Maria’s Guides

Links for the month of April.

Here are a few links of interest to the folks who read my books and articles or watch my training videos.

• The Microsoft discount - An opinion piece about the Microsoft "Apple Tax" advertising strategy by Dan Miller on Macworld.com. I couldn't agree with this comment more: "But for the benefit of my Windows-using friends, I will say for the record: I don’t use a Mac because it’s cool. I use it because it works better for me. I use it because it doesn’t stink." Thanks to @danfrakes for tweeting the link.
• The Poor Man’s Mac: Microsoft’s recession-era ploy to get you to buy a PC instead of a Mac - By focusing only on price, Microsoft is telling us only one thing about the Windows logo: It's what you look for when you're settling. By Farhad Manjoo on Slate Magazine.
• Microsoft conjures imaginary ‘Apple Tax’ - The age-old battle between Microsoft and Apple is heating up again, and this time, Redmond is cheating. On The Register.
• TweetSig, simply converting your tweets into an image. - A way cool tool to generate a Twitter-based signature line for use in e-mail and forum posts. Thanks to @Firgs for sharing the link.
• On Twitter, mindcasting is the new lifecasting | Technology | Los Angeles Times - Another article about real-life uses of Twitter. On the Los Angeles Times blog.
• Finding Utility in the Jumble of Tweeted Thoughts - NYTimes.com - Good article on the New York Times about putting Twitter to good use. Thanks to @mjvalente for sharing the link.
• 10 Most Extraordinary Twitter Updates - Excellent post that gives real examples of how Twitter is used. On Mashable.com.
• A Visual Guide to Twitter - Interesting diagram showing how Twitter can be used.
• Operating System Interface Design Between 1981-2009 - Interesting history, with screenshots, of GUI operating system development. On Webdesigner Depot. Thanks for @god on Twitter for sharing the link.

Links for the month of March.

Here are a few links of interest to the folks who read my books and articles or watch my training videos.

• 10 Features That Will Make Twitter Better - A wish list of features that should please any hardcore Twitter user. On SixRevisions.com.
• Exporting 720p from iMovie ’09 | Video | Mac 911 | Macworld - Excellent article by Chris Breen outlining a problem and workaround for de-interlacing 1080i HD video from iMovie ‘09. Thanks to @JeffCarlson on Twitter for the link.
• Twitterfall: A New Twitter Tool for Journalists - A quick review of TwitterFall, which offers life tweet tracking by keyword with other bonus features. On Poynter Online.
• Tuesday is upon us: new Apple hardware - A summary of the new hardware released by Apple today. On TUAW.
• Explaining Twitter to Grandma Rose - This explanation is pretty good, although I know my grandmother (who is no longer with us) wouldn’t have understood. By Hildy Gottlieb.
• Jim Cramer smackdown includes talk of Apple - This is the kind of stuff that needs to stop. As an Apple stockholder and user of Apple products for over 20 years, Cramer's attempt to manipulate Apple's stock prices makes me sick. What other companies are being screwed over by people like him? How much money have innocent investors lost? On TUAW.
• Apple - Support - Discussions - Converting AVI files - Having trouble getting video clips into iMovie '09? ricktoronto provides some advice in this Apple support forum thread. Worked for me, although I still had a few questions.
• DV, DVD and (XS)VCD on a Macintosh - A good reference for converting all kinds of video on a Mac.
• We found the chip inside the new iPod headphones…but is it DRM? - I'd like answers to the questions in this post. On Boing Boing Gadgets. Thanks to @danfrakes for sharing this link.
• Apple, vendors confirm iPod headphone-chip rumors - This is not the kind of information I want to read about Apple products. On Macworld.
• TweepMe | Browse Members - These people are so desperate for followers that they'll use a Web service — and possibly even pay! — to get automatic followers. Pity them. They are true social networking losers.
• How to Tweet Your Way Out of a Job - When will they learn? On I’m Not Actually a Geek. Thanks to @jodene on Twitter for sharing the link.
• Dealing with M2T (HDV) for Macs - Jeez Louise! Where was this when I needed help a few months ago? Wish I'd had this info then. I won't lose it now. On MacHouse - A World of Video Tutorials.
• Twitter Unveils New Premium Accounts - You know, I was believing this until I got near the end. I guess I shouldn't read Web-based articles too early in the morning, before my brain has a chance to spin up. On BBSpot.

