Monthly Archives: December 2011

Ok, I think I found a new use for this blog. I’m going to make it into my stream of consciousness blog. Want to get inside this crazy guy’s head than starting reading this blog. Since I only think of WordPress lately it makes sense to post everything I am thinking here. I thought of another idea to abstract support ever further. Sometimes I run into people who are just plain overwhelmed by all the WordPress options. They don’t really have a specific problem besides just being plain overwhelmed. I want to do something similar to what is already being done over on learn.wordpress.com, just a little less focused and specific.

What I think would be helpful would be to set up an interactive support page. Basically you could recreate the entire WordPress admin menu with the flyouts and everything in html/css. So lets say a user whats to know what everything on the Settings –> Media menu does, they don’t really need/want to change anything there they just want to know what those settings do. When they click on the Settings –> Media link on the interactive support page it takes them to a support doc that has a general overview of every setting on the screen with links to more detailed instructions if necessary. While they probably could have found this general overview support doc if they searched for it, I think something like this might be good for people who don’t even know what they need to search for, they just want to have a greater understanding of WordPress and how everything works and fits together.

Crappy Mockup

During Christmas break I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’ve always wanted to make a plugin but I usually get discouraged because whenever I check out the plugin repo I see that someone has already made one similar to my idea. However, I think I finally thought of something that no one has done yet, which might mean it’s a stupid idea :) .

I want to create a plugin called Quick Help. It would basically be a dashboard widget that you can use to answer some of your simple WordPress questions. I’ve noticed that a lot of the time when a user asks a question it is not necessarily how to do something but rather where to find the setting. For example, take the question “how do I change my title”. The “Site Title” setting is pretty self explainatory but most people who ask this question don’t know to look on the general settings screen, but once they get there they are all set.

BESsBESs

This plugin will be basically be a dashboard widget with a search field. When you enter in your question the widget gives you the link to the screen where you can find that setting. So if someone typed in “How do I limit by the number of the posts on the front page?” the plugin would spit out a link that would send them to the Settings –> Reading screen. All this plugin would do is point you to the right screen. There are already many resources that point you to external resources but I didn’t find many that just point you to the correct screen of your WordPress site.

Maybe its a dumb idea but I think this could be useful in some situations. Hopefully I will get around to trying to develop this plugin in the future.

I find coding is an incredible means of self-expression. Scripting is the new literacy. A hundred years ago, the dividing line was the ability to read and write. Today, it’s between people who can code simple things, and those who can’t. It’s so liberating to have an idea and be able to bend the computer to your will. I’ve found that of the most rewarding experiences in life is to create something that provides a useful function for other people. There’s an intrinsic goodness in it, like how I imagine what a true craftsman would put into a chair, table or door. You build it for the ages. You can do that with code as well, particularly with open source software, where people do the work because they love it.
Matt Mullenweg | Interview with Gijutsu-Hyoron

The Tombow OLNO (a play on the Japanese word “oru”, or to fold/bend) mechanical pencil, features a unique design mechanism that allows the user to extend pencil lead by simply bending the body. The body can be bent in any direction, making it very easy for writers or drawers to extend lead without changing their grip at all. In addition, there is a standard clicker for extending lead using the top knock button, which removes from the pencil body to become a small hand-held eraser. Unscrew the pencil body above the grip area to insert refill lead.

Tombox Olno

Yesterday I stumbled across the show Born Dealers. I really like the show not just because of the really neat things they buy and sell but because the father and son duo seen like really cool guys. I also know what I am going to do when I get a full time job, buy mid century furniture.

Born Dealers stars father and son team Jerry and Jeremiah Pasternak – real life treasure hunters who scour the East coast, combing yard sales, pawnshops and even dumps looking for vintage gems that they can flip to their upscale clientele in their huge warehouse in Rockport, Maine. A docusoap about a family business on the road.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/born-dealers/