Last week I wrote about how to sort and order the output of an ExpressionEngine channel entries tag using URL segments as orderby and sort parameters. This week, I’ll show you how to use a bit of jQuery Ajax to perform the sorting without reloading an entire page.

If you missed the first article, I recommend you go back and read it first, as it has some valuable tips for creating fallbacks for users who have JavaScript turned off.

An example of what we’ll be creating in this article is here.

Making it work with Ajax

When we left off with last week’s article, Ajax-EE part one, we had a solid template for ordering and sorting entries using standard links. The code and markup in its entirety should look something like this:

{embed='site/header'}
<h2>Articles</h2>
<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    {if segment_3 == "asc"}
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/desc'}">Date</a></th>
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/desc'}">Title</a></th>
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/desc'}">Author</a></th>
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/desc'}">Status</a></th>
    {if:else}
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/asc'}">Date</a></th>
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/asc'}">Title</a></th>
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/asc'}">Author</a></th>
      <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/asc'}">Status</a></th>
    {/if}
  </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
  {exp:channel:entries channel="articles" dynamic="no"
  orderby="{segment_2}"
  sort="{segment_3}"
  }
  <tr>
    <td>{entry_date format="%M %d, %Y"}</td>
    <td>{title}</td>
    <td>{author}</td>
    <td>{status}</td>
    <td><a href="{path='articles/{url_title}'}">View &raquo;</a></td>
  </tr>
  {/exp:channel:entries}
</tbody>
</table>
{embed='site/footer'}

Now that we have data that’s sort-able without the use of Ajax, let’s smooth things out a bit with some jQuery! We still want to load sorted data, but let’s do it without reloading the entire page.

The Ajaxlist

To accomplish this, I’ll need a template that I can load up via Ajax but that only contains the channel entry tags and related markup. Luckily, I can reuse the code and markup I’ve already created for the main template. I’ll create a new template in the “ajaxee” template group called “ajaxlist” and populate it with the entry tags I used earlier:

{exp:channel:entries channel="articles" dynamic="no" orderby="{segment_3}" sort="{segment_4}"}
  <tr>
    <td>{entry_date format="%M %d, %Y"}</td>
    <td><a href="{path='articles/{url_title}'}">{title}</a></td>
    <td>{author}</td>
    <td>{status}</td>
  </tr>
{/exp:channel:entries}

The only difference from the main template is that I’ve updated the orderby and sort parameters to use {segment_3} and {segment_4} instead of {segment_2} and {segment_3}. This is because when I make the Ajax call to this template, I’ll need to also reference the template name in my URL.

The Ajax call we make will then look something like this: /ajaxee/ajaxlist/orderby/sort

Next, let’s jump back into the main template and add some classes to the table as well as to the sort links.  Later I can easily select it from the jQuery.

The Sortabletable

For the table tag, I’ll add a class of “sortabletable”:

<table class="sortabletable">

For each sort link, I’m going to add a class of “sort-trigger,” for example:

<a href="{path='ajaxee/date/desc'}" class="sort-trigger">Date</a>

In addition to these selector classes, I also need a way to define the orderby and sort values for each link. To do this I’ll use data- attributes in my link tags – one for orderby and one for sort. For example, my Date link will become:

<a href="{path='ajaxee/date/desc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="date" data-sort="desc">Date</a>

I’ll use these data- attributes to build a full path to the ajaxlist.hml template using Javascript in just a bit. For now, let’s look at my entire updated table header section:

{if segment_3 == "asc"}
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/desc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="date" data-sort="desc">Date</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/desc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="title" data-sort="desc">Title</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/desc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="username" data-sort="desc">Author</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/desc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="status" data-sort="desc">Status</a></th>
{if:else}
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/asc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="date" data-sort="asc">Date</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/asc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="title" data-sort="asc">Title</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/asc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="username" data-sort="asc">Author</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/asc'}" class="sort-trigger" data-orderby="status" data-sort="asc">Status</a></th>
{/if}

The Fistbump

The final step is to add the jQuery that will make an Ajax call to ajaxlist.html and return output into our table body.  I’ll be sure to include jQuery in the header template first. Then, in the main template, after the table I’ll add the following jQuery code. Read through the // code comments step by step to get a good sense of what the script is doing.

<script type="text/javascript">
    // Once the document is ready
    $(document).ready(function(){
     
      // remember the table body as ‘lz’
      var lz = $('.sortabletable tbody');
     
      // remember the sort triggers as ‘st’
      var st = $('.sort-trigger');
     
      // then when a sort trigger is clicked...
      st.click(function(){
       
        // remember it's data-orderby and data-sort values as ‘stOrderby’ and ‘stSort’
        var stOrderby = $(this).attr('data-orderby');
        var stSort = $(this).attr('data-sort');
       
        // build a full path using stOrderby and stSort
        var stTarget = '/ajaxee/ajaxlist/'+stOrderby+'/'+stSort+'/';
       
        // load up the ajaxlist template using stTarget and drop it into the lz
        lz.load(stTarget);
       
        // if this links data-sort is asc
        if( stSort == 'asc' ){
         
          // reverse it so it sorts desc next time
          $(this).attr('data-sort', 'desc');
         
        // otherwise it must be desc so 
        } else {
         
          // reverse it so it sorts asc next time
          $(this).attr('data-sort', 'asc');
         
        };
       
        // and, finally, prevent the default link behavior
        return false;
       
      });
    });
  </script>

This script loops through each link with a class of “.sort-trigger” and attaches an onclick function to it. Then, when the link is clicked, the function builds a full path to the ajaxlist template using the links’ data-orderby and data-sort values (e.g. /ajaxee/ajaxlist/title/desc). Next it loads up the ajaxlist template using the built path via Ajax and drops it into the table body. Last but not least, the function switches the clicked link’s data-sort value so that the next time the user clicks that link the data will be sorted in the opposite direction.

Now, when we click on a table header link, we should see that the table is updated with sorted, ordered data.

Pump fist, say, “Yeah!” We’re done. That’s how we sort and order ExpressionEngine data on the fly with Ajax.

Questions? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Svpply is all about helping users share and discover products. It's a social, online retail "discovery" site,  unofficially representing "over 70,000 stores and brands."

Follow friends and other users. Filter out results. Bookmark cool stuff that you may want to buy. Aspire to awesomeness AND get that rush of real-world consumption -- without spending a cent.

What makes it cool

First of all, Svpply is well-designed, simple and uncluttered. 'Nuff said.

Second of all, it exposes you to smaller shops, higher-quality merchandise from artisans or from more local manufacturers. It's all about buying smarter and buying cooler.

Best of all, Svpply is designed to be all about the search. It's kind of about "ignor[ing] the act of buying," and instead "get[ing] lost in the visual joy of the hunt."

Why does social shopping make sense?

In a fantastic piece in The Atlantic, Chris Tackett proposes a theory that social shopping is a perfect outlet for our hunting and gathering instincts.

Tackett quotes Rick Bookstaber on the growing role of virtual markets, stating "consumption is increasingly oriented toward virtual goods -- consuming YouTube videos, tweets and social networks, games and reality TV shows."   It's no longer all about conspicuous consumption, but about digital consumption and taste-making.

Just like when you actually buy something, just like when you actually consume something, you can get that rush of endorphins with the click of a mouse. Spot something online that has a nice design, or might be worth buying (for whatever reason), bookmark it and get that instant gratification.

Sure, if you really want it, you can buy it later.

But if a few days or weeks or months down the road, you revisit the product and decide you don't want it, then no harm done.

Even if you never buy any of the things you bookmark, these kinds of sites are a great way to show off your excellent taste, to find design inspiration and get pleasure from finding new things. Over and over again. Ad infinitum.

A new kind of addiction?

As Tackett aptly points out, "we get used to things." That new car or smartphone is exciting for awhile, but eventually the thrill is gone. With social shopping sites like Svpply, you can log in again and again and always find something new. The pleasure cycle never ends.

Whether it's a panacea for shopaholics or a new addiction, Svpply is just a really cool place for finding and sharing pretty things.

When working with large amounts of data entries we often find it useful to let users order and sort the output of channel tag entries on the fly without re-rendering an entire page.

Here I’ll show a common way to accomplish this using Ajax and a typical set of ExpressionEngine channel tag entries.

Making it work when it doesn’t work.

The first step to making something work with Ajax is to make sure it works without Ajax. If a user doesn’t have JavaScript enabled I want to be sure they can still sort entries. Those users will just have to load the entire page.

Let’s start with a basic template that has a header, footer and content section. In the content section I’ll add channel entry tags that loop through article entries. By default they’ll be sorted by date in descending order. My template looks like this:

{embed='site/header'}
<h2>Articles</h2>
<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>Date</th>
    <th>Title</th>
    <th>Author</th>
    <th>Status</th>
  </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
  {exp:channel:entries channel="articles" dynamic="no"}
    <tr>
      <td>{entry_date format="%M %d, %Y"}</td>
      <td><a href="{path='articles/{url_title}'}">{title}</a></td>
      <td>{author}</td>
      <td>{status}</td>
    </tr>
  {/exp:channel:entries}
</tbody>
</table>
{embed='site/footer'}

Now I’ll add links to the table headers with URL segments that will act as sort parameters that we use later:

<thead>
  <tr>
    <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/asc'}">Date</a></th>
    <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/asc'}">Title</a></th>
    <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/asc'}">Author</a></th>
    <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/asc'}">Status</a></th>
  </tr>
</thead>

The links I’ve added will point to the same template I’m working in now but the second and third URL segments declare the orderby and sort parameters we’ll use later. The following diagram illustrates how each segment is used.