Links for the month of February.

Here are a few links of interest to the folks who read my books and articles or watch my training videos.

• The ‘Twitter Effect’: Possibilities and limits - Interesting article about the effect of retweeting links on a grand scale. On CNET. Thanks to @mjvalente for sharing this link.
• iMovie ’09 - Jeff Carlson, author of numerous iMovie-related books, reviews iMovie '09. Spoiler: Good news. On Macworld.com.
• Commercial Twitter spamming tool hits the market - This is not a good thing, but by making this public, it will hopefully spur the folks at Twitter to improve the registration process and put tools in place to stop automated tweets and accounts. Thanks to @mjvalente on Twitter for the link. On ZDNet.com.
• Top 10 Twitter Related Sites - One user's list of top ten sites for Twitter users. On SpookyIsMy.name.
• Google Next Victim Of Creative Destruction? - Interesting article that includes insight on how Twitter might be better for search results on current events than Google. Thanks to @jodene on Twitter for sharing the link. On AlleyInsider.com.
• Creative Ways to Use Twitter for Marketing and Branding - This article is a bit old and outdated, but it has some good ideas. On ShoestringBranding.com.
• Writing My Twitter Etiquette Article: 14 Ways to Use Twitter Politely - A handful of tips for using Twitter more politely. By Margaret Mason on The Morning News.
• A Twitter Decision - Deciding who to follow on Twitter. This makes sense. On Rands In Repose.
• Twitter: How to Get Started Guide for Business People - Not sure if this is a good one…a primer for business users who are interested in getting started on Twitter. Like we need more people [ab]using the system for profit. On CIO.com.
• Twitter’s Potential for Business Users - One take on how business users can benefit from Twitter. On CIO.com.
• MacVoices #950: Maria Langer and Scott McNulty Share Their Knowledge of WordPress - Thinking of starting a blog with WordPress? Maria Langer, the author of Self-Hosting a WordPress Site and WordPress.Com 2.7 Essential Training on Lynda.com and Scott McNulty, the author of Building a WordPress Blog People Want to Read, share some tips from their respective projects to help you make the right choices. Maria and Scott talk about deciding on using WordPress.com or selecting your own host, one-click vs. user installs, why permalink structure is one of the first things you should think about, and finding and customizing a theme for your blog and more. Backup options, favorite plug-ins and why their video and book compliment each other are discussed.
• Favicon Generator - Yet another online tool for generating favicons. This one lets you base your icon on an image you upload or draw one online.
• [ws] Color Scheme Designer - Great site for folks who struggle with color schemes.
• 8 Useful Tips To Become Successful With Twitter. What are YOUR tips? - Great article for becoming a Twitter success (whatever that is). On the Blog of Mr. Tweet.
• Rise of the Twitter Scrapers - There's a new kind of spammer in Twitter town. Learn more on PlagiarismToday.
• 10 Ways Microsoft’s Retail Stores Will Differ From Apple Stores - PC World has a sense of humor. Unfortunately, their readers don't. Thanks to @danfrakes on Twitter for sharing this link.
• 15 Useful Wordpress Tricks to Make Your Theme Even Better - A good article with easy tips for modifying WordPress themes. Some of these are pretty basic, while others are more interesting and advanced. On ForTheLose.org.
• Create Groups for Twitter - Interesting article on Mashable explains how to create groups on Twitter, using 3rd Party sites and clients.
• Consumed - A Successful Failure - Fail Whale - NYTimes.com - New York Times article about Twitter's "Fail Whale," including its history and some information about it's original artist.
• Life is tweet: How the Twitter family infiltrated our cultural world - Excellent article on the Guardian about Twitter in the U.K. and beyond. Thanks to @twitter on Twitter for the link.
• Apple - Support - Apple Expert - Get support from an Apple expert — when you need it. Would love to know how this works out. If you've tried this, drop a comment for the links post on my blog.
• 9 Common Usability Mistakes In Web Design - There's nothing that bugs me more than a Web site that I think might have the content I want but is so poorly designed, I run out of patience before I can find it. This article talks about common Web design mistakes that affect usability. On Smashing Magazine.
• 5 Ways to Instantly Write Better CSS - NETTUTS - Simple tips for writing better CSS. On tutsplus.com.
• Field Trip to the Apple Store - Teachers, PAY ATTENTION. This is a great idea to introduce your kids to technology. Thanks to @BWJones on Twitter for the link.
• UnTweeps - Cleanup Twitter users who don’t tweet often enough. - This quick utility will identify the Twitter users you follow who haven't posted an update in 30, 60, or 90 days (your choice). You can then unfollow them as desired or take other action. Requires your Twitter password, but doesn't store it. Great way to weed out the people you follow who don't actively participate in Twitter — or to nag the ones you want to continue to follow. Thanks to @AndyPiper on Twitter for the link.
• The Netbook Effect: How Cheap Little Laptops Hit the Big Time - Excellent article about the history of the Netbook and why it has become so popular. Apple? I'm still waiting for my Mac OS X netbook. Thanks to @jmoriarty on Twitter for the link. Read it on Wired.com.

