Getting your addresses to Google Maps

OK, I have a GIGANTIC database of addresses from road trips, art sites and more (5000+). I want to get this info to My Maps on Google Maps, (and eventually my Garmin) so I can plan trips more easily without reinventing the wheel.

Because there is so muc to sort through, it feels overwhelming, so I am breaking the info into bite-sized pieces - listings by states.

1 - Export your date from the original source (address book, filemaker database, whatever) to an Excel spreadsheet.

2- Create categories of Name, Address, City, State, Zip, phone and additional info if you wish) BE SURE TO CREATE FIELD HEADERS

3- Go to BatchGeoCode (free) and copy and paste your data into the box (include the headers). Validate the source (step 3 on their site), select the proper location field to match your field headers, (step 4) then click on Run Geocoder (step 5 on their site)

4 - Copy the data in their step 6 and paste back into your spreadsheet. I like to rename the bg_lat and bg_long to just longitude and latitude

5 - You are going to want to reduce the info into 4 groups/headings: Name, Description, Latitude, and Longitude. Because I want my Google map to show the addresses, not just a point, I merge the address cells and any additional data. This is a tedious step, but I am a bit of a freak.

Save as an .xls file.

6 - Now you are going to use another great free resource, GPS Visualizer. Click on "Google Earth KML"

7 - Upload your xls file, and click on Create KML file:

8 - Open up Google maps and create a new map. Click on Import, and chose your KML file.

Tada! (I go in and color code the sites, to help me determine what is what)

To export your Google map to your Garmin, please read the next Getting it to Your Garmin.

Getting it to the Garmin - from Google maps...

So, if you have a Garmin GPS you can upload those maps to your device or a folder in 3 easy steps with a PC, or 7 with a Mac.

1. Select your map and click on "Link" to copy the code (upper right hand corner).
2. Go to TakItWithMe (another great FREE resource) and paste the code into the box and click on "Load My Map"
3. If your Garmin is connected to your PC choose "upload to Garmin". And that is it! If you have a Mac (like me) select "Download GPX"

NOTE: For some reason when it downloads, the file name is MyMapsGPX.gpx.html - You MUST go in and delete the .html extension (and say "OK" to the "are you sure" question.)

4. For Mac users - Download and install Garmin Road Trip

5. Under File > Import your file

6. I like to put each import into it's own folder, so I can keep things straight when I pick what to upload to my Garmin. (I have a lot of folders, and a ton of POIs)

7. Make sure you Garmin is plugged into your computer (via the USB port) Go to Transfer > Send Folder to GPS

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 3...Finishing in Dreamweaver

Launch Dreamweaver and open your index page that you created in Fireworks.

Getting the basics
- To get your website to be centered on the page, go to the inspector and align > center.
- Modify > pick background color or pattern

- title your page (appears on the top of the site when someone goes there)
- go to Sites > New site > Advanced
- Name site
- Local roots folder, click on the folder, don't open it. If you move the site folder to some other location - BE SURE TO CHANGE THIS to the new location.
- Click on "document"
- Add the web site URL
- Click Enable Cache

Now, in the same window, click on the next item in the list >Remote
This info will come from the folks that you got your URL (godaddy, etc.) your web service provider
- Access > FTP
- FTP host > (from your provider)
- Host directory > (from your provider)
- Login > (from your provider)
- Password > they give it to you first, sometime it can be changed
- Smaller sites are usually "passive FTP"
- test it
- don't automatically upload file on save
- if in a team environment, check in and check out (contribute)

Testing Server
- big companies use this

Design Notes
- team environments
Hit OK

Now you will see your files:
Green Arrow: Get files from server
Blue Arrow: Put files on server
White arrow - check it out
Other white arrow - check it in
Box - split screen view: (click on the box again to re-dock it)Navigate to other sites that you are working on:

Click ob tge plugs to connect to the ftp server


Getting Linked
Click on the target by Link and drag over to the menu with the files and point to the proper file


home doesn't need a link on the index: , (by entering a "#")
Do this for all of your pages...linking each one's menu,Drag each of the pages that are completed into the ftp folder. Click YES for dependent files.

