As I was mapping out another Sunday nature walk location for my kids, my son Logan, watched over my shoulder, and seemed to take great interest in watching me “fly” around on the computer screen.
I took some time to show him some of the buildings and places that he was familiar with, such as the grocery store and daycare, as well as his sister’s elementary school.
From there, I showed him he could also fly around the Solar System, the Moon as well as Mars!
His eyes were so large, and I think he forgot to blink, as he continued to watch the screen with amazement!
As we continued to “fly” around on Google Earth, I started to show him the controls for how to move around the screen.
Within seconds he was grabbing the mouse from my hand and was “flying” on his own!
For the next hour or so, he was flying around Chester County, and giggling very happily during his new adventures.
So to all the parents out there with young kids, I would strongly recommend downloading Google Earth, which is free, and begin to teach your child the local spots so that they can become familiar with their surroundings.
Once they have the basic navigational skills, take a step back and let them explore the world on the screen in front of them.
Not only is it fun for the kids, but they will also begin to start to understand the relationships of “things” around them.
If you really want to let them explore, check out and show them the “Flight Simulator” which can be found under the Tools menu.
If you get involved with the Flickr photography groups that have awards, you will notice that there is no really good way to track what you have, until flickr Award Counter (fAC) by Andy Felton (PhazeShift).
flickr Award Counter can take some time to initially setup, because you have to enter in each Award Title (think of a naming structure), and the URL to the Award image for the greasemonkey/javascript counters to work, but once it is done, fAC works great!
But beware, once done, there does not appear to be a direct way to back up all your filter/counter work.
Backup
After some hunting, I found a thread on the Flickr Hacks – “Award Counter – backup?“, which suggested that one backup the Firefox “prefs.js” file, which can be found (example: Win XP):
C:Documents and Settings%profilename%Application Data ¬
MozillaFirefoxProfilesdm24ria8.defaultsprefs.js
where
%profilename%
is the current user, and
dm24ria8.defaults
could be “any-name.defaults” within this path, and includes “prefs.js”, and all the more fun if there are multiple users! A-)
The simplest backup, is to copy/duplicate the “prefs.js” file within the same directory and adding the “.bak” extension (“prefs.js.bak”) or copy the file to another location, and leave yourself a reminder of where!
Restore
To restore, just replace the damages file with the backup from above.
Transfer
Many times, all you want to do, is to transfer your filter/counter information from one machine to another.
If you use the Restore method mentioned above, one of the immediate down sides is that the destination machine, will inherit the “prefs.js” settings from the source machine.
In some cases, this might be sufficient, but what if you ONLY want the filter/counter information.
about:config
On the machine that has the Main/Source of filter/counters, launch Firefox, and type about:config in the address bar.
After working with the DotNetNuke Content Management System (CMS) for over two years on my personal and several other websites, I finally made the decision to move to something a little less daunting.
Do not get me wrong, DNN is a very powerful system, but with the power comes complexity.
I needed something that did not require as much time to work with, so I started to look into WordPress.
I also realize, that the two systems are entirely different, and have two different audiences in mind.
DotNetNuke can be managed by one person, but that one person needs to be aware of several different underlying architectural environments. Having a programming background is also very desirable when tweaking in needed.
WordPress on the other hand, seems to be geared more for the casual user. Once set up, management of the software appears to be far easier than DotNetNuke.
In the following, I will attempt to do some illustrations in regards to the pros and cons DotNetNuke and WordPress.
By no means is this list comprehensive, but is based on over two years of working with DotNetNuke, and new installation of WordPress, as my new website environment. (I did run a WordPress.com (Free) site for approximately same amount of time… and I have a couple alter ego sites on WordPress…)
DotNetNuke
Pros
Free/Open Source
Very Powerful and Scalable
Supports many Microsoft development languages
SEO Friendly (w/Plug-Ins)
Cons
Complex
Windows Only
Requires Hosting Server
Simple Back-ups can be done w/Additional “Paid” Software
– Depending on your Hosting company, Database backups may require additional purchased software.
DotNetNuke it is definitely geared towards an environment where there is someone or some folks that are willing to administer an environment where multiple technologies may be involved.
DotNetNuke is infinitely expandable with the various programming languages that are available to create modules and enhancements within this Content Management System (CMS).
When looking at the DotNetNuke homepage, you can see that many large corporations throughout the world use this CMS for their websites.
One of the things that I found very depressing about the DotNetNuke environment, was that every time I wanted to have additional functionality and something, it is it was either a great deal of work, or I had to pay for it.
I always felt that I was getting “Nickel and Dimed” for everything I wanted to do, including documentation and training.
A prime example of this would be the DotNetNuke blog module. Based in this day and age of blogs seems to be the quintessential format for all many websites.
WordPress.com (Free)
Pros
Free/Open Source
Very Powerful
No Hosted Needed
SEO Friendly
Cons
Limited Enhancement options
No Google Analytics
No Google AdSense
Might be Block by Firewalls
WordPress.com by far is the simplest of these three options presented, but what do you want?