Now, when the user clicks one of these links we can grab the orderby and sort segments from the URL and add them as parameters in our channel entries tag. I’ll update that section to look like this:

{exp:channel:entries channel="articles" dynamic="no"
orderby="{segment_2}"
sort="{segment_3}"
}
<tr>
  <td>{entry_date format="%M %d, %Y"}</td>
  <td>{title}</td>
  <td>{author}</td>
  <td>{status}</td>
  <td><a href="{path='articles/{url_title}'}">View &raquo;</a></td>
</tr>
{/exp:channel:entries}

Here I’ve added two parameters to my opening channel entries tag: orderby and sort. In the orderby parameter I use {segment_2} as the value and in sort I use {segment_3}. When a user clicks any of the links in the table header the channel entries tag will use those URL segments to set orderby and sort. This also works well because if neither segment is available the tag just assumes the default; order by date in descending order.

One problem is that my table header links will still have “asc” as the sort value in their segments. So, in order to let the user switch the sort order, I can use an if/else statement to test for asc or desc in the url segment. I’ll update my table header section like this:  

{if segment_3 == "asc"}
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/desc'}">Date</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/desc'}">Title</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/desc'}">Author</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/desc'}">Status</a></th>
{if:else}
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/date/asc'}">Date</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/title/asc'}">Title</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/username/asc'}">Author</a></th>
  <th><a href="{path='ajaxee/status/asc'}">Status</a></th>
{/if}

This bit of code tests for “asc” in the third segment. If it’s there we switch up the links to use “desc.” Now, for example, the user can click the date sort link once and the data will be sorted by date in ascending order. If the user clicks the date link once more consecutively, the data will be sorted by date but in descending order. This pattern will persist as long as the user is clicking the same table header link.

Next Week: We Make it Ajaxee

This wraps up part one of using Ajax to sort and order entries in ExpressionEngine where we made sure that our sort and order functionality works without Ajax for those users who don’t have JavaScript enabled. Feel free to ask any questions you might have so far in the comments below. See you next week!

We've had our share of cool EE-folks featured in our Meta Q&As but Eric Miller just exudes coolness. He used to be an in-house web designer for BMI. He writes for About.com's graphic design section. He serves as a judge for the Webby Awards. Oh, and did we mention he's in Brooklyn?

Read on about how Miller makes graphic and web design just so darn cool.

MQ: Tell us about your work in 140 characters or less.

EM: Eric Miller Design specializes in graphic design, web development, interfaces & ExpressionEngine. We've been creating websites since 1998.

MQ: How/why did you get into the web industry? Why do you stick with it?

EM: I originally designed some websites for local businesses and campus clubs while in college, which led to a web design internship at BMI. That led to a full-time position, which I held for nine years, as the web designer and editor for bmi.com. During that time I started taking on clients on the side, eventually going full-time with my own studio. I stuck with the web industry because it combined my passion for design (going back to painting, sculpting and drawing classes as a kid) with my interest in technology. I love building things that are easy to use.

MQ: Why do you use ExpressionEngine?

EM: I use ExpressionEngine because it lets me be a designer, without limitations, and because of its flexible nature. I can build anything for clients, either through existing add-ons, custom solutions or partnerships within the EE community.

MQ: What was the first EE site you ever worked on? What was that experience like?

EM: The first EE site I worked on was bmi.com, since the company moved to EE while I was working there. It's a huge website with a wide variety of features, many of which required custom development. I'm fortunate enough to still work on that site, now as a consultant. That experience allowed me to see the what can be done with EE, and adopt it as my CMS of choice for my clients.

MQ: What does a typical workday look like for you?

EM: I often start my day off with my "Morning Mix" iTunes playlist. I check Highrise (which I use for project / contact management) for the day's tasks and do some email. From there, I don't really have a typical day as I may be working on current projects, following leads, marketing my business, writing or many other aspects of running a design business.

MQ: How do you stay passionate about your work? What do you do to refocus when you're having a bad day?

EM: What keeps me passionate about my work is the variety of projects we take on. Recent project launches were focused on music, technology and the history of car racing, and I enjoy the challenges that come with working with different industries. If I need to refocus, I'll usually switch to a different type of work. Design vs. coding vs. doing something like writing a proposal require different mindsets. If I'm not feeling creative, I switch gears and come back to something in a few hours. Or, just go for a bike ride or switch whatever music I'm listening to.

My favorite EE site I worked on is:

EM: I loved working on the user interface and user experience design for the new EngineHosting sign-up and control panel. Another recent favorite is the one about the early days of car racing in America, vanderbiltcupraces.com. It allowed me to work with an amazing archive of photos, and in a vintage style that is different than a lot of my current work.

My favorite EE site someone else did is:

EM: CampaignMonitor is one of my favorite EE sites.

If I could change one thing about ExpressionEngine it would be:

EM: The update process for EE and add-ons.

If I had once piece of advice for someone trying to break into the web industry it would be:

EM: Work on your writing skills. If you are going to run your own web business, being a good writer is very important for drafting proposals, preparing contracts, helping clients with content strategy, blogging and even just composing coherent emails.

Business or pleasure, you decide

Hipsters and blurry photo enthusiasts everywhere rejoiced on April 3 as Instagram was finally made available to Android (OS) users.*

Instagram allows users to take a picture, apply a digital filter, and share it on one or more social networking services like Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Flickr or Tumblr. You can also simply post it to Instagram's network itself.

Instagram isn't just another photo site; its appeal lies in its aesthetic coolness. Photos are confined to a square shape, resonant of old Polaroid or Instamatic images (hence the name), and the digital filters help give images a more artistic feel. It's not only a great way to share and show what's going on, but it's also a way to show off your artistic chops.

Now that Instagram, the photo sharing, mobile-based social network, is available on both iPhone and Android platforms, you may be asking yourself if it's worth jumping on the Instagram bandwagon.

Depends. What do you want to use it for?

Instagram could be a great addition to your social media plan or another fun way to keep your loved ones in the loop. Business or pleasure -- you decide.

Instagram use for sheer pleasure

Instagram has a simple platform that is meant to be used on-the-go. In fact, Instagram was designed to only be used on-the-go, on mobile devices. You've likely got your phone with you most or all of the time. Why not take a picture every now and then to keep friends and family in the loop? Instagram makes it easy and artsy with its built-in editing tools.

Here's how: Take pictures of _____________. Add filter for artsiness. Repeat as needed.

Here are a few ways you may want to take up Instagram for your personal use:

• Food porn - take amazing shots of all the tasty things you eat and/or drink.
• Baby pics - make the photos that annoy your Facebook friends more tolerable.
• The sheer awesomeness of nature - The world outside is beautiful. And who doesn't love a good cloud shot?
• Funny things - Misspelled signs, goofy faces, hipster mustaches, double entendres, memes, and suchandsuch.
• Traveling - Show off all the places you will go.
• Making the mundane magnificent - Take pics of everyday objects and make them interesting.

Business: Instagram integration with a more serious side

Engaging in social networks isn't always easy. It's hard to keep content fresh and up-to-date across all your various platforms. Luckly, Instagram isn't a whole new platform, so much as an "add-on" to your overall social media strategy. It's likely that you're already throwing a few images in on Twitter or FB of your brand's achievements and antics, (and if you're not, you really should to help your fans and followers see your more human side). Instead of sharing your images through Twitter (or TwitPic, YFrog or even Lockerz) consider using Instagram.

Take a picture, do some light editing and share it through your social medium (or media) of choice.

Tag it

Just like on Twitter, you can jump into the conversation fray vis a vis tags. All about #design or #development? Showcase your current projects! Want to bring more traffic to your web-geekery site? Share your #funny pics or #photooftheday.

Find out who's tagging what on Stati.gram.

Share it

Social media is all about creating conversations and Instagram is just another tool. in your kit. Instagram has a great aesthetic, but it's not just about that; its about creating "visual status updates." It's exchanging images and ideas, it's finding people with common interests, and it's documenting the world around you. Instagram is visual social interaction.

Are you using Instagram for business or pleasure? Share your tips and ideas below.

Q Digital Studio has a team of amazing people. I’m not sure what the ratio of luck to hiring prowess is for achieving this awesomeness, but some conscientious effort is definitely involved. I’m all about making it as easy as possible to find outstanding employees.

Here are a few tips to help you find your own outstanding employees – all without investing too much time and with only minimal stress (I promise).

1. Ask simple questions i​n the job ad.

The first way I sift through the dross to find quality people is through the ad itself. Along with the job description, requirements and information on where to send a resume, I include a required set of questions. These are typically straightforward questions such as “List the URLs for sites you’ve worked on, and your role for each project.” I learn a lot about people by how they answer these questions, AND if they can successfully follow directions. Using this filter makes it easy for me to eliminate the irrelevant applications and highlight the best ones.

2. Accept only emails to a designated address.

To keep things organized, I request that interested people apply only via email and only to a designated jobs email address. I don’t want emails coming in to my email address, or through our website contact form, and certainly not by phone, facebook or snail mail. This also keeps the playing field level for all potential candidates, and it helps me keep everything organized.  

3. Don’t worry about interviewing a lot of people.

Early on, when I was hiring one of our first employees, I made what I considered a “short list” of people to have initial phone interviews. My short list was eight people. Turns out, eight was way too many interviews. Besides taking up a lot of time and totally exhausting me, a number that large wasn’t really necessary to filter out the top candidates. My list of top three candidates was unchanged after doing all eight of those phone calls. So now my current plan of action is to whittle down my top choices to three, maybe four people. If by chance those three don’t impress me after a round of interviews, I can simply revisit the pool of applicants. 

4. Start with phone interviews.

Once I’ve narrowed down my top choices, I like to get to know candidates better with phone interviews. It’s easy to learn a lot about someone on the phone. Phone interviews are a nice way for people to shine without a lot of pressure. Being on the phone is also way more relaxing for me (and probably for most prospective candidates, too).

5. Pay attention to your feelings.

There is probably some rule about not making snap decisions, but I can’t remember what it is, and I don’t follow it. First impressions and “gut feeling” have gone a long way in bringing the right people together at Q Digital Studio. Sometimes you’ve just got to go with your gut. After my initial selection, based on email replies, and the phone interview, I generally have a pretty good idea of my top choices for an open position. However, if I have to convince myself that someone is the “right person” though, then, it’s not right. It should just feel right. I want to be excited about someone joining the team. 