All of the pages are there now:
Get rid of the footer graphic from being in the cell, to be behind the cell. Highlight the source file (Src) and cut/copy (cmd x)
Click away, then click on the gray box ...
and delete....
Paste the source into the background (Bg)...
And it becomes the background....do this for all of the static graphics, so that people can't swipe them, and they become background to write over...(like the scroll-y part)
Do the same for the text background ...
But when you click into the to-be-box, just change the Bg color
Always set your defaults to left top.


Creating a Library:
Go to your assets tab and here is where your universal color palette resides for your reference:

To create your library, click on the book icon. At the bottom click on the plus sign and create a new file. Call this "footer"
Type in your footer information and be sure to link everything...as well as the email address which should be in this format: mailto:address@url.com
Make sure you have all of your rollover buttons correct on each page, with the index as a rollover image, going back to index.html and the proper colors, and the name of the page as an image.

Style sheet
Class
- MUST start with a dot (period) then name, no spaces
- chose define in "new style" not this document (only that particular page)






Padding is for pictures, margins is for text...usually. But you can pad the cell (and give it a style sheet)

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 3...Building with Fireworks and Photoshop .psd

If you design your web page in Photoshop first, fireworks is ideal to use to slice your design to ready it to go to the web.

First, open your .psd in Fireworks, and show the layers you are wanting to see on a particular web page.

Drag in your guides. (Zoom in "cmd +" zoom out "cmd -" on the mac) Zoom in to be sure that your guides are in the exact spots.

Make frames and rollover buttons
- Select frame one, and duplicate, (drag to the icon next to the trashcan)
- Frame 2 is the rollover frame, pick your color for the rollovers and change the words to that color
- In frame 2, select and delete everything that isn't necessary for this rollover.

Slicing
- have frame one visible
- go to the slice tool
- always remember to name your slices
- make sure your "web layer" toggle is pointing down, this is where your slices will appear as you make them. (really, it should be named "slice layers" ...but this is just one more irritating thing about programmer language vs. designer language)

- first, start from the upper left and work across (germanic!)
- remember when you name these slices, no spaces, no caps
- start slicing and naming
- make sure everything is sliced

Making rollover buttons
- after you make slices
- click on the button that will be a rollover
- click on the white dot
- "add simple rollover behavior"
- if the a button has multiple pages that are in that category:
- either "add menu" or add "pop up"
- warning - do not use a drop down over a flash
- under advanced tab - timing for rollovers - 250ms seems to be a good amount of time

Export Wizard
- Go to export wizard and save as a java script
- since this is a whole slice and diced web page, export as jpg (due to the photos), but it could have been rebuilt in parts and saved in either gif or jpgs (gifs are faster and better for solid colors)
- rename this page as index.html and select html and images,
- click on "options button"
- html style : dreamweaver xhtml
- extension: html
- click on lowercase
- click on use css...
- click on write css...
- file creator > dreamweaver


Go to your production folder that is housing all of the images (DO THIS AT THE VERY END, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF JUNK)
- get rid of all of the f2 (stands for frame 2) EXCEPT the files that are rollovers for the buttons (in my case, there are 3 f2 files remaining for products, services and contact us)
- then double click on your index.html to view in the browser.
- if you see something to change, (ex. the color didn't change on the rollover for products)
- go back to fireworks
- click on the white button to make your changes
- do the export wizard again
- go back in and delete all of the f2 files that are not rollover buttons (see above)
- i see that this can become irritating

Do this for the rest of your pages - toggle open your next layer/page (layers)
- turn off the web layer so you get to the graphics (gets rid of the green)
- to fix your home button so it becomes a rollover (white) this part might be confusing, but it depends on how you set it up - but click on the word and change the color to the "regular" color (white)
- click on frame 2 (frames) to check
- turn the web layers back on
- since on my example everything is basically the same, except the main image, only change the name of the main image to "contact"
- export wizard
- change name to contactus.html

changing page layouts
- turn on the new layer
- save as and change the name of the file
- add new guides and draw new slices, naming them
- export wizard, java script, change name, save

Go clean your folder and get ready to go to Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 2...Building a site from parts in Dreamweaver

Weird Rules:
Nothing is something, but zero is nothing... If there is NOT a number in a measurement box, it will default to something, if you truly want the measurement to be nothing, type in a 0 (zero).

The default setting for a table is "center"

Text boxes grow and shrink with the amount of copy. If a text box isn't shrinking back, then you probably have returns in the copy that need to be eliminated.

Nest a table instead of adding cells and rows.