There is no need to find a host, installation is nearly instantaneous, with a few clicks you can have your theme for your website, and you’re off and running.
With the free hosting version of WordPress, there is no advertising “things” that must be placed on your website, which I find very interesting, because I wonder how WordPress pays for itself.
Another Post, another time….
WordPress (Self Hosted)
Pros
Free/Open Source
Very Powerful
Google AdSense & Analytics
Very Powerful and Scalable
Multiple Platforms ( Wintel & Linux)
Very Low Hosting Fees
SEO Friendly (w/Plug-Ins)
Basic Back-up of the MySQL can be done with Free Plug-ins
Cons
Need a Hosting Server (Hosting Fees)
Because WordPress is open source, there are no cost associated with the base software, which does lower costs as one looks around at various hosting options.
I did research one vendor, that does have very low price, but what I found out was, the Advertised price was based upon an upfront one year obligation of hosting.
Once again the law of averages, for the hidden truth.
The ULTIMATE hosting environment would be comprised of Linux as a server operating system, Apache as your Web server, and MySQL doing the database backend, and the ability to use PHP scripts/language. Also known as, LAMP (or Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)…
There are thousands of Hosting Vendors that could fit this description… that is beyond scope of this post to really get into that issue…
Many of these Vendors also offer one-button installation of WordPress which for those that do not enjoy the fun of installation, one can just click… sit back and wait…
I did not do this so I cannot comment on the validity of these installs, but if there were an issue there would be far more complaints than what I was able to see in various forums.
Install – WordPress
I did a fair amount of reading to make sure, that I was moving in the right direction of a WordPress install..
I did my necessary backups of my DotNetNuke website…
I even converted many of the aspx pages to HTML, and then integrated them to my temporary WordPress.com blog site.
My WordPress.com site was my secondary backup, and served as my template for my new website.
Having been a Wintel System Administrator for 10+ years, I knew I needed to back up everything…
Several times over…
I confirmed with my hosting company, CrystalTech.com, that my hosting environment was able to accommodate WordPress…
I also confirmed the default structure of my hosting environment.
This was going to be a “Bare metal” / “Fresh” install.
I downloaded and unzipped the official WordPress installation package, and uploaded it to my webspace, and ran the installation script.
The installation ran extremely quickly… I was VERY surprised!
I was able to launch my website install the database etc. etc. etc. without issue…
Now it was time to customize.
Note – Another thing that struck me, was the fact that the administrator interface for WordPress is far easier to understand, then what one would face with DotNetNuke.
I am not going to get to each and every detail of the various ‘things’ that one can add to their web press environment, but needless to say there are thousands of different combinations that one could create to fit their personal taste.
Conclusion
WordPress (Self Hosted), in my opinion, is the most flexible of the three environments presented, but this is dependent on how much you want to be involved financially or through development.
For a Single User with some General knowledge, but not willing to deal with the test technical aspects, WordPress.com (Free), would be your best bet.
For a User with some Advance knowledge, but not willing to deal with the test technical aspects, WordPress (Self Hosted), might be a consideration, but be aware, the technical aspect, might become addicting…
For accompany willing to invest the time and finances, DotNetNuke can be an excellent platform to build from, they can easily grow as your requirements do.
Additional References
Because I installed into a mixed environment, Microsoft IIS (WinTel) and MySQL (Linux), I was confronted with several unique issues with my host that were easily resolved with numerous pre-published documents.
As part of my website reconfiguration plan, I set up on a aseymour.com, with a HTML page, that included a metadata redirect to my WordPress.com site, so I was never really “down”, my content was always available.
But in doing so, I choose to install into a sub-directory of my main website…
At first, when one went to aseymour.com, there would be a quick redirect page, then to the new Main.
I had to get around this pause…
The Crystal Tech support folks were able to point me to the following document, which also used to redirect but at a domain level, which I hope to use, later as I look into Drupla and Joomla.
So this Post, is the First in a planned Series, of short FAQ style articles, based on feedback from this Blog, Facebook and Flickr groups that I belong to.
What is FTPing files? – RE: “PhotoShare-MakeOver” (PSMO) projects
FTP is a fundamental protocol of the Internet, as the name implies “File Transfer Protocol“. It has been around since the inception of the Internet. It is a base protocol for how things work on the Internet. It is your Friend!
– You could also think of it, as the phone line coming into your home, your voice(s) are nothing more than data passing back and forth.
In the good old days, one would have to get into a command line session, maneuver to the various directories, start a PUT/GET, and continue.
Allot of typing, mistakes, etc…
Finally, someone put a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to the protocol, and created an application as an easier way to move files!
Those FTP applications, also known as Clients, are available for EVERY platform, and I believe every OS still has the ability to FTP form the command line…
FTP Clients are the way to go, but deciding which one…
It is my nature to be frugal, so Free is good, and Good Free software that is reliable is even better!
If you would like to be considered for a “PSMO Project“, please contact one of the Group Admin‘s.
For illustration, I am going to use aseymour.com, if you are going to use another website/domain, please contact that Admin for details on Directory, Username and Passwords.