6. Try the top one or two candidates on a small project.

This step is critical. Even though I think I make an accurate assessment of a prospective employee through correspondence up to this point, there’s nothing as instructive as actually working on a project together. This is the hardest step because it takes time and oversight. However, a little bit of time invested initially, pays off in the long run. This is an opportunity for my team and me to get to know the working style of potential employees. Are they responsive? How do they handle feedback? What is the quality of their work? It’s also great for someone to know if they like working with us, saving potential headache down the road if we’re not a good fit for each other. 

7. Don’t get too caught up in the rules. 

While I consider all of the above an integral part of the hiring process, I don’t want to get too bogged down in steps and rules. After all, the process of getting to know people can be fun, and so can bringing new ideas and skills into the company. For example, it makes a very positive impression on me if someone sends a follow-up email after an interview. However, if they don’t, I won’t necessarily cross their name off the list.

Rules are made to be broken, right?  What do you do to make finding and hiring great people as easy and effective as possible?

Why you should use hooks in all your programming

One of my biggest concerns when it comes to development is with respect to modifying another developer's code. It's not that I'm afraid to or I don't want to take the time to understand how it works, it's because it's not my baby and I just don't want to mess it up.

The second any developer touches the core of an application, the he or she who touched it, now owns it.

And by "own it" I mean that as soon as the core has been modified to do something it wasn't initially built to do, then the developer that changed the application is now responsible for making sure it continues to work.

Keeping the core pristine

If, six months down the road, something in the system starts acting up, it's the most recent developer's responsibility to fix it. After all, you can't expect the developers of the original system to support your changes. They probably have no clue what modifications you have made or how you've implemented them.

If you need an application to work in a more custom manner than it was initially built for, you need to find a way to implement your changes while keeping its core pristine. Your ultimate goal should be to extend the system, not to modify it.  Enter the concept of "hooks."

Hooking

In terms of programming, the concept of hooks (or hooking) has been around for quite awhile.

In its simplest form, a hook is an access point where a developer can intercept the execution of an application at a specific point, interject their own code which includes their desired behavior/functionality, and then allow the normal execution to continue – all the while, doing this outside of the original application itself. 

With a well placed hook, developers can extend an application far beyond its original scope.  Hooks can be used to make additional modifications to data before being inserted into a database, add additional features to an application, or change how the application works entirely.

Hooking, ExpressionEngine and you

ExpressionEngine is built with hooks all throughout its core. For a full list, visit see the ExpressionEngine Extension Hook Documentation page.

These hooks give you the ability to modify or 'extend' the standard functionality of ExpressionEngine so you can customize it to fit yours or your client' .s specific needs.  Most importantly, you can do this without making any changes to the core files.  One of the advantages of developing this was is that you can run version updates without having to worry about destroying any core modifications you made.

In addition, by tapping into the native Extension Hook functionality of EE, if you ever need to troubleshoot the system, you can quickly disable or 'turn off' your custom code to see if that's where the problems are coming from.

What's awesome about the ExpressionEngine hooking system

One of the aspects that I really like about the ExpressionEngine Extension Hook system is the fact that calls to hooks are made by creating records in the exp_extensions data table.  I really like this approach for two main reasons:

Cleanliness

Personally, I like my code to be clean and contained.  If I am developing a custom add-on for ExpressionEngine, I want all of the files stored in the expressionengines/third_party directory alone, or in the expressionengine/third_party and the themes/third_party directories.  With the EE hooking system, the fact that you can call your scripts, execute your code, and do so without having to create a new file in the hooks directory (the CodeIgniter method) makes keeping your application clean a very easy process.

Simplicity

Configuring, activating, and disabling an Extension Hook is a breeze.  If you are comfortable with PHP, tapping in to a hook is a very simple process.

Taking hooks to the next level: apps

Third Party add-ons developed for ExpressionEngine give you the ability to extract custom behavior from the system and truly make it the unique and powerful tool that your clients will love. But what about if you have an add-on that needs a slight tweak? 

Many add-on developers (but not all) incorporate hooks into their applications.

Instead of making changes directly to the add-ons core files, first check the documentation to see if the developer has incorporated a hook. If they have, make use of it and see if you can extract your desired behavior through that access point first.

If they haven't included a hook in the system, or if you need one in a specific location, send the developer a message and ask if they would be willing to add one in. It never hurts to ask.

Are you a code "hooker?" Do you use hooks in your programming and have a tip to share? Let us know!

While on his "traditional Australian rite of passage" (and we don't mean a Walkabout) of "taking two-years off to work in the UK," Jeff Hawkins unlearned everything he ever knew about web design. But it actually turned out to be a good thing.

He embraced the new approach to web design and hasn't looked back. 

Currently, he and his wife Kathryn, run Hawkins Multimedia in the Portland, Maine area.

MQ: Tell us about your work in 140 characters or less.


JH: My wife and I run Hawkins Multimedia, a small agency focusing on custom content, content marketing, web design and development.


MQ: How/why did you get into the web industry? Why do you stick with it?

JH: I built my first website for my familyʼs chocolate business in 1998 while I was at university. It was a pretty basic site, but it was enough to make me want to learn more. After I graduated in 2000 I went to work as the marketing manager for the Southern Plumbing Plus retail chain, where one of my duties was to design and develop a website for the company. They loved the site, and working on it became the biggest part of my job.

In 2002 I left the job to do the traditional Australian rite-of-passage: the two-year working holiday in the UK. During that time I barely touched a computer, other than to send emails from internet cafes to family back home. While abroad I met my (now) wife Kathryn, and I relocated to the US in 2004 to live with her.

Once in the US I decided to work as a freelance web developer. I quickly discovered that between 2002-2004 there had been a huge shift in the industry away from table-based design towards modern web standards.

Two years away from the field (along with a pint or two of European beer) had made it easy for me to unlearn bad habits and embrace the new approach. I love to learn, so web development has been a great fit for me as it is always evolving.

MQ: Why do you use ExpressionEngine?

JH: I use ExpressionEngine because it allows me to take on virtually any client project and know I have a tool that will allow me to get the job done right. A stock installation of EE can handle almost anything, but when you throw in the wealth of amazing third party add-ons, the first class support from EllisLab and the knowledge and professionalism of the community, you would be hard-pressed to find a better CMS.

MQ: What was the first EE site you ever worked on? What was that experience like?

JH: The first EE site I ever worked on was TR150.org, a microsite for a Washington D.C. nonprofit, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The site was to commemorate 150 years since the birth of Theodore Roosevelt and to showcase milestones in American conservation history, with a new article each day for 150 days. They had an unconventional design concept that I was originally going to attempt with Wordpress, but came across EE and was intrigued by its design and content agnostic premise.

I downloaded a copy of EE Core and armed myself with a copy of Michael Boyinkʼs “Building an ExpressionEngine Site,” and found the process of building the site quite painless. I had used various CMSes before and even made my own simple PHP one, but EE was the first CMS that I found to be completely intuitive to my way of thinking.

MQ: What does a typical workday look like for you?

JH: A typical workday for me generally starts with a quick scan of the #eecms hashtag on Twitter to see if there is anything new or interesting. After that I generally respond to any client emails and prepare any proposals that need to go out. Then I generally get working on whatever EE project I have going on at the moment.

MQ: How do you stay passionate about your work? What do you do to refocus when you're having a bad day?

JH: There is so much innovation constantly going on in the web industry that I find it hard not to be excited about what is possible with the web as a communication medium. It also doesnʼt hurt that I am lucky enough to get to live and work in a beautiful and inspiring place like Maine.

My wife and I have a particularly delightful 2-year-old daughter, Leah, who is the perfect antidote to any bad day!

My favorite EE site I worked on is: 

JH: My favorite EE site I worked on (and continue to work on) would have to be Gimundo.com, a site dedicated to good news and uplifting content that my wife and I own and operate. I did the design and development and my wife is the editor and primary author.

My favorite EE site someone else did is:

JH: My favorite EE site by someone else would have to be Devot-ee.com. Not only is it a great looking site, but I think it is a perfect example of the type of complex content and data heavy site that EE is suited for.

If I could change one thing about ExpressionEngine it would be: 

JH: If I could change one thing about EE it would be to improve the upgrading process. No matter how many times I do EE upgrades, I still find myself looking at a checklist for every step to make sure I donʼt miss anything.

If I had once piece of advice for someone trying to break into the web industry it would be: 

JH: While having a solid, broad understanding of the industry is essential, my advice would be to find your niche and specialize–be it front-end design and development, programming, content strategy, etc. The industry is evolving so rapidly that it is unrealistic to expect to be an expert at all the disciplines that make up the web industry. Find what you love to do and aim to be great at it.

Why you should emigrate to technology land

I spend a lot of time on computers or computer-like technologies.

But these days, who doesn't?

Not only do I enjoy using computers at work, I also use said digital technologies in my free time.

As a writer and content specialist for a web design studio, my work is by the computer for the computer. But even when I'm not working, I'm always connected. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and use a cadre of other websites and digital-based distractions on a daily basis.

I am a "digital native."

I first heard the term "digital native" from my mother, of all people. She is extremely intelligent, well-educated, and terrified of Gmail.

As I was guiding her through the layout of her new work-related Gmail account, she expressed frustration at a system that apparently "makes no sense."

"It just comes easier for you, Linds, you're a digital native," she remarked.

My response: "Who on earth taught you that word?"

A digital cop-out?

A digital native (and forgive me for grabbing this definition from Wikipedia) is "a person who was born during or after the general introduction of digital technology and through interacting with digital technology from an early age, has a greater understanding of its concepts."

To me, the concept of a digital native seemed like a cop-out for people who don't want to try.

Here's what I hear: Boo hoo, I wasn't exposed to computers when I was younger, so I just can't ever get it. I give up. I'm a digital immigrant.

I do understand that it is more difficult for some people to understand technology that they're not used to, but I've always felt that it had more to do with attitude than anything else. Anything is difficult if you don't try.