Soft return (not as a hideous amount of space) : Shift + return

Building a site from scratch in Dreamweaver

New > Pick "None" from the menu
3 cells by 3 rows (or 2...what ever you think is best)
800 pixels
Merge the top 3 cells, by clicking on the top left cell and dragging your cursor through the top 3. Go to Modify > Table > Merge

Merge the bottom cells to make the footer, and type in your info, be sure to include the nav menu in html, in case the links are broken in the art header's hot spots.


Now, let's make the "hot spots" for the links in the header.
- Click on the header graphic
- select the rectangle in the properties inspector at the bottom
- draw around the word home and decribe the link in the alt box


If you want a link to go to an outside link, (like contact us)
Type in the URL (including http://)
Select _blank as the target, to open another page.


Select the lower 3 cells, and select the placement to make the defaults left and top.

Click in the first box and either drag the divding line between the 2 boxes and visually drag to establish the width of the cloumn, or type in a number in the inspector palette.

To make a gradient in the column, go back to fireworks and create a box the width of the column, and make a gradient that ends at white.

Using the Export Wizard, export at a jpg (better for gradients).

Go back to Dreamweaver and add to the column. ( Bg) click on the folder icon and check if it works.

If it doesn't go back to fireworks and adjust the size of the box, making it tall and skinny 20 x 1600 (the max depth that you think your page will be, otherwise it will repeat itself, which is irritating) , and adjust the gradient to be about 100 px tall.

To make the gradient extend across the page, click on the text box, and click on the bg folder and drop the gradient in.
To get your website to be centered on the page, go to the inspector and align > center.

To lock the depth of a cell, like your footer, go to the inspector and adjust the height, to something like, 60 px. A soft return helps the space between the lines.




What is looks like, so far....until tomorrow...

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 2...Fireworks & Dreamweaver - making a background

To create a textured background that is outside of the website...
In Fireworks:
- Create your texture in a square area (no bigger than 100 x 100)
- Save to your images folder (name it something like "background")
- Go to the in fireworks Export Wizard and save and optimize.


In Dreamweaver:
> modify
> page properties
> appearance
> background image, (browse for in your images folder)
> viola! it becomes a background

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 2...Fireworks, making a header

Fireworks has many of the same tools as photoshop, and can easily import all of the layers of a .psd file (hence the importance of naming your layers)
- gradients
- filters
- layers

- You can sample colors and get the hex # and add it to your color palette

- if you are doing a gradient color, and you have created your layer (gradient tool, select color, click on image and drag your gradient line) you must click on the selction tool (the black arrow) in order to adjust the blending modes, (hard light, dissolve, etc.)


- in the gradient tool, your can also add texture to the gradient (select layer, click on gradient tool, in the lower palette there are a variety of textures...if you can't see the texture, make sure that you have set the % to at least 50% or so) play play play

once you get where you want to be...
file > export wizard > continue > for the web and adust the file size to get it as small as possible without sacrificing too much quality, then save to your IMAGES folder (it is ready for the web)

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 2...organizing the site

Building graphics in Photoshop or Fireworks
- basic size is 800 x 600, 72 ppi, rgb (remember 54% users still use windows 98- likely to have smaller screens)
- mast head should average 110 px to 165 px in depth
- some people build a site in parts, some design it in photoshop as a full view page in fireworks or photoshop (see below)
- no capital letters, no spaces, use underscore when naming files!!!
- always name your layers, it will be helpful when you import

Fireworks vs. Photoshop/Illustrator for building your site
- Fireworks "forces" you to think about the site and it's functionality from the beginning
- fireworks is both vector and bitmap, a great web app.
- Illustrator and photoshop are great for print, and can be translated over to web

Managing your website

- ideally, work out your site plan on paper (so you can draw folder boxes, etc.)
- create a site folder (usually client name)
- within the folder add 2 folders, production and images
- images are go on the web
- production are the parts used to build the site

Organizing a small site (up to 10 pages):

• - client/work folder
• images folder (live)
• production folder (creation parts, .psd, txt, ai, eps, etc)
• freefloating pages within the client folder (examples)
  
• index.html
• stylesheet.css
• services.html
• contact_us.html
• products.html
  

Organizing a large site:

• - client/work folder
• images folder (live images)
• production folder (creation parts, .psd, txt, ai, eps, etc)
• folder for tab 1
• tab1_index.html
• section1.1 folder
• section1A.html
• section1B.html
  