It is estimated that the PSMO files are going to be approximately 50MBs+ in size per image, and need a Common Area for the files to be stored so others can access/download them for the projects.
Again, you need a Username and Password to Upload, and if files are NOT invited, they will be deleted!
If you have the Current Username and Password, you launching your FTP Client, in this case, FileZilla (WinTel).
First Time Setup – FileZilla & aseymour.com
The first time that you use aseymour.com, you will need to follow these steps. but once done, but once Saved, you can return to the Site without the need to go through all these setup steps:
<– These instructions are for the Windows Client –>
Launch/Open FileZilla;
Go to the File menu, and select “Site Manager…“;
In the “Host Name:” field, Enter “ftp.aseymour.com” (without the “Quotes”);
In the “Logon type:” drop-down, select “Normal“;
Enter in Username and Password;
On the General tab –
In the Site Manager window, on the Left side, look for the “New Site” button;
Name the new site “CCPaPhotography_UL” (without the “Quotes”);
On the Advanced tab –
Nothing needed at this time
Then Click the Connect button at the bottom of the dialog box.
Once you have connected, you should see a index.html file, please do NOT touch this file!
From here you should, find the file(s) that you wish to upload with FileZilla and than Upload (FTP “PUT”) your invited files!
Once you are completed Uploading your files, please let the Admins knows so that an announcement can be made!
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know!
As Chester County was getting its first real snow fall of the New Year on Thursday and Friday, I was very anxious about getting out and getting some photography in, but was thwarted with the regular activities of life: Clients, Family, Plowing, Roads, etc.
But I was finally able to get out late yesterday afternoon, to shoot the little stream along Norwood Road heading into Downingtown, which was fairly untouched, except for a single set of tracks left by a dog and it’s owner.
As I trudged through the snow with my camera bag and tripod, I was reminded of an earlier series of comments I made on “cold weather camera tips“, and I thought I would revisited the post to single the content and to add additional thoughts and information.
Heading Out – Things that can slow down
Most people when faced with shooting in cold conditions, generally only think about what cloths and boots they are going to wear to keep them warm during their photographic adventure, which is very important, but it does not stop there.
Your camera also has moving parts that need to be included in your thinking.
The Camera Body
Before the advent of Digital Cameras, Traditional Film based cameras had many more moving parts that one had to be concerned with when working in cold weather.
On Traditional Film Cameras, the Film Transport mechanism and Rollers where usually the most vulnerable as the lubricants became more viscous and in extreme case, freezing altogether.
One also had to be careful with the film itself, because it to could be brittle, and break when being thread into the camera body.
There was also the increase in static electrical charges, that could cause little lighting patterns on the film, especially during the rewinding process.
With Digital Cameras, obviously there is no need to move film, so issues associated with the moving and winding film became less relevant.
In both Film and Digital cameras, the mirror mechanism that allows one to look in to the eyepiece and then see through the lens also has the potential of slowing down as the temperature falls.
Lens
The blades that make up the iris diaphragm or aperture of the lens and the mechanics uses for auto focusing can also be sensitive to the cold. These features may slow down, stick together or freeze, there by not allowing the correct exposure or focus quality.
Batteries
As the temperature falls, the chemicals inside the batteries used to produce a current, will begin to diminish, and at some point, the camera will stop working at all.
Ever have problems starting your Car in the winter?
Needless to say, I keep my batteries as warm as possible, and carry an extra set.
What to do?
The most obvious answer is to keep your camera gear warm by simply keep it near your body for warmth, and do NOT breath heavily on the camera in an attempt to warm it up!
This can cause condensation which is the biggest evil!
Condensation
As mentioned earlier, condensation, which is caused by the sudden changes in temperature, can damage your camera’s electronics.
This usually is a cumulative issue, meaning, it might not happen on the first time, but after many sessions.
What needs to occur, is the gradual transition of temperatures between indoors and outdoors on your camera.
Use your camera bag as a place to help in the transition. The bag’s cushions and partitions will help to absorb the temperature extremes.
It is also good practice to place your equipment into plastic bags as part of the transition and condensation control.
There does seem to be a debate about keeping the camera inside your coat.
Here you have to be sensible, and coordinate with you environment.
Remember:
You body heat is going to make for a larger extreme when you take it out
Your body sweats, adding moisture to the situation
If you have to keep your camera next to you body, use caution and common sense.
When traveling to your destination, keep your gear in the coldest section of your car, like the back and maybe even the trunk. That way, the camera can slowly cool down. Use the reverse when heading home.
In our house, we have a “mud room” area, that is not as warm as the rest of the house, but it is where I can acclimate the camera, before it reaches my office, which also happens to be a colder part of the house!
Other Cold Weather Tips
Carry an Extra Set of Batteries
Remove the Batteries until needed – Warm Batteries
Turn off the LCD screen until needed – Battery Drain
Turn off the Auto Focus feature until needed – Battery Drain
I hope you have found this posting useful, so go out an enjoy the cold weather with you camera!