If you want to learn something, learn it. Age be damned. It's about overcoming your fear.

Caveat: Experience aside, early exposure most definitely changed my attitude towards computers, and consequently I've never had to deal with any fear or anxiety toward using technology.

A family that plays computers together, stays together

I was exposed to computers at a very young age. My father was a computer programmer in the 80s (and still is today). I have fond memories of him lugging home a bulky desktop on the weekends. He would let me and my brother play PacMan on it, a series of lines and dots in 8-bit green.

He later created a DOS game menu for us, C:FUN where we could play computer games like Captain Comic, Commander Keen, and The Playroom. My dad and brothers and I still have in-jokes about Loom and Spacequest. I'm pretty sure that my baby brother (now 23) can't remember a time when we didn't have computers in our home. 

I studied for my sixth grade Geography Bee by playing Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? (and made it to state). I fell in love with graphic design while perfecting birthday cards on The Print Shop. I got a gig at my college's newspaper thanks to my exposure to Adobe PageMaker (from working on my highschool newspaper). I wouldn't be where I was today without the exposure I had to computers.

My life is unequivically better, thanks to technology.

The digital divide is not necessarily always an age thing

My parents are baby boomers through and through. Yet my father is tech savvy as-all-get-out and my mother is, well, not.

I believe that this isn't an age thing, so much as an attitude thing. My mom definitely, unequivocally, has the intelligence and wherewithal to understand technology. I think she, like many people (of all ages), has a mental block, or a bit of anxiety surrounding technology.

Children learn quickly, I won't argue that. They are sponges ready to take in new information.

And that as adults age, there is a definite tendency to gravitate toward the already beaten path, AKA the neuropath of least resistance. But neuroplasticity doesn't go away.

You can always learn new things. In fact, you should always be learning new things.

So what, you were already an adult when computers became big?

It doesn't mean that you can't learn how to use one, and that you can never be good at it. Take a class. Read a blog. Talk to your nephew or granddaughter. Or just give it the old college try.

If a 93-year-old can email, then so can you

My grandmother is 93 years old. She grew up in a time where radio was the height of technology and has seen a lot of technological advances in her day.

While she's very clearly not a digital native, she's learning new things.

She emails me. She types up memos for an organization she's part of in Microsoft Word. She even uses Skype to keep in touch with me when I'm abroad.

And while she has little to no interest Twitter or blogging, or smart phones, she's at least willing to listen to me blather about them and at the very least, she's willing to dip her toes into the technology pool.

Dive in

Not all young people are digital natives. Heck, I have many peers who can't figure out how to change the margins on Word. These are people who fundamentally can't understand how to use Facebook.

Lots of adults are more tech savvy than children or even teens. I think it depends largely on education, personal interests and access to technology.

Do I consider myself a digital native? Yeah, I guess so. I like technology and I like learning new things. I use digital technologies to engage with the world and to challenge myself to grow personally. I might have a leg up on some, but it doesn't mean that the race is over. Or that a race even exists at all. If you want to learn how to use technology, then do it.

All aboard for technology land, the brave new world

So you're a digital immigrant. What's wrong with being an immigrant? I'm pretty that America was founded by immigrants.  And are you going to say that America isn't great? What kind of patriot are you? It takes some serious cajones to board a boat and emigrate to a foreign land.

Being an immigrant shows that you're brave enough to travel outside of your comfort zone and learn something new. And to that I say, "Get your ass on the boat."

You too, mom.

Building a website is a process. Literally. At Q Digital Studio, it’s a step-by-step process that keeps us organized and our clients in the loop. Every step of the way.

Before we write a single line of code or fire up Illustrator or Photoshop, it’s important to get a sense of our client’s design preferences. Our very first step in building a website is called the design reference phase.

The first step in the design reference phase

First, our project manager asks the client to send us any URLs of sites they like, sites that communicate their brand or sites that are their direct or potential competition. She also asks the client to point out the specific elements they like or dislike for each site. 

This could be the header design, content layout, logo placement or a navigation element.

Additional research

We want to make sure our client’s site pops. 

So using their reference sites as a baseline, we spend some additional time researching other sample sites to throw into the mix. These are sites that share similar elements, are in the same industry or just have wicked awesome design. 

Our favorite resources for design reference inspiration include a variety of books, magazines and online galleries.

 The most recent go-to sources are:

• GD Magazine
• Patrick McNeil’s The Web Designer's Idea Book Volume 2
• The Best Designs
• Web Creme
• Media Queries

By the time we’re through with the research we have anywhere from ten to twenty sites. The project manager and designer then review the list and whittle it down to their top five to eight picks, based on the client’s preferences and needs.

Presenting it in a PDF

With the website “finalists,” we create a reference design PDF.  This includes a screen grab for each site and a short description of the various elements the project manager and designer likes, in addition to a link to the site.

Our project manager then reviews the reference design PDF with the client in more detail to get their feedback.

Home runs and strikeouts

Sometimes we hit a home run with our research, and the client sees a site or two that is exactly what they are looking for. This then allows the designer to jump right into the next phase, designing the site. 

However, such success isn’t always the case.  In fact, there have been times when the client has come back and let us know we totally missed the mark.

Try not to suffer too big of a blow to your self-esteem if this happens to you; this kind of feedback is actually very useful.

The beauty of the design reference phase is it allows the designer to get a sense of who the client is and what they think best communicates their brand without spending a lot of time creating designs and constantly going back to the drawing board. 

Sure we have to do some additional design research and provide the client with a list of new reference sites to get their feedback on, but ultimately this takes way less time and provides us with much clearer direction.  

When we do begin designing their site, we are confident of what direction we should take. Every step of the way.

What’s your take on the design reference phase? What steps do you take to create a website?

At Q Digital Studio we always set up entry preview functionality for our clients on ExpressionEngine sites we’ve built. Clients want to preview entries before they're visible to the public so that they can make sure the entry's formatting is correct and that no mistakes were made.

There are a few add-ons and methods out there that let site admins preview their ExpressionEngine entries and they all stink. Here’s why:

• They make me create a second template specifically for previewing entries. That’s twice the maintenance effort, and it’s two templates that almost basically do the exact same thing.
• They make me embed one or more templates into the template that should have done the work in the first place. This leads to performance issues (and smelly breath).
• They make me use if/else logic and duplicate my entry loops. That’s ugly in terms of performance and of maintenance. Not to mention it’s just down right ugly to look at in the code.
• They make me pay. I generally enjoy paying for add-ons when they’re worth it. But it’s not worth the money when I know the solution isn’t really that complicated.

Oh, but it is complicated.

Technically, all I need to do is set an entry loop’s status parameter to “open|closed” if the user is an admin, or “open” if the user is not an admin. It just seems so simple and yet, because of this one wonderful thing called parse order, it’s actually extremely difficult.

Since entry tags and preload replace variables are parsed pretty much before EVERYTHING ELSE you can’t really do any variable setting or conditional statements to output the desired status value since they would all parse after the entry tag is done for the day.

So, this doesn’t work:

{if group_id=="1"}
  {preload_replace:preview_status="open|closed"}
{if:else}
  {preload_replace:preview_status="open"}
{/if}
{exp:channel:entries channel="news" status="{preview_status}"}
  {title}
  Blah, blah
{/exp:channel:entries}

In fact, I tried snippeting, global value setting, kicking, crashing, banging and swearing before I ever found a reasonable solution.

But I did find one. And it’s awesome. Read on.

The runner up

Before I get into my number one solution for previewing entries, I think it’s worth mentioning my number two solution. The runner up solution is to use Mark Croxton’s free Switchee plugin. Switchee lets me create conditional statements in my templates but without the overhead, since the Switchee conditional will parse before the entry tags.

I could do something like this:

{exp:switchee variable="global:group_id"}
  {case value="1"}
    {exp:channel:entries channel="news" status="open|closed"}
      {title}
      Blah, blah
    {/exp:channel:entries}
  {/case}
  {case default="yes"}
    {exp:channel:entries channel="news" status="open"}
      {title}
      Blah, blah
    {/exp:channel:entries}
  {/case}
{/exp:channel:entries}

Standard EE conditionals parse late in the game so even if a condition fails, EE still parses everything in it, which is too much overhead.

Switchee doesn’t parse anything that fails and so it’s a nicer solution, but the drawback of using Switchee, in this case, is that I still have to duplicate my entry tags.

The big winner

Did I mention Mark Croxton made Switchee? Well, he also made a pretty little module called Stash and, friends, it is gorgeous.

Stash lets me store variables or snippets of text and we can do it bright and early in the parsing order before the entry tag has even had its first cup of coffee.

In fact, with Stash, I can parse entire templates, ExpressionEngine tags and EE logic first thing in the morning; this pretty little module is quite the little go-getter.

Let’s start by looking at Stash’s more composed side:

{!-- Set a Variable  --}
{exp:stash:set name="the_title"}
    <h1>Operation Sinatra: The adventures of Rick Ellis</h1>
{/exp:stash:set}

{exp:stash:get name="the_title"}

Here I set a variable called “the_title” using {exp:stash:set} and later I’ll call its output by using {exp:stash:get}.

However, for allowing admins to preview entries I’ll have to get Stash a little revved up.

Step one

Users are not required to Stash variables in the same template they call them in, which is good because, if I have different channels that need to be previewed, I really only want one place to set the various member group IDs, which get to see previews of the entries. Instead, I can create files that act as Stash variables.

First, I’ll create a template group called functions and then set that group to be Stash’s toolbox in my webroot index.php. Every HTML template that I put in the functions template group becomes a Stash variable.

I’ll then place this in my webroot index.php file under the custom config section (I’ll need to update the path to point to the template files or URIs on my server).

$assign_to_config['stash_file_basepath'] =
     './templates/default_site/functions.group/';

You can read more about this set up on Stash's documentation page: https://github.com/croxton/Stash/blob/master/docs/working_with_files.md

Step two

Now I’ll create an HTML template called preview_status. This name will also act as the name of my Stash variable when I call it later.

