November 13, 2004
Closing Old Comments
Comment spam continues to grow. MT-Blacklist put a big dent into it for a while, but more has been sneaking through lately. I think it's very inconvenient to force visitors to register before being able to comment, and I'd hate to get rid of comments altogether. However, I really have to do something. One simple step I've startedt today is to close comments for most of my older posts (using the very handy MT-Close2 plugin). Hopefully, this will help a bit.
September 07, 2004
Building a Better Reading List - Part 2
Well, I ended up building an application in Access that let me include all the features I want for a book list. It turned out to be trivial to include an option that let me search Amazon.com for book details like ISBN number right from within the Access form. I also added an options to produce three version of the list (by title, by author and by category) and to automatically post them in batch via FTP (and/or drag and drop them from a local directory to the web site). While not dynamic and not web-based, this quick-and-dirty solution works well for me. I also decided to host all cover pictures from my site, which I think will make for faster viewing than relaying requests for pictures to Amazon.com.
August 26, 2004
Building a Better "Currently Reading" Section
New Feature: Reading List by Phil Windley:
I'm experimenting with software for building reading lists using Amazon Web Services. So far, I havent't found anything that really works like I'd want. Mr Rat's Amazon Product Feed software isn't bad. I used it to create this reading list of books I've mentioned on my Weblog. One of the things I'd like to do is create multiple lists and manage them with a database of some kind.
I've been investigating the same thing. For Movable Type blog users like me, there are a couple nice MT plug-ins that can help: MTAmazon, Bookqueue, and AllConsuming (all available from http:/www/mtplugins.org ). I've tried MTAmazon and Bookqueue and it works fine to display basic info, cover art, and link to Amazon (see Currently Reading sidebar).
It would be perfect if it only was a little more capable. I'm still looking for a solution that would let me also add my own comments, include a rating, and assign (and sort by) categories (not just read/not read like Bookqueue supports). Unfortunately, Bookqueue looks like its not actively being enhanced any more.
Another approach I'm considering is using a PC-based book catalog application called Book Collector (from http://www.collectorz.com ). That gives me all the features I'd like and more and can export book info to HTML files that I could then move onto my site. The biggest drawback there is that I'd prefer a web-based solution so I could access and update from anywhere. (I posted the above note on Windley's message board. Hope more people post their ideas/solutions, since I can't imagine we're the only ones interested in a more functional "currently reading" list for our sites.)
August 13, 2004
MT-Blacklist to the Rescue
The amount of annoying comment spam that's appearing in blog posts has been getting out of hand lately. I was tired of clearing it out by and and was getting the point where I was going to disable comments on posts.
Instead I installed MT-Blacklist, Jay Allen's free Movable Type plug-in that helps eliminate comment and trackback spam. So far, it's working great.
Comment spam is all about getting getting the URL for a questionable site into as many sites as possible so that search engines that index sites will give that URL more prominence. Since spammers constantly forge new identities and IP addresses, MT-Blacklist lets you block any comments that include links to common spam URLs. You can download a regularly updated master list of spam URLs and also add your own at any time. I's not fool-proof protection and, like an anti-virus program, you have to regulary update your master list, but, for me, it's turned an intolerable spam situation into a very manageable one.
August 06, 2004
Just a quick test post
Just a quick test post to help me test the new site design. Bellbits.com has a new CSS-based layout. I also updated a lot of the underlying programs, including Movable Type and Gallery, and added a new Reading List section.
October 30, 2003
Comment Spam
I've been reading about the increasing wave of spam in blog comments, but hadn't expected anyone would bother with my little blog. Sure enough, the other day I suddenly had about twenty new comments that were obviously spam. Guess it's time to start trying to block this junk.
June 06, 2003
Site updates
Over the last couple days I've updated Moveable Type and Gallery, which base the blog and photo gallery sections of the website, and whacked associated templates and stylesheets to better incorporate those sections into my old school table-based layout. The underlying code isn't pretty but I'm happy so far with the results.
October 17, 2002
Welcome
This is a brand new site and a brand new web log. Hope you find something of interest.
In case you missed it, here's my welcome message from the site's main page (this also gets me off the hook trying to come up with something profound for this first entry
I admit it. I really like computers.
Partially, it's an occupational hazard: as the chief information officer for a New York State government organization, I'm constantly trying to find more efficient and effective ways to use technology.
But even in my "free" time I enjoy turning on my PC and trying out a new program, installing a new piece of hardware, or discovering something new on the Internet.
I've been lucky enough to turn my interest into a career, and have had opportunities to consult and speak on technology issues and write on a freelance basis for national computer, training and graphic design magazines.
The best part is that I’m always learning something new. Using this site, I hope to share some of my own experiences, exchange ideas with visitors like you, and maybe even throw in a few personal rants and rambles...
I'd really like to hear what you think. Agree or disagree with something I've said? Have some good ideas yourself? Drop me an e-mail or join the discussion.
So, come on in already . . .