Integrating the Upgraded Digg Tools in Blogger

Digg.com released a worthy upgrade to their site integration tools today, with such neat new features as combining the submission process and Digg box, etc. Since I have previously published a method of integrating the first incarnation of the Digg tools in your [new] Blogger posts, it is now time to post an update to take the new features in consideration.

Before you start, make sure that your blog is set to save post pages. This is a Digg (and other social sites) requirement, since we need unique URLs to submit. To verify, go to your Blogger Dashboard » Settings » Archiving » Enable Post Pages? Select yes and save.

Then go to your Blogger Dashboard » Layout » Edit HTML. Be sure to check the Expand Widget Templates checkbox.

Locate the following code in the template’s XML:

<p><data:post.body/></p>

And replace it with:

<p>
  <span style="margin-right: 10px; float: left;">
    <script>
      digg_url = '<data:post.url/>';
    </script>
    <script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js"> </script>
  </span>
  <data:post.body/>
</p>

You’re done! It’s now as simple as this.

You can also try the new, more discreet, compact mode:

<p>
  <data:post.body/>
  <span style="margin-top: 5px; float: right;">
    <script>
      digg_url = '<data:post.url/>';
      digg_skin = 'compact';
    </script>
    <script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js"> </script>
  </span>
</p>

Personally though, I’m not too keen on displaying Digg boxes showing 0 diggs when the content has not been submitted yet, nor am I interested in showing the digg box on all my posts. So I’m still going to use my original solution and just update the URL of the Digg javascript from /api/ to /tools/ in my template. Overall, it is a more involved option, but I’d rather have flexibility than ease of use.

Ultimately, I’d like to see another mode (digg_skin variable) where unsubmitted content sports a simple button (like the Digg Guy), and the box only starts to show if and after the content has been submitted.

As a side note, it’s probably going to get fixed quickly, but the compact mode of the new tool had a bug with url targeting that made the submit form show in the tiny iframe the Digg javascript outputs.

Update: 2007-07-26: Updated formatting after import from Blogger.com.

Up to my Elbows in Enterprise Search

Sorry about the lack of updates, but I’m smack in the middle of a huge project rethink at work, and it’s eating up all my time. I’ve been at it for two weeks, and I’m now hitting a point where I’m satisfied with the direction the project is heading. I reached the point where I’m having fun with it. :)

I’ll have more time once this is behind us, which I’m glad to say is coming soon!

3D Desktop Linux on Live CD

Linux.com posted two articles in as many days about the 3D desktops under Linux now being available for preview as live CDs.

I’m getting them both as we speak to try them on my MacBook.

parseMe 20070111 Update

Update: 2007-02-13: An upgraded version is now available.

I have released an upgraded version of my GPL’ed lightweight feed reader for web-enabled devices, parseMe, a couple of days ago.

I have added a couple of interesting new features:

  • It now integrates with Google Mobile to provide full content browsing of the destination URLs. This is done by using their nifty (x)html parser, which reformats standard web pages for mobile/accessibility browsers.
  • There is now a cookie-based feature that lets users define what their default source and item limit should be when first accessing the app. All cookie manipulation is done via PHP, on the server-side, as to not rely on Javascript, which is rarely available on the targeted browsers.

You can find the appropriate links below:

I’m obviously quite a bit biased of course, but it’s still is my favourite mobile app. :) And since I’m not seeing an iPhone (or similar smart phone) in any kind of recent future for me (availability in Canada, price, usage fees, etc), it probably will be for quite a while.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Update RC Wins MacWorld Expo 2007 “Best in Show”

RENTON, Wash. – January 10th, 2007 – Parallels announced today that its Update Release Candidate (RC) for the Parallels Desktop for Mac, released today, has been named “Best in Show” at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. The “Best in Show” award is presented to the most elite of the several thousand products and services on display at the annual MacWorld Expo and Conference.

Congratulations! :)