Inside of preview_status.html I need to perform the logic that tests whether or not the user is a member that can see closed entries. I have two members that are allowed preview status: Super Admins and Editors. In my case, their member group IDs are1 and 6 so I’ll enter this:

{if group_id == "1" || group_id == "6"}open|closed{if:else}open{/if}

Here I’m saying, “If the currently logged in user has a member group ID of 1 or 6, return ‘open|closed,’ otherwise return ‘open.’” Notice that I didn’t put any white space in the return values, since I’ll be outputting them as an entry parameter in the next step.

Step three

Now I can take that preview_status Stash variable and output it into any other template I want to. In this case, I want Stash to grab the variable, parse all the tags and conditionals in it and then output the result.

Here’s how:

{exp:stash:get
    name="preview_status"
    file="yes"
    parse_tags="yes"
    parse_conditionals="yes"
}

Here I’ve said, “Get the stash variable whose name is ‘preview_status’ and is a file and please parse the tags and the conditionals before you give anything back to me.”

Thus, if the user is logged in the Stash variable will return “open|closed” and, if not, it will return “open.”

Now, to use this in an ExpressionEngine entry tag we simply do this:

{exp:channel:entries
    channel="news"
    status='{exp:stash:get 
        name="preview_status"
        file="yes"
        parse_tags="yes"
        parse_conditionals="yes"
    }' 
    parse="inward"
}
	{title}
        Blah, blah
{/exp:channel:entries}

This bit of code grabs entries in the channel whose status matches the output of the preview_status variable. One thing we must pay attention to is the parse=”inward” parameter that I’ve added to the entry tag.

Anytime we want to use a plugin tag of any kind as an entry tag’s parameter value we must add the parse=”inward” parameter, which, in a very simplified manner of speaking, tells ExpressionEngine to parse the entry tag after the add-on tags are parsed.

There it is.

Now, when the user is a Super Admin or an Editor, my entry loop will show open and closed entries. Otherwise the user only gets to see open entries.

Final word

It’s worth mentioning that, since I am technically using another template file to perform the conditional logic, the performance is going to take a hit.  But, compared to other solutions, it’s not much. With this solution I have one place to set member groups that have access to closed entries and it’s available throughout all templates. I don’t have to do any complex embedding or conditionals or duplicate entry tags.

Ultimately though, as I like to do with all my articles here on Meta Q, I hope to have introduced a great add-on and shared a few ideas for solving many of the possible problems you might come across while developing sites in ExpressionEngine.

Forget everything you know about Belgian ExpressionEngine developers.

Wait, you didn't know anything about Belgian ExpressionEngine developers to begin with? Perfect.

This week, Meta Q&A heads to the Berchem district of Antwerp, Belgium to chat with the talented polyglot (Dutch, English, Spanish, HTML, PHP), Erwin Heiser of StookStudio.

MQ: Tell us about your work in 140 characters or less.

EH: Basically, I design and build websites and I'm the go-to EE guy for a few design agencies. I like clean, minimal design and code.

MQ:How/why did you get into the web industry? Why do you stick with it?

EH: My parents never bought me a Commodore64, which started a life-long fascination with computers.

Truth be told, I got into it because my girlfriend needed a website (it's always for a girl isn't it?). 

At the time I was studying to be a translator (I have a Master's in translation Dutch-English-Spanish), and I thought to myself: Might as well learn HTML, CSS etc... while I'm at it. One thing led to another and by the time I graduated I pretty much was set on continuing my web activities, so I started freelancing straight away and never looked back. 

Working with ExpressionEngine has allowed me to travel and meet some interesting people I wouldn't have met otherwise. It's a constantly evolving industry so it never gets boring. I don't see myself doing anything else for the foreseeable future. If anything, I still have a lot to learn to perfect my craft.

MQ: Why do you use ExpressionEngine?

EH: I used pMachine on my girlfriend's website, so once that evolved into EE I just rolled with it. I soon decided, rather than learning a few CMSs, to focus on EE. I had built a few sites in Wordpress and Textpattern, but I just felt EE had them all beat.

MQ: What was the first EE site you ever worked on? What was that experience like?

EH: My first real one was a trilingual site for a hotel in Mallorca so for me at the time that was a major project. This was before the path variables method that's common these days (or the many multi-language add-ons that keep cropping up), so I used a suggestion from Sue Crocker (a long-standing member of the EE community) and used some PHP in my templates along with segment variables to get it working. It was all pretty basic but it worked like a charm.

MQ: What does a typical workday look like for you?

EH: There's no such thing as a "typical" work day when you freelance. I can spend a day locked in meetings, either through Skype or in real life, spend it coding a layout in CSS/HTML, do an EE set-up, collaborate with a designer etc...

It's the variety that keeps it interesting.

MQ: How do you stay passionate about your work? What do you do to refocus when you're having a bad day?

EH: If you're not passionate about it, you won't last as a freelancer. Luckily it's pretty easy to be passionate about it because the industry is constantly evolving, so there's something new to learn every day. On a bad day I just switch off and do something else entirely. You have to get away from it all every now and then.

My favorite EE site I worked on is: 

EH: The website for the Walry bookstore because it's been running (and I've been maintaining it) for quite a few years now. The people at the store really consider me one of their crew, so that's nice.

My favorite EE site someone else did is: 

EH: I thought the recently redesigned Focus Lab site was about as perfect as an agency site can get, quite envious of that. 

If I could change one thing about ExpressionEngine it would be:

EH: The update process! That's the one thing where WordPress really shines.

If I had once piece of advice for someone trying to break into the web industry it would be:

EH: I'm pretty sure I'm the last person you'd want advice from, but I'd say build a broad skillset but also try to find your niche, the one thing you excel at. Try to love what you do and have a good time doing it. Remember you work to live, not live to work. 

Google seeks to provide the best results for individual users. This means that they want and expect search results to be different from person to person and that people searching in the same office may see different search results.

This also means that the same person may see different results between his or her work computer and home computer.  Here’s why two people in the same room may (and probably will) see different results when running the same keyword search using Google.

Location

Google attempts to automatically detect a user’s location and provide customized results based on that location. The factors for auto-detecting a location are based on IP address and Google Toolbar’s My Location feature (if you use it). Users can also specify their preferred location, using a street address. Manually-set locations are saved in a user’s browser cookie.

Location factors manifest most prominently when searching for things that have desirable geographically targeted results. Try searching for “chinese food” using Google and you’ll likely get a map of nearby Chinese restaurants on the right side column as well as some local results appearing at the top of your list.

Related, but different: Google country-specific Search Engines have been around for a while and display results targeted to those countries. You can experiment with different country’s search results by searching for “yoga” on google.com (U.S.), google.co.uk (Britain) and google.ie (Ireland), or any other country-specific version of Google.

Personalization

Google provides personalized results based on previous searches. When you’re signed in to any of Google services, Google personalizes your results based on your account’s web history. For example, if you often click on Amazon’s links in your search results, Google will see that as a preference and start to show you Amazon links more often and in higher placements in your search results.

In addition to results based on your web history, Google now shows “Personal Results” when you’re logged into your Google+ account. These are linked from the top of a standard search results page and are based on your personal search history as well as searches from your Google+ connections.  So if your friend likes a particular Chinese restaurant, it’s likely to come up higher in your search if you’re logged into your Google account while searching.

Even when you’re not signed in, Google still provides personalized search results based on past search information accessed via browser cookies. Google stores your non-logged in search queries and clicked results for up to 180 days via cookies.

Data Center

Based on a user’s location, a keyword search is performed by one of Google’s many data centers. Google doesn’t say exactly how many data centers it has, but there are at least three dozen reported data centers (and likely several more) around the world.

While sharing the same search algorithm, Google’s data centers may have some variance between them during updates. One data center may already have the newest search algorith while other data centers still have the older one running while propagation takes place.

And no, you won’t always have your search performed by the same data center, even if you search from the same location every time. Google routes searches between data centers with their load balancers. While the out-of-sync algorithms are not as common of a factor, it does occur and can cause results to be different for hours or potentially days between data centers as the algorithm update occurs.

Algorithm testing

Google is constantly testing algorithm changes on search users. Potentially up to 40% of all searches on Google are testing some algorithm variation. The way users respond to the search and subsequent browser history will factor into how such algorithm tweaks are used, understood and adopted.

If you’re the subject of one of these random “bucket tests,” you will see different results than your coworker – even if you both are logged out of Google, have just cleared your cookies, and are searching from the same IP address.

Summary

While you don’t have control over which of Google’s data center your searches are run through and if your search results are part of their algorithm testing, you do have control over your location and personalization – you can change your location settings and even turn off of search history personalization. 

In wake of some serious concern and user outcry, Pinterest has updated its Terms of Service, effective April 6, 2012. 

The new TOS states that Pinterest no longer has the right to sell content and will actively remove images that encourage self-harm or self-abuse. These changes also include "easier to understand" language in the agreement. By stating that Pinterest in non-commercial, use of copyrighted material on the site now more likely to fall in the realm of fair use. But new Terms of Service don't change the fact that a copyright is still a copyright.

Sharing content that doesn't belong to you is essentially what makes the Internet go round. But what made users, bloggers and ultimately content creators so concerned was the fact that essentially, Pinterest's TOS provide you, the user, with all the responsibility (should you infringe on someone's copyright).

Compare the ALL CAPS liability sections in the user agreements from some of the big social media players:

Pinterest is just one of many other social media that offer no refuge or safety net from copyright infringement. Unless you're able to get permission for every piece of media you share or transmit on the Internet, or you only use original content, you're bound to be sailing into murky copyright waters. 

However, there are a few things that you or your organization can do to make sure that your use of copyrighted work falls in the fair use category.

• Don't claim ownership for a work that isn't yours.
• Don't try to make money off of a work or piece of work that doesn't belong to you.
• If something doesn't belong to you, always make sure to properly attribute who it does belong to. Don't transmit or share any materials that you can't find a source for.
• If possible use, only materials that have a Creative Commons license or that you have permission to use.