Scott McNulty and I talk to Chuck Joiner about WordPress.

One of the things I like to do — but don’t get a chance to do very often these days — is talk to podcasters and other media people about the projects I’ve worked on.

Earlier this month, I got a chance to do just that with Chuck Joiner, the host of the MacVoices podcast. For the first time ever, Chuck did a double interview, killing two birds with one stone as he spoke to author Scott McNulty and I about WordPress. During the Interview, we talked about our separate WordPress-related projects and how they might be used together to help someone learn the ins and outs of using WordPress.

Here’s the blurb on the MacVoices Web site:

Thinking of starting a blog with WordPress? Maria Langer, the author of Self-Hosting a WordPress Site and WordPress.Com 2.7 Essential Training on Lynda.com and Scott McNulty, the author of Building a WordPress Blog People Want to Read, share some tips from their respective projects to help you make the right choices. Maria and Scott talk about deciding on using WordPress.com or selecting your own host, one-click vs. user installs, why permalink structure is one of the first things you should think about, and finding and customizing a theme for your blog and more. Backup options, favorite plug-ins and why their video and book compliment each other are discussed.

If you’d like to hear the podcast, you can download it directly from its page on the MacVoices Web site.

Links for the month of January.

Here are a few links of interest to the folks who read my books and articles or watch my training videos.

• TUAW Macworld 2009 Keynote Predictions - What the folks at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) think might happen at next week's Macworld Expo keynote.
• Apple market share tops 10%, Windows share lowest since tracking began - Interesting stats about computer platform distribution among users. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• 10 Resources for When You Need Help with CSS - A list of resources, with screenshots and links, for CSS information. Great for beginners. On Vandelay Website Design.
• 10 Killer WordPress Hacks - Excellent list with instructions and reference links to WordPress hacks for self-hosted WordPress users. On Smashing Magazine.
• FOLLOW FAIL: The Top 10 Reasons I Will Not Follow You in Return on Twitter - If you follow me in Twitter but I don't follow you back, it could be for one of these reasons. On Mashable.com.
• How not to build a website - finding a website developer - Extremely good advice here. Thanks to @Jen4Web on Twitter for sharing the link. On WomenEntrepreneur.com.
• Macworld 2009 keynote liveblog - Mike T. Rose treats us to a live blog of the Keynote. Here's the final list of updates. Thanks tons, @MikeTRose! On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• The Twitter Applications Database - ANOTHER compilation of Twitter applications.
• Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard - Even some Mac users have to admit that this is pretty funny. On The Onion.
• Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs - The rumors of his impending death are greatly exaggerated. Again. On Apple.com.
• Twitter Yourself a Job - Tips from the Wall Street Journal for using Twitter as part of a job hunt strategy.
• Twitter be Nimble, Twitter be Quick, if you don’t know Jack, try these Twitter Tricks - A great introduction to Twitter for new users and power user wannbes. On TwiTip.com.
• WordPress Discussion Management: Enable or Disable Comments and Pingbacks via SQL - Great post that explains how to use MySQL commands to enable or disable comments and pingbacks. Also explains how you can periodically turn off comments and pingbacks on all posts based on date.
• Separating Pings from Comments in WordPress 2.7 - Great tutorial for WordPress 2.7 users, explaining how to separate pingbacks/trackbacks and comments in the comments area of a blog post. On Sivel.net.
• Introducing Tweetbacks Plugin for Wordpress - Excellent! A Tweetback plugin for WordPress users. This post includes a link to the plugin with complete instructions for WordPress 2.7 and earlier versions. On Smashing Magazine.
• CSS tips that every beginning developer should know - Great beginning CSS tutorial. On Arbenting.
• Tweetbacks, Copyright and Scraping - Another way of looking at Tweetbacks — one I never thought of. By Jonathan Bailey of Plagiarism Today, in the Blog Herald.
• Apple IQ Test - My score was dismal. I knew everything about Macs before 1995, but failed miserable on most questions dealing with facts after that. Could that indicate that I actually DO have a life? If you think you know Macs, try this test. On Infoworld.com. Thanks to @shepherdfx on Twitter for sharing the link.
• U.S. Airways Crash Rescue Picture: Citizen Journalism, Twitter At Work - Incredible photos of today's crash taken moments afterward. So glad this one had a happy ending. On AlleyInsider.com.
• Hate the Player It’s Not a Game - Jeremy Tanner tells it like it is Re: Twitter spammers who call themselves gurus, mavens, etc.
• Twitter Support - Twitter help is now centralized in one place. Thanks to @mdy on Twitter for pointing this out.
• 7 Ways to Be Worth Following on Twitter - I really wish everyone who used Twitter would read this article and follow its advice. There would be a lot less noise online. On Twitip.com.
• Mac Automation: Creating Watch Me Do workflows - Good how-to piece for Automator users. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• How Not to be a Key Online Influencer - An example of how a self-labeled “key online influencer” can easily get cut down by the same social networking services he’s trying to promote — by the company he’s trying to promote them to. A lesson for anyone who blogs or tweets: when you say something publicly, ANYONE can read it. By David Henderson. Thanks to @SonoranDragon on Twitter for retweeting this link.
• Macintosh 25th Anniversary Reunion: Where Did Time Go? - Guy Kawasaki's tribute to the Mac's 25th birthday. Includes the complete introduction of the Mac, as well as the famous 1984 commercial. (Did you know that only appeared on TV as a commercial twice?) Thanks to @LeVitus for tweeting this one.
• I am popular on Twitter. Here’s why this means nothing. - And I thought I was the only one laughing at people bragging about their Twitter popularity stats. On ZDNet.com.
• The 100 Most Popular Twitter applications - The title says it all. On blending the mix.
• The Unforeseen Consequences of the Social Web - Sound advice for people who use Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking services: what you put online might stay there for a very, very long time. On ReadWriteWeb. Thanks to @jodene on Twitter (where else?) for tweeting this link. Good reading.

New training videos for WordPress.com users.

I’m pleased to announce the release of my latest online training material for Lynda.com: WordPress.com 2.7 Essential Training.

From the official course description:

The blogging revolution has led to new levels of communication on the information superhighway. WordPress 2.7 Essential Training is the onramp for anyone who wants to get up to speed quickly and easily. Maria Langer, author and veteran blogger, shows how to set up a free WordPress account, create posts, and maintain a blog. She goes on to explore the possibilities WordPress offers for creating blogs that are unique in style and voice. Exercise files accompany the course.

Topics Include:
• Understanding the functionality of WordPress
• Composing and previewing pages
• Including images and multimedia files in posts
• Moderating comments and pingbacks
• Adding and managing user accounts
• Customizing with widgets

I want to add here that this material is also great basic instruction for self-hosted WordPress 2.7 users interested in learning the basics of blogging with WordPress. This course could be considered a “prerequisite” for my Self-Hosting a WordPress Site course, also on Lynda.com.

Remember: if you have a Lynda.com membership, you can view all of these videos — and any other video in the library — for free. You don’t pay per title; you pay by the month or year. This is an excellent value for anyone interested in learning lots of new software and topics without spending a fortune on books, one-on-one training, or training videos. Give it a try!