thank you Craig. You’ve made mad woman sane!
(Ed) Photoshop has been giving me the same problem and I've identified that that the tool selected when editing the text box influences the resize behaviour. With the text tool selected the box will resize leaving the text with its dimensions and when the move tool is selected the both the box and text is resized.
A Traditional Art Form in a Modern Setting
When I was a teenager I loved to roll strips of paper into pictures. I still have all my original work (barring the cards I made for family and famous people!) including a beautiful dragon that is not quite finished.
This is the traditional art form of Quilling or Paper Filigree and today I stumbled upon the website of an illustrator Yulia Brodskaya (www.artyulia.com) who uses this idea to produce exquisite designs. Definitely worth a look.
She’s inspiring me to dust of the dragon and finish him off.
Handy Techniques For Cutting Out Hair in Photoshop
Just found this fantastic tutorial for cutting out hair in Photoshop. It’s a hellish job to do if you don’t use Photoshop often and this provides a couple of methods and takes them step by step. Brilliant!
http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/handy-techniques-for-cutting-out-hair-in-photoshop
Word of Tomorrow: Voluptuous
Voluptuous is an adjective
1 relating to or characterized by luxury or sensual pleasure. (I did not know this)
2 (of a woman) curvaceous and sexually attractive.
It's derivatives are voluptuously (adverb) and voluptuousness (noun).
It's origin is the Latin voluptuosus, from voluptas ‘pleasure’.