Fair use under United States law allows for the "reproduction and use of work, notwithstanding the rights of the author, for limited purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research."

Going back to the original question, should you abandon the Pinterest ship?

No.

Not unless you also abandon Tumblr, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and pretty much the Internet in general.

Don't abandon ship, just be more responsible. If you always attribute the original source of content and don't try to profit from content that isn't yours, you're in fair use territory. If in doubt, don't Pin it or share it or blog it or Tweet it or whatever.

Your responsibility lies in how you use content and how your give credit to its owner and source.

In his article, "Amp Up Your Development Process" Meta Q’s Terris Kremer talked about the advantages of running an AMP (Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack on your local system. With all of the awesome benefits you get from running your own web development environment, there is no reason not to. Really.

So I’m picking up the AMP article torch and will walk you through the AMP stack installation process for both Windows- and Mac-based systems (feel free to skip to the section that applies to your machine).

As for my fellow Linux users, I generally assume that you are used to the "figure it out process" by now and know what to do. In the event that you run into problems, send me a message. Let me know what’s going on, what “flavor” of Linux you are using, and I'll walk you through the process.

Mac AMP, aka MAMP

Let me begin with full disclosure: While my primary system is not a Mac, I do have to admit that Apple has done a lot of things right when it comes to user experience. The installation process here is cake!

Let’s get started.

To install MAMP you will first need to download the core files from the MAMP Website.

When the file has finished downloading, the MAMP Installer should begin. If it doesn't start automatically, double click on the MAMP icon in your Downloads folder. You will see a screen like the one below:

Click: Continue

The next screen will provide you information about what the software will be installed. Take a second to read over it, and then click Continue.

Next up is the Software License Agreement. "Read" this agreement, and if you accept the terms and conditions, click Continue.

In the next screen you can choose which users have access to the MAMP Application after it has been installed. Select the users you want to be able to access MAMP and click Continue. My system only has one user so your screen may look a little different than the one shown below.

You are now ready to begin the installation process, click Install.

Depending on your system configuration, you may be asked to enter your Administrator username and password.

The installer will run, and about 30 seconds later you should see the following screen:

Seriously, that is all it takes...

Now, lets fire it up!

In order to be able to run your local environment you first have to start up your MAMP Server. To do this, click on Applications → MAMP then select the MAMP application icon.

After you have opened the MAMP Application you should see the following

If Apache Server and MySQL Server appear in red like you see above, this means that the servers didn't start. Click Start Servers. Your system will "think" for a minute, and then the status of your servers should turn from red to green like so:

Your local server is now online!

Lets test it out really quick...

Click on the button that says Open start page. Your default browser should open and take you to a page that looks like this:

This is the default page for your MAMP Server. It provides you information about the software you are running, your host information and it confirms that your system is online.

Let’s finish this tutorial off by creating a simple project so you can see how your local web server works.

To begin, open up your Applications directory and navigate to MAMP. In this directory, you should see a folder called htdocs. This is your web directory. Any files you want your local web server to render need to be stored in this directory. Create a new folder inside of htdocs called "test."

Now, open TextEdit and at the very top of the document, enter the following:

  <h1>
    <?php echo "Hello World"; ?>
  </h1>

Name the file "helloworld.php" and save it to the test folder you created above. Be sure you save the document as “plain text” and include the .php file extension.

Your MAMP/htdocs directory should now look like this:

Now, open your favorite browser and point the URL to:

http://localhost:8888/test/helloworld.php

You should see the following page:

And that's it. Your local server is now up and running. Drop in your web projects and start working away!

Windows AMP, aka WAMP

For all of the Windows users out there, let’s do a quick installation of the WAMP Server so you can get your local environment up and running.

To begin, you will want to download the installation files from WAMPserver.com.

After the file has been downloaded, run the installer. If Windows requests permission for the installer to run, click Yes to give it approval.

When the installer launches, you will be greeted with a screen that looks like this:

Click Next to begin the configuration process.

The License Agreement should appear on your screen. "Read" the terms of agreement. If you accept them, select I accept the agreement and click Next. INSERT IMAGE

You will now need to specify where you would like the core files for WampServer to be saved. For this installation, let's keep it simple and leave it set to the default location.

WAMP will then ask what type of icons you would like to create for the software. Allow WAMP to create both a Desktop icon and a Quick Launch icon. You can delete these later if you want.

Finally, click Install. WampServer will begin setting up the system.

After the installation process has completed, depending on your security settings, Vista and Windows 7 may display a "Windows Security Alert" message box like the one below:

Make sure Private networks such as my home or work network is checked and Public networks is unchecked, then click Allow access.

After the installation process has completed, WampServer will request that you setup your PHP Mail Parameters. Leave these set to the default for now; you can change them later. Click Next to continue.

The installation process is complete!

Be sure that the Launch WampServer 2 now check box is checked and click Finish. At this point, WAMP should start automatically for you.

Onward to the fun part.

First, let’s check to make the server is up and running. Open your favorite browser and point the URL to:

http://localhost

You should see a window that looks like this:

If you get an Unable to Connect or a Webpage not available message, this most likely means that your server is not on. Go to your quick launch toolbar, click the WampServer icon, and then select Start all Services. Refresh your browser and hopefully everything should load.

Your server is now running. Let’s create a quick and easy project.

Open up your Applications Folder and navigate to the WAMP directory (it should be in the root directory of your hard drive). In this directory, you should see a folder called "www." This is your "web directory." Any files you want your local webserver to render need to be stored in this directory.

Create a new folder inside of "www" called "test."

Now, open Notepad and at the very top of the document, enter the following:

  <h1>
    <?php echo "Hello World"; ?>
  </h1>

Name the file "helloworld.php" and save it the "test" folder you created above. Be sure you save the document as plain text and include the .php file extension.

Your c:\wamp\www directory should now look like this:

Now, open your favorite browser and point the URL to:

http://localhost/test/helloworld.php

You should see the following page:

And that's all there is to it!

Load up your web projects and start working on your local environment.

Stuck on a step? Have a quick question? Leave a comment below or send a message.

Bundle up and nerd out, folks. We're heading to Minnesota to chat with a project lead from The Nerdery, Brian Litzinger (@litzinger and @boldminded). The Nerdery has website development and project collaboration "down to a science," and Litzinger is one of the many talented individuals that make being a web nerd look pretty darn cool.

MQ: Tell us about your work in 140 characters or less.

BL: I am a project lead who focuses on EE and add-on development at The Nerdery. I like to solve real-world problems.

MQ: How/why did you get into the web industry? Why do you stick with it?

BL: I was in college for a graphic design, and spent a lot of time outside of my design classes teaching myself HTML and Flash animation. This was 1998-2001 so the "interweb" was all the rage, and I was naturally drawn to it.

MQ: Why do you use ExpressionEngine?

BL: Because of its flexibility and the maturity and professionalism of the community. It pains me to use anything but EE these days, even with its quirks and flaws, it's still miles above other CMSs, and not to discredit EE itself, but the add-ons from the community attribute to a lot of this. EE was built with extensibility in mind from the start, not as an afterthought, and I think the EE community has taken advantage of it and delivered better add-ons than most other CMSs.

MQ: What was the first EE site you ever worked on? What was that experience like?

BL: I had been exploring EE for a couple months while working as a front-end/PHP developer in 2008, but the first production site I did was for a local cycling company, twinsix.com. It's the only freelance site I maintain to date. Prior to that site I used Wordpress or home brew content management systems, and I haven't looked back since.

MQ: What does a typical workday look like for you?

BL: My days can range from eight hours of head-down programming, or little to no programming and assisting sales engineers with project quotes or assisting other developers with EE related tasks/issues and random meetings. I've had a couple days where I've billed time to 10 different projects. No two days are alike for me, which can be a good or bad thing… I haven't quite figured that out yet.

MQ: How do you stay passionate about your work? What do you do to refocus when you're having a bad day?

My favorite EE site I worked on is: I'm going to have to say victaulic.com even though I'm going on nine months of working on it and am tired of looking at its code. Hopefully it'll be profiled on expressionengine.com soon, and you can read all about it. Describing what was done on it would be too long for this interview.

My favorite EE site someone else did is: I really like the visitphilly.com site by HappyCog. Those guys knock it out of the park every time.

If I could change one thing about ExpressionEngine it would be:  A built-in migration tool to easily sync a development site with production, and a production site with development. Something along the lines of Rails migrations would be sweet. I already have solutions for multi-lingual and workflow issues, but migrations is one thing that elludes me and everyone else in the community right now, and is often requested of our "enterprise" level clients.

If I had once piece of advice for someone trying to break into the web industry it would be: Doing only what is required isn't going to cut it. Spend as much time as you can learning everything you can.

The wait is officially over. The Meta Q Queue is ready for public submissions, and we can’t wait to hear from you.

For those who aren’t familiar with The Queue, it was originally created around the idea that like all good designers and developers, we are constantly finding websites with great tips, inspiration, tutorials and things to tickle your funny bone.

We love being able to share what we love, but we also love collaborating. There are just way too many cool things on the Internet for us to find. That’s where you come in. We’re opening up the Queue for reader submissions.

See something cool that’s design-y or tech-y? Share it here.

In honor of our new and improved Queue, I’m revisiting some of the best Queue posts to date.

The Best of The Queue

Templates

If you want to save time, 960 pixel grid templates are amazing. Visit robbiemanson.com for a variety of free, downloadable Photoshop and Fireworks templates. Each template is based on a 960-pixel wide design and consists of anywhere from three to sixteen columns.

Placeholder Content Generators

To keep clients focused on critiquing a prototype site’s design and functionality verses the content, placeholder text and imagery are vital. Two great content generators are Blind Text Generator and Dynamic Dummy Image Generator.

The Blind Text Generator allows users to select the amount of dummy text they want, based off of either the number of words or characters. It also has the added bonus of letting users choose the number of paragraphs the text is divided into.