• section1.2 folder
• section2A.html
• section2B.html
  
• tab1_images folder
• section1 images folder
• section2 images folder
• folder for tab 2
• tab2_index.html
• section1.2 folder
• section1A.html
• section1B.html
  
• section2.2 folder
• section2A.html
• section2B.html
  
• tab2_images folder
• section1 images folder
• section2 images folder
  
• freefloating pages within the client folder (examples)
  
• index.html
• stylesheet.css
• html
• html
  

Side notes - photoshop tips
- "f" and toggle through a variety of backgrounds/windows to change your work space
- command j - duplicate the layer that you have selected
- "i" = eyedropper
- "g" - gradient
- remember that photoshop remembers what you did last time
- CS4 you can freeze part of an image in quick mask, then you can go into free transform to extend your background

Dreamweaver Class Notes, Day 1...the basics

Sadly, this is the 3rd time I have taken this class. (Apparently, it has become my holiday tradition.) I really want to believe that building html will be like designing for print, but alas, it isn't to be. I get all rev'd up to build sites, then when I start, I want to pull out my hair, stop, and then forget.

Things that I really want to remember this time:

Fun facts:
- 54% of web users are still using internet explorer 98. 24% are still dial up.
- One reason why we love style sheets:
- 12 points on a mac reads 12 pt.
- 12 pt on a pc is reads 16 pt (so be sure not to over adjust to smaller)
- 72 ppi on a mac is 72 ppi visually, 72 ppi on a pc is 96 ppi
- style sheets are universal (they will adjust it to accommodate the visual difference)
- 80% of all research is done on google
- google owns firefox


Side notes:
Check out Adobe CS4
- Apparently they have re-done all of the navs to be cross-program. Instead of Macromedia fitting into Adobe, they fit each other. In other words, the hex colors, are more robust in dreamweaver. No longer do I need to go to photoshop to find the hex number for a pms color.
- need a dedicated server for streaming a lot of video clips, otherwise the site will be painfully slow


No duh and best practices:
- Of course, always be sure to test your site on every browser and platform (pc & mac)
- be sure the ftp disconnects after 30 minutes
- Default sizes: use 800 x 600
- always remember to start every link with http://
- be sure to have your navigation at the footer as well as the header. be sure that it is in text
- all web sites should be copyrighted
- all sites should have a policy privacy, terms of use, contact us and "a way back home"
- keywords, description and first paragraph are the main 3 areas that spiders look at - these should be at the very top of the code.
Blogs
- blog about topics relevant to your website, and provide links back to your website

Setting up your preferences:
Basic rule: If you do NOT have a document open, any preference change saved will be universal. If you DO have a document open, any preference change saved will be for that document only.

New document
- use the setting XHTML 1.o Transitional...works with CSS and HTML (the majority of web browsers are compatible with this

Site:
- always work on the local file, NOT remote (live)
- if you are working with a team or with Contribute, be sure to check "prompt on get/check out" (getting from the host, and checking it out) check "prompt on put/check in" you can find who did what, in case something goes awry or a file goes missing
- "put options" reminds you to save
- "move options" moving files within the dreamweaver program, like moving a graphic to a new folder, it will remind you to be sure to amend the file path


In the code:
Comments:
To add a comment in the code, so you can find stuff, remind yourself:
(<> is the comment code close) There also is a button on the program's top nav bar that will insert a comment symbols in the code. All you do is type in between the --s.

Metadata:
- Always goes at the top or right after the head.
- Always be sure your cursor is in the right place when you click on something to be inserted, like keywords, description, etc. Always return to the next line. You can insert comments in the metadata.

Editing images :
- decide what program you want to be your default editing program
- it will be on the bottom graphics bar. select image that you want to amend and click on the program icon



Using the program:
Work space:
- On the menu, go to window, pull down to insert and it gives you the top nav bar
- on the far right of the nav bar, a fly-out menu and click on tabs to get a tabbed nav (I like this)
- right click on "favorites" to put in the things you use the most

Using spry menus
- all searchable
- you can customize the menus
- more attractive than drop downs


Text and glyphs
- drop down menus will eliminate the issue with needing special characters that aren't universal on all keyboard, such as copyright, dashes, etc.

- to get more space (since you are only "allowed" one space, not multiples) click on the "other characters" in the drop down menu. (I sometimes want a line break, but not all of the big fat leading that a hard return gives you, and would like to just add a few more spaces to force a soft line break....now I can using in the code)

Optimizing images
- images are edited in either fireworks or photoshop
- .gif - solid, plain color (can't make a photographic gif) transparent backgrounds
- .png24 - aspects of a .jpg but with a transparent background...this is the ideal file type when saving for a powerpoint presentation
- .jpg - best for photographic images, smaller than .pngs

Web 2.0
- Google "owns" 2.0
- all keywords need to be relevant...the more you put in that is redundant, the lower you you go.
- 12-15 keywords max.
- description has some key words that are also in the first paragraph. (you can just copy your intro)
- blogs are the best way to get referrals back to your site, but they must be relevant. Be sure to include your website's name and URL.
- Link sharing is history. Unless they are relevant.
- Having more links on your site to other sites doesn't really help you, although if you are relevant to them, it will help them.
- flash has nothing that search engines look for, but if you put your copy in as an alt tag, then the spiders will be able to read it.
- keywords, description and first paragraph are the main 3 areas that spiders look at - these should be at the very top of the code.
- it also help that if the buttons also match the keywords (sprinkles on the cupcake)
- it will take 6-8 weeks to see any changes in the google listing
- do a blog that is relevant to your website's subject



To do on my detourart.com site:
- review tags and keywords, get rid of redundancy (ie: outsider art, folk art, self-taught art should be outsider, folk, self-taught)
- update the opening paragraph and a description
- move the description back up to the top to be the opener.
- repeat the nav at the bottom in all text
- add privacy and terms of use as well as a contact us
- in my design website, I should add my phone number in the title, so that when it is bookmarked, my phone number will be there as well. (only for ludwig-design.com)

geeky think #18 - blogging...how to start

I realized that I never actually posted exactly how to get started blogging.

Step by step on how to blog:

• Log into www.blogger.com. 
  
• Sign up.
  
• Write down or save your URL, so that you can bookmark it later for ease of use.
  
• Chose your template
  
• Click on the settings tab and go through each tab, deciding on what your want to do.
  
• (If you go away, and come back later, you might need to "sign in" type in your blogger URL in the upper right corner)
  
• Click on make "new entry".
  
• Start typing away.  I have found that cut and paste from a word doc is frustrating (too hard to explain - but try it and see, if you dare).
  
• When you finish, click "post" or "save draft" if you aren't done. 
  
• To return to a draft, click on the "posting" tab, then "edit post".  Then click on the word "edit" by your desired post.  It will return you to the composition, finish it, then click "post"
  

It is good practice to always create your tags.  Pick out words that you would think that someone would use in a search to find your entry.

To edit an already posted entry - under the post, you will see a pencil icon.  Click on that and it will return you to the composition section.

When you are logged in, you will see editing tools that others cannot see.  These are things that you can mess with as far as adding other elements.  (ex. If you had a flickr site, we could have a slideshow of selected images.  See geeky things )

 

geeky things # 17 - Library of Congress pilot project

 

A store with live fish for sale, vicinity of Natchitoches, La. (LOC)

I just found a new-to-me part of flickr - a library of congress pilot project, in which folks are asked to help "tag" the images to make them more browsable...which is a great idea. But better - it is a great portal into the Library's wide variety of collections - many of the photos are in public domain!

Right now they have color photos from the 30s and 40s, and news of the 1910s. Very cool.

http://flickr.com/commons
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html

geeky thing#16 - google maps in kc

(map and street view of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art)

It is getting a little creepy out here...now when you go to google maps and type in an address, google is starting to add a photo in the blurb that has the address pointing to the map called "street view".  You don't need any special software, just search and go.

Click on that photo and start driving around the virtual, yet real  neighborhood.  You can move down the street by clicking the arrows, turn about (the arrows next to the zoom tool).  Yeah - like you are driving down the street...

Google has been mapping KC fairly extensively, most streets on the Missouri side are there - luckily my little block was skipped...I am not so sure that I want to be that visible.

(by the by - cool mac tip - if you control-click on an address in your phone, up pops the google map - no typing necessary - woohoo - oh, this might be a leopard feature)

geeky thing #15 - if you can't send mail on your iPhone

Configure iPhone Mail for EDGE

Sometimes your ISP configurations won't let you send, only receive mail.  I have this problem with my cable company email settings that I use on my desktop.

To see if your iPhone settings work with EDGE, temporarily turn off Wi-Fi by choosing Settings > Wi-Fi before setting up your mail directly on iPhone. Once you've turned Wi-Fi off, follow the steps below to setup your mail account on iPhone.

1. On iPhone, choose Settings > Mail.
2. In the Accounts section, choose Add Account > Other
3. Enter all of the account information including both required and optional information and click Save. Note: Be sure to carefully type your password correctly as you will not be able to see the letters you are typing in the password field.
4. iPhone will verify your account settings.

If the verification worked, then your account should work on and off of your ISP network and you can re-enable Wi-Fi.

O2 subscribers

See this document for a note on using O2's Outgoing Mail Server.

AT&T subscribers

If you are an AT&T subscriber and your ISP does not allow you to connect to their outgoing mail server to send email from outside their network, you can use the following AT&T outgoing mail server instead.

• cwmx.com. No user name or password required

AT&T's outgoing mail server will only allow you to send mail while using an EDGE connection and will not work on a Wi-Fi connection. If you are connected to Wi-Fi and would like to send mail using AT&T's server, turn off Wi-Fi by choosing Settings > Wi-Fi. Information about using AT&T's mail server to send mail using EDGE can be located in AT&T's support document 72769.

geeky thing #14 - a really cool thing about apple...

As you may have gathered by know, I love my iPhone.  And customer service at the Apple store is pretty great, too.  I am seriously considering ridding myself of my bus. phone number, and have been checking out different bluetooth options so I can work and talk at the same time (yes it can be annoying at times...)

I found what has been purported to being the "best" bluetooth head set out there - the Jawbone.  Got it home, and ugh, tons of static.  The folks at the Apple store asked me to bring it in, along with my iPhone.  Turns out my phone was the culprit  of the bad static, and viola - they GAVE me a new phone as a replacement, right there on the spot.  

Sounds great!

geeky thing #13 - back to my mac...

One of the cooler things with the upgrade to Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard) is the "Back to my Mac" feature that allows you to easily access your home (or work) computer from your laptop.  At least that is the promise.  I have had a few issues with this upgrade, with this being the most irritating.  (one of the troubles of being an early adopter...rule #1 - don't get the first rounds of a new software...)

After a number of frustrating attempts - here is the solution that worked for me (which doesn't mean it is for everyone)

• First , I had to update my airport wireless router to the new extreme.
  
• Even after following the instructions of software installation, it didn't seem to work.  (My G5 Mac Pro tower is on ethernet, my laptop is wireless) 
  
• With a paper clip, I reset the airport, unplugged the router and the airport, and went back in to the airport utility (finder > go > utilities > airport utility.app
  

After much frustration and a visit to the genius bar at the apple store, a call to my internet cable co, and apple help, I finally found a solution that worked for me.  (this comes from a discussion thread, and a guy in Canada named Philippe)

1 - Signout .mac at work/home
2 - Uncheck the screen sharing in the sharing pref pane
3 - Uncheck the file sharing in the sharing pref pane
4 - Open Keychain and seach for .mac
5 - Delete every certificates, password, network password, everything relative to .mac or iDisk
6 - Click on the type row header in the keychain window and find 2 more item with a .mac type that the search didn't find and delete them
7 - Restart my computer
8 - Try to click on the iDisk icon in the finder and have a «webdav unable to connect» type of message. This is important. If you can connect with your iDisk, something left in the keychain and BTMM will not work (you will have to redo the step 4 more carefuly). 
9 - Open .mac pref pane and login
10 - Restart BTMM if it was off
11- Check screensharing and filesharing in the Sharing pref pane
12 - Sync (I seem to have syncing problems now at work)
13 - This morning BTMM work the two ways!!!

I hope it will help you all.

geeky thing #12 - rotating heads

Another cool thing that you can do, is make a blog headline banner chicklet to put on other websites or in your email signature (although it doesn't yet work for apple mail...)  To see what I am talking about - look in the right column of this blog, in the white box - those are the "animated heads."  (or "rotating heads" to those of you who remember the english beat.)

• Once you have signed up for FeedBurner, click on "my feeds" on your "dashboard" of the site.  Chose teh blog you want to create a headline banner for (if you have more than one blog) There will be 5 tabs along the top.  

• Click on "publicize" and in the left column, under services, the top entry is "Headline Animator." (It sounds much cheesier than it really is.

