One of my favorite features in Windows 7 (I skipped vista so it may apply there too) is Sticky Notes, the virtual version of their 3M counterparts. I use them mostly the same way too, which means sometimes I want to strike out a completed task instead of simply deleting it from the note or deleting the note.
The solution to the quandary came from a fellow on twitter. Who knew twitter could be helpful?
In a sticky note, select the text you want to strike out and and press CTRL+T. Bam! Stuck out text and you don’t need a tablet and pen to draw a line though it.
I’ve been using Alex King’s Twitter Tools for sometime now on some other Wordpress sites I’ve developed. It’s clean, simple and just plain works. However, one thing that’s never really thrilled me about twitter is its use of bit.ly or any of the other automatic URL shortening. Mr. King provides a bit.ly plugin that lets you use your own bit.ly API, so you can tract traffic though your link, but that’s only a minor improovment.
The best solution, in my opinion is to use a custom short URL that’s provided though your own domain. This has several advantages, the biggest for me is that it makes it clear where the link is actually going. However, short canonical URLs are also being touted as a way to avoid massive internet link-rot created by the myrid of URLs services like bit.ly and tinyurl can produce. In fact I’m rather opposed to those services (even if I do use them) for security and clarity reasons. You can read more about rev=”canonical” urls here and here.
Fortunately, running a custom URL shortening service on your own blog isn’t difficult. In fact there’s already a Wordpress plug-in that handles both the shortening and redirection.
All that’s left for my purposes is tying that shortened canonical URL into Twitter Tools so that my tweets don’t get bit.ly or tinyurl links.
What You’ll Need
- Rev Canonical – this provides an SEO and URL shortening mechanism
- Twitter Tools – to get the updates on twitter.
- My TwitterTools RevCanonical URL shortening plug-in – ties it all togeather
As we find ourselves becoming increasing reliant on our electron gods, do we risk being sucked in to the depths of Technocity?
Last friday I spent the morning, a very early morning, out in Everglades National Park shooting amongst other things, Osprey’s and Vultures. It was a rather productive day, so much so I’ll be going back armed with a better idea of where and when to setup. Unfortunately it’ll be a long while before I get a good handle on when and where to be, because the ‘glades is such a large area, and with unrestricted off trail hiking very accessible.
One of a flock of black vultures, perched on a dead tree, at sunrise.
It’s been a busy few weeks and there’s another 2 to go. Once everything settles down a little I’ll be getting back to writing field guides and trip reports, until then, here’s a Great Egret at sunrise from Loxahatchee National Wild Life Refuge.
If you’ve never been to Palm Beach County’s Wakodahatchee Wetlans Park, you may want to look though my field guide here.
I arrived just as the sun was peaking over the tree line, in other words way to early for me, but just in time for the good light. The skies were fairly clear with some cumulus clouds scattered around. Upon entering the refuge, it was apparent that the day wouldn’t be nearly as bad as I had feared.
Read more…
Categories: Field Guides, Funstuff, Photography, Trip Reports Tags: alligator, animals, cormorant, duck, florida, guide, locations, palm beach, wakodahatchee, wildlife