The Dynamic Dummy Image Generator allows users to input their own specs for placeholder images, including height, width, background color, foreground color, text and file format. Users don’t even have to hit enter:  the dummy image will automatically generate!

Design

When looking for some fresh inspiration, Heather Sloane’s portfolio is a great place to go. It’s packed full of funky, original illustrations.

For one of the most outstanding design showcases out there, check out The Best Designs. It’s loaded with amazing website samples that are hip and trendy, but still translate well for client work.

COLOURlovers is another favorite. It has everything related to color inspiration -- from color chips to already assembled color palettes. In the palette search form, users can type in a specific color, and up pops pages of palettes incorporating the color of choice.

Coding

For a classy jQuery slideshow, Nivo Slider can’t be beat.  The plugin is free for non-WordPress sites and is easy to install. It includes sixteen transitions, captions and directional controls.

The CSS3 Generator is a developer’s best friend. Don’t struggle to remember all the various lines of code used in CSS3 styles – simply fill out the different variable fields, and the generator will automatically create code for border radius, box and text shadow, RGBA, transitions, transforms and many other CSS3 styles.

For clients (or anyone, really) who dig background images that expand the full width and height of a browser’s window, Backstretch is a must. It’s an easy-to-use jQuery plugin developed by Scott Robinson that creates “dynamically-resizing” background images.

Last but not least, for mega drop-down menu know-how, check out How to Build a Kick-Butt CSS3 Mega Drop-Down Menu on Nettuts+. This article goes over all the nitty-gritty details needed to create a serious mega menu.

See something, say something: submit an item for the Queue.

A young man in South Korea, Park Jeonggeun, was detained in early February 2012 for retweeting the message "Long live Kim Jong-il" from the official account of the North Korean government. 

Park, a political activist, also added a photo of a North Korean soldier altered to show what the BBC described as "his own frowning face and a bottle of whiskey." The South Korean government has accused him of violating the National Security Law – which makes any act "benefiting the enemy" illegal. Amnesty International has rallied behind Park calling the charges "simply ludicrous" and a "fail[ure] to understand sarcasm." 

Was it totally clear that Park's retweet was not an endorsement of the North Korean regime? The verdict is still out.

Park is scheduled to go on trial in early March at the Suwon District Court in Seoul.

While most Twitter users won't face jailtime for tweets, Park’s retweet brings up a larger issue, with applications both personally and professionally: Do retweets mean endorsements?

Short answer no, long answer yes with a but

In essence, a retweet (RT) is an implied endorsement. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s a way to interact with your followers. It’s a way to disseminate information. It’s a way to create dialogue. While retweets have become integral in how news and information are circulated online, it’s how users retweet that matters.

In Twitter’s unspoken etiquette, an RT generally means that another Twitter user finds your message worthy of resharing. Does that mean that the user agrees with the tweet? Not necessarily.

Even users who specifically state in their profiles that retweets do not equal endorsements may find their retweets misconstrued – many and most Twitter users are reading tweets on the go from smartphones or apps, and they aren’t checking user profiles.

So how do you make sure your tweets aren’t misconstrued? Context, my friends.

How to succeed at retweeting without really trying

A retweet, without any personal comment, can easily be seen as full (albeit tacit) endorsement.

Most users view retweeting (and tweeting in general) as more of a "Hey you should check out this interesting piece of information" rather than any specific endorsement.

However, if it’s possible that something could be misconstrued, it will be. Therefore, it’s best to make it very clear what your motive is behind the retweet.

Retweeting, AP style

The Associated Press (AP) has a great social media policy for its employees’ personal accounts (policies that may be worth taking in mind for your organization's or personal Twitter account) and differentiates between naked or "unadorned" tweets (retweets sans comment) and reporting opinionated material. The difference lies in context, "colons and quote marks."

The above tweets are "naked" retweets with no comment, therefore implying endorsement.

However, with a little context, it's possible to make it clear that you're simply reporting something. To do so, add a comment and/or separate the tweet with colons or quotation marks.

It’s all about context

While most users won’t find themselves in political hotwater over retweets (though do take care), it is important to keep in mind that Twitter is a very public extension of the person or organization behind it. Essentially, you are broadcasting how you want the world to see you.

Be aware of the pitfalls of retweeting without context or attribution and do so wisely. If you want to avoid confusion in a retweet’s intention, make it very clear that this is another user’s opinion.

What do you think about retweets and endorsements?

To all those web designers and front end developers out there that aren't running an AMP (Apache, MySQL, PHP) package on your machine, here are a few reasons why you should drop everything right now and install one.

Easy and open source

The lovely open-sourcers of the world have created free and relatively easy to install packages for whatever type of machine you run on. There's MAMP for Mac users, WAMP for Windows users, and LAMP for Linux users. XAMPP is a package that works on all of them.

Served locally

When you install an AMP package, you're setting up your machine to run much like the servers you use to send files through FTP. This means you can develop sites using MySQL databases and PHP applications right on your machine. Of course you still need to upload the files to a public server to make your site visible to world but, while you’re developing and testing and breaking and fixing, local is just better.

It's time to get time back

Without an AMP package, you can't really develop applications that use PHP or MySQL databases with files that sit on your local machines. Instead, you’re stuck using FTP every time you want to make a change and want see the results. Waiting for a file to transfer takes precious time out of your life that you'll never get back and, although it might not seem like much to wait a few seconds, those seconds ad up over time.

PHPeazy

While you can still save HTML files on your local machine and run them in a browser, PHP files need to run on a server. PHP is a server-side scripting language, after all. Even if you’re not creating a complex PHP application, it's worth it to use PHP to attach partial files (like a header and footer) to your otherwise plain HTML files. This way you don't have to update more than one header or footer every time you want to make a change there (See PHP includes). Easy peazy!

MySQL = My Database

More often than not, a dynamic site will need to store data in a database and, more often than not, it will be a MySQL database. So, of course, you may want to develop with a local MySQL database too. An AMP package will include phpMyAdmin (a graphical user interface for MySQL) that makes the set up, well, not so nerdy.

The CMS

If you’re developing with a PHP-based CMS (Content Management System) like Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, or, Meta Q’s favorite, ExpressionEngine, then you'll most certainly need a server running Apache, MySQL and PHP. With an AMP package installed on your local machine you can bring development home and install the CMS right on your machines.

Offline? No big deal.

While wireless connections are becoming easier to find when you’re out and about, there are still times when connecting to the Internet is simply not possible. If you're creating a site that uses PHP or MySQL, then having an AMP package makes it possible to work on it any time, anywhere. You can develop on an airplane or in the park. Perhaps you've run out of coffee shop wireless minutes or you don't feel safe connecting to them at all. No problemo; you don't need a connection to run AMP.

What are you still doing here?

Having an AMP package installed just makes sense. You'll cut development time, you don't have to worry about breaking something on a live site and you can develop a dynamic site anywhere, anytime. So, what are you still doing here? Go install your AMP package now.

If you need help getting your AMP package up and running, the Meta Q team is here to help. Ask a question in the comments below or send a direct message to us via the Ask Meta Q page.

We're excited to get to know more of the amazing ExpressionEngine community - all over the world. We're heading to Los Ranchos, NM to chat with Caroline Blaker of Petroglyph Creative (@carolinecblaker, @artnweb), where she creates "ExpressionEngine websites in an art studio environment."  Blaker has turned development from a hobby into a real art form.

MQ: Tell us about your work in 140 characters or less.

CB: I develop websites in ExpressionEngine and create art in the same space.

MQ: How/why did you get into the web industry? Why do you stick with it?

CB: As soon as I graduated art school from Washington University in 2003, I became acutely aware of the current and future needs of a website [and that] as an artist  [I would need] to reach the largest possible audience. I dove right back in at a nearby community college where I was able to learn the basics of web development in a certificate program - as well as that everything about the Internet was on the internet. Thereafter, the path became a game. I was constantly drawn to solve the next puzzle and reap the reward - a new technique, and a new puzzle. Within a couple of years, my first "real job" was a web content position. The hobby kept on going.

MQ: Why do you use ExpressionEngine?

CB: I was introduced to EE the way a lot of developers are - through the offices of employers who use it and require updates and new sites built in it. They threw me right in with no training, and a year later, I wrote my first add-on for version 1.6.7. Its ease of use, consistency of support, and stability made it a winner over other technologies I was learning about, like Ruby on Rails.

MQ: What was the first EE site you ever worked on? What was that experience like?

CB: It was later switched out, but TimeShareRelief.com was my first site. The experience was thick - it involved member-only areas and 50-field forms. I also made my share of mistakes, like using {edit} tags instead of {stat} tags for member information display.

MQ: What does a typical workday look like for you?

CB:I get to the office around 10 each day and begin by focusing on in-house projects. This might include a newsletter, art, site updates for the business, or billing. After lunch I begin client work and will continue with that until the end of the day, usually six p.m.

MQ: How do you stay passionate about your work? What do you do to refocus when you're having a bad day?

CB: This is where the art comes in. I paint, I create creative apps (like http://twitterscap.es) and enjoy focusing on these "other" aspects of my job. I don't have a lot of bad days though - plenty of stressful days, and plenty of days where I just want to quit - but none of them are bad. "Bad" would mean that I would prefer they never happened - that is seldom the case. Nearly always, the part of the day that could be thrown away as "bad" yields some kind of breakthrough that causes permanent learning or appreciation. That's never bad.

Still, it's important to remember that everyone needs to take time away, no matter what.

My favorite EE site I worked on is: PrettyIll.com - It's a video blog and support site for people dealing with very acute and under-diagnosed medical issues. The supervisor/personality of the site is a person who also has these conditions, but is also a doctor.

My favorite EE site someone else did is: http://moblues.org/ - Having spent some time in St. Louis myself, the aesthetic rings true to the region for me.

If I could change one thing about ExpressionEngine it would be: The update system. My favorite feature of some other CMS's are one-click update systems. 

If I had once piece of advice for someone trying to break into the web industry it would be: Make it a hobby first. It's compulsory to love what you do in this industry before you declare yourself a professional, and the way to do that is to grow your passion through work you find to do on your own.