• Fill in the blanks or go with their preset choices (they aren't that bad) then at the bottom of the page, click "activate"

• Choose where you would like to have your banner show up (myspace, blogger, email signature, etc.) and follwo the directions.  

• It might seem a little intimidating to have to cut and paste code, but if you think of it as following a recipe, it isn't as unnerving.

geeky thing #11 - chicklet allure

Now you want people to subscribe to yours... you can sign up with a free service called "FeedBurner"  (They were recently bought by Google, the same folks that own Blogger and the rest of the virtual world...but at least you know that things will be compatible.)

Go through their fairly logical instructions, then attempt to add a "chicklet" or RSS feed button to your blog, so that folks can easily subscribe and hang on your every word.  These icons/buttons let your viewer easily add your blog to their reader. Over there, in the right column at the top - that is the "chicklet" of which I write.

1. Chickletize your web site. Encourage people to subscribe to your feed by posting a friendly graphic in an easy-to-find location.
   
2. Why confuse would-be subscribers by offering the full menu of RSS and Atom flavors? Consolidate by serving up just one SmartFeed, digestible from any destination.
   
3. Pleased with your circulation stats? Promote them using FeedCount
   
4. For the XML literate, consider using the Awareness API to share your subscriber stats with directories and listings.

geeky thing #10 - this blog is now "subscribable" with a "chicklet"

Let's pretend for just a minute that the notion of all these made-up words like "subscribable," "chicklets," "purls" haven't sent you over the edge and that they really are amusing.

While we are in visiting "pretend world", let's say that I am posting incredibly interesting and useful information on this blog...and there are fascinating tidbits that you don't want to miss out on. So you could subscribe to this blog and get notified every time I write something pithy (and even when I don't.)

So,how would you subscribe to this blog?  There are a few ways.

• If you are on a Mac, have updated to Leopard, and use their mail program - At the bottom of the left-hand column you can click on the little + sign and add the URL of the blog that you would like to subscribe to to the RSS Feed area.

• You can continue feeding the Google machine (and it is still free) and use Google Reader

• Or try any other reader that is available on the internet
  

geeky thing #9 - learning about PURL

You might wonder "how did they know that?" when you get a personalized email or direct mail piece.  The answer is PURL (personalized URLs).  The technology, as well as the information gathered, is now a key component to helping marketers cut through the clutter and send you information that you are truly interested in.  

Micro-site technology has become a leading component in direct marketing. Broadband services has reached tipping point this year. 51% of all homes now have broadband aka cable or dsl connections. Research, shopping and buying is now shifting to online.  Today, 50% of shopping is done online, a significant amount of off-line shopping is done after online research. (disclaimer - these stats were provided by a purl-provider salesperson)

For marketing or advertising agencies, they can track campaigns across all media, for printers it is a way to contact all contact points. PURL technology companies make their money on each purl generated off the lists.  Currently the information is not shared between the clients, only based on the data that each individual client has captured.

Definitions:

• PURL - Personal URL ... for direct marketing purposes, each person on a mailing list is assigned a personal url, that can be tracked.  Depending on the depth of  information that the list contains, will depend on the level of personalization.  You would see your name appear in the "subdomain" space, if a marketer is using PURL techmology.

• Sub domain - the name prior to your company's url - ex. www.queenodesign.detourart.com (not back slash after company url)

• Back slash  - (after your domain URL) is less secure, purl has better psychographics ... implies that customer is more important than company

• GURL - general URL that could be ad (or placement) specific (ex. www.detourart.com/rawvision)
  

Advantage of personalized direct campaigns: 

• Generate higher response (your name here, copy specific to your industry, and connection to the company...do they own the product? what is their title? etc.) 

• Example of how a marketing effort is traced -  Direct mailing: Info is captured (personalized barcode) via the mailing house to post office to home to user going to the internet. Direct email tracking is similar to constant contact, but more in-depth.

• Cross channel marketing integrated with CRM, personalized one to one marketing - introduces demographics with the user work flow to "close a deal"

• A/B split testing(?)  Test the effectiveness and conversion rates of a variety of different landing page design/messaging and or location of banner advertising on other sites.

• Offline and online marketing creates synastry and info sharing boosts effectiveness and outreach.
  

Additional features of PURL

• Tell a friend functionality - generates a PURL on the fly for them...creates the personal url for the new "friend"

• More rich data you can get, the better (not just name and address)  be careful what you use, could get creepy

• Can uses flash - avatar (animated character online) can speak to specific 

• Hint: Limit the number of actions (not return to home page, and make an appt. and call me, etc.) to keep the user focused

• Create multiple graphic images/skins/copy blocks to react to specific answers to fields (WW2 fan?  then WW2 imagery is on site)

• CSS style sheet technology

• As soon as someone clicks on the email - a sales person is getting an email, text message, etc. enabling a rapid response to leads.  At the same time the customer is sent a followup email.  All is automated.

• Triggers - Different blocks of copy/graphics  respond to different key fields of information gathered (ex. titles get a specific copy/graphics 
• if [title] = x then show this  [copy , survey , cc function, graphics]

• When the customer add a title while at their PURL site, it will dynamically change the messaging
  

geeky things #8 - making a flickr slide show

While the static band of photos (or badge) is fine and dandy, a slideshow of images has more visual energy.  If you have a bunch of photos in flickr and want only certain ones to be viewed, here are the steps to do so:

In flickr:

1. Create a set of images, no more than 30 per group.
   
2. Assign the same unique tag (descriptive word) to all of the images in that group. This is how you will be able to get those specific photos.  I discovered that the key words work better when they are enclosed in quotes = "keyword"
   

Next, in blogger

1. Go into customize > page elements > add page element
   
2. Click on "slideshow"
   
3. Give it a title, if you wish
   
4. Choose flickr as your "source"
   
5. Type in the keyword, (I like to have the links open is a new window)
   
6. Save changes
   

What you see in the right column are  3 separate slide shows created...

geeky thing #7 - sending words and pictures

Now I am adding the message BEFORE to the image. 

Meet Betty.

(surprising to me - on the blog, the photo showed up before the text, even though I typed the text in the email before the photo...will the wonders never cease?)

geeky thing #6 - sending a picture via my iphone to my blog

(Meet Lola.)

geeky thing #5 - blogging via my iphone

Here is what you need:

 - an email account such as gmail, .mac, or yahoo

 - a blogger blog

 - an iPhone

1. Set up your email account on your iPhone.  

2. Log in to your blogger blog, on the top tabs, the second tab is "settings" click on it, then go to "email" and set up your email address.  

3. Add the email address(es) in your phone book for your blog(s) that you want to post to. This will make life easier. I sat mine up on my computer, then synced it with my phone, since typing on this little keyboard is slower for me. (I gave mine the company name of "blog"...easy to remember.

4. Take a picture, view it in the iPhone camera roll (or pick one from your photo library)

5. When you view it on the phone, there is an icon on the lower left corner that you tap. Then chose "email". That takes you straight to the email part of the show, where you do your  bloggin'.  The subject line is your title, and the body is the text.

5. Be sure to type your text BEFORE the photo.  Strangely enough, the photo will appear before your text in the blog.

6. Hit send. 

You can also send the photo to your flickr account at the same time, if you wish.  Just cc. your flickr email address (see directions below) and the photo will go there at the same time.  Apparently this will work for myspace, etc. too...but I haven't gone there, yet...

geeky thing #4 - how to send a photo from flickr to blogger

wegner grotto
Originally uploaded by queenodesign

It was much simpler than I made it out to be - but still the instructions for a first-timer was buried.

All you do is:

1. in your flickr account, you set up your blog,
   
2. under "you" > your account > extending flickr (last tab) > your blogs > edit >
3. add a blog (fill in the info - it will walk you through the steps)
4. go to your photos, and select the image you want to send to your blog > click once on it, to get the image info page > very tiny icons will be above the photo > 4th one over is "blog this" >
5. click on it and compose your blog.
   

If these instructions are right, then this blog will appear...

geeky thing #3 - how to email a photo from my iphone, via flickr

Do this after setting up your blogs in flickr (see below) 

In your flickr account, under "you" > your account > email (third link over) > click on "Your Flickr upload email.

Last series of paragraphs "Upload to blog" click through to the page that gives you the option to which blog to upload to, and what size you would like the image to be.  You can also post the body of the email to your  blog post as well.

Click save.

You will be sent an email "Flickr magic email" that you can bookmark, or copy into your address book.

Note: If you have more than 1 blog, then you will need to change to the blog you want to post to first.  Kinda drag.