MojoMotor is a great framework for projects that are smaller in scope or in budget, and its overall simplicity, combined with its affordable price and the phenomenal support provided by EllisLab makes it a fantastic CMS for a variety of sites.

But, (as with all systems), MojoMotor does have some quirks (or “features” if you prefer) which take a little getting used to at first. One of these quirks can be very frustrating and downright scary if you aren't expecting it. Specifically, I'm talking about the “disappearing Control Panel” issue.

If you have yet to encounter this problem when working in MojoMotor, consider yourself lucky but realize that yes, it can happen to you, so be prepared.

If you have encountered this problem in the past, or are currently experiencing it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Whatever the case may be, hang tight, I’ll walk you through the issue and help you find a solution.

Understanding why your control panel “disappeared”

Part of fixing any problem is figuring out what caused it to happen in the first place. MojoMotor’s Control Panel is rendered through the use of jQuery and while this is a perfectly acceptable means of creating this feature, at times it can present some real challenges.

If you use jQuery for any additional elements within your website, its possible that a conflict will occur. If say, you’re calling in additional jQuery libraries within your layouts, some of these calls might conflict with the libraries that MojoMotor depends on.

When a conflict like this happens, jQuery's built-in response is to stop code execution. This response, while understandable, means that important features on your site may not show up at all – important features like your Control Panel.

Fixing the Problem

So you've lost the Control Panel. Now what? In order to get it back you have one of two options:

1. Reinstall MojoMotor
2. Remove the offending code from the MojoMotor database

Reinstall MojoMotor

If you have encountered this problem and you have not yet put too much work into the site, and most importantly, wouldn't have a problem losing all of your work up to that point, you can simply reinstall MojoMotor.

This will wipe out all of the data stored in the MojoMotor database and take you back to square one. The process can taken anywhere from 60 seconds to 5 minutes – depending on how comfortable you are with the framework. After a full reinstall, your Control Panel will reappear.

Remove the offending code

Of course, doing a complete rebuild of the framework, and in extension, losing all of the work you have put into the site up to that point, is not always a viable or practical option. If you’re not willing to start over completely, the other option you have is to find the offending code and remove it from the database.

To begin searching for the offending code, you will need to log in to your Database Control Panel. For the majority of users, this means you will need to open up phpMyAdmin.

Depending on your website’s hosting service, you will probably be greeted with a screen that looks like the following:

When you see this screen (or something similar), you will then need to select the database where your MojoMotor records are being stored.

After you have selected your MojoMotor database, you should see a screen with a list of tables. Depending on your initial configuration and any add ons you have installed, your table list may differ slightly from the one you see below:

From here, you will want to select the mojo_layouts table. Once you have selected this table, a list of all the layouts you have created for the site thus far should appear. In this tutorial I have decided to use the standard installation, so only one layout is displayed – you may have more.

Think back to the layout you were working in right before your Control Panel disappeared. Find this layout in the list and then select “Edit.” A new screen will appear which looks like this:    

From here, it’s just a matter of locating the offending line of code from the layout_content field, removing it, and then saving the revised content. You may have a good idea what piece of code is causing the problem – if you do, then it’s simply a matter of removing it from the layout_content field, saving the changes and refreshing your site.

If you don't know or aren’t 100% which line of code is causing the problem, I would recommend doing two things:

1. Open a text document, copy and paste (make sure you don't cut and paste) the content into the text document (so you have a backup if you need it) then proceed to the next step.

2. As discussed above, the cause of your problem is most likely related to a conflict in the jQuery. To find the source of the problem, remove each script tag within the layout one by one. After you have removed a script tag, save the changes and then refresh your site to see if the Control Panel appears. If it does, you found the problem! If it doesn't, the problem is still there. Add the script tag you just removed back in to the layout_content field, and move on to the next one. Continue by process of elimination until your Control Panel reappears.

Note: If you are following the steps above and not having any success, make sure you are logged in. If you aren't logged in, the Control Panel won't display – even if you fix the problem.  

I've been looking for an alternative to PayPal since it made a huge grinch out of itself this past Christmas by shutting down Regretsy's charity fund, claiming a misuse of the "Donate" button and resulting in a massive backlash and PR nightmare. 

Though the error was fixed and the money matters settled (and Christmas was saved!), since then, I've just never quite felt the same about using PayPal.

As such, I want to start phasing out PayPal as much as possible. Though I may still need it for a lot of online shopping transactions, in the realm of personal and person-to-person transfers, I've found an alternative that so far seems like a better bet than PayPal. An that, my friends, is PayDivvy. 

What is PayDivvy?

PayDivvy is a social-centric bill pay system. It allows users to pay person-to-person, pay bills, and even split bills amongst users via the web or mobile applications.

According to PayDivvy, founder Mike Melby started working on the concept for PayDivvy after trying to find a way to better share, or divvy, monthly bills with his roommates. There was no solution out there "that addressed the social finance issues within personal finance," so Melby and business partner, Ray Tamblyn, created their own solution. Thus, PayDivvy was born.

How it works:

Sign up, hook up your bank account (wait a few days for verification) and you're set. All PayDivvy services connected directly to your bank account are free - that means  it's free to receive payments, e-bills and to pay and manage all your bills. If you want to pay with a debit or credit card, it will cost 3.5% per transaction. 

The cool thing about PayDivvy is you can connect it to your Facebook account and use it to split bills with your friends or roomies or whatever. That would have been extremely helpful when I was in college, and also last week when ten of us went out for lunch.

The other feature I really like about PayDivvy (though I have yet to try it), is the bill pay. PayDivvy is directly hooked up to over 5,000 service providers (Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Visa, etc.) and you can send money to any business or person (like say, your landlord). And while my bank already has this feature, I'm considering switching over to PayDivvy for my bills because it sends all positive bill payments to credit bureaus (who couldn't use a little credit boost) and it has a nice budget tracking feature that is nowhere near as annoying as Mint.com.

PayDivvy vs. PayPal

Now I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Now hold on lady, PayPal is free to send money  person-to-person." And you're right.

PayPal is free when you buy something or when you transfer bank account funds to another PayPal user (unless you use a debit or credit card in which case you pay 2.9% of total amount sent plus $.30 per transaction). In that sense they're about the same. PayPal does take 2-3% of the transactions from merchants and has fees for international transfers. 

So why PayDivvy then?

PayPal wasn't always such a bad service. When it started over ten years ago, it was an easy way to send and receive money online. But then it just got too big for its britches.

As Adam Dachis put it in his Lifehacker.com article on ditching PayPal, "But like it often happens when companies grow very large, they start to suck. They like to make poor decisions in the name of security, such as holding your money under review for no reason, draining your checking account when you report fraud, putting 20% of your money in a rolling reserve account without asking, and much more."

PayDivvy on the other hand, is still small enough to care. And right now, that makes all the difference.

So far with PayDivvy, I've received excellent service, have found that their contact and Twitter/Social Media team is extremely helpful and responsive, and most importantly, I've not had any issues with my money.

Time may tell.

For now, PayDivvy is small enough to care and still seems to. As much as I'd like to abandon PayPal completely, I can't. It's still pretty ubiquitous. But if I can use PayPal less, that's a step in the right direction. And, if I can find a company that isn't trying to screw me over every step of the way, that's even better. And that my friends, (at least for the time being) is PayDivvy.

Should your firm respond to RFPs? Is it just a waste of valuable resources?

Earlier in my tenure running my little web shop, I replied to a lot of Requests for Proposals (RFPs). It was exciting. For a while.

It quickly became depressing when I put in a lot of time crafting responses, and was awarded hardly any of the projects. Over time, I realized that replying to lots of RFPs can be a huge waste of time. So, I’ve narrowed down when and why I’d reply to an RFP.

This process optimizes our little web shop’s efforts, and results in a healthy percentage of projects awarded.

Any company looking to hire a web design/development firm is wise to put together an effective RFP or Request for Proposals. Companies are able to compare proposed features, pricing and experience of potential partners side-by-side. The spirit of competition can encourage vendors to do a better job and even keep pricing competitive. Sure, all of that sounds great for a client.

But what about the web shops replying to the RFPs? Is it good for them too?

Here are my rules of thumb for when and why you should (or should not) respond to RFPs.

I will submit a proposal if it has one or more of the following elements:

1. Relationship. If I have an existing positive relationship with the client and I like them, I’m in. If so, we have trust and rapport already built up. This can also potentially cut down on cost, since we don’t have to go through the getting-to-know you phase. And because we know each other’s working styles we create a very accurate estimate.
2. Fit. When the client and project are in our sweet spot – meaning they fit our criteria for size, industry, project scope and technology – this makes submitting a proposal attractive. Why bother submitting a proposal if you’re not that into the project or don’t like that client?
3.  Connection. If I don’t have an existing relationship but I have a connection to the client, I think it’s an opportunity worth pursuing. The connection might be that someone on staff knows us from when they were at another firm, or a partner or colleague of theirs recommended us. Even a friendly or social connection is a good connection.
4. Realistic expectations. A realistic timeframe and budget in an RFP make me happy. Or if neither are specifically identified, that’s fine too. It shows that there’s room to discuss.

I will not reply if  an RFP includes one or more of the following elements:

1. Spec work. If an RFP requires preliminary unpaid creative work, count me out. This is spec work, and it’s totally not cool. 
2. Burden. If materials requested for the RFP are exceptionally onerous, I’m not going to invest the time. While I’m happy to provide a company profile, personnel profile, sample projects and the like, I don’t think I should have to answer a 5-page questionnaire or write a dissertation.
3. No connection. If I do not have any sort of connection with the client, even a tenuous one, I’m going to opt out. At least one firm, probably a couple, have some connection to the client and already have a leg up. (Note: this doesn’t mean if you have no connection you can’t win a project from the RFP process, but over the long run it will greatly diminish your projects awarded percentage.)
4. Formality. It’s important to find out if the RFP process is a formality/requirement of an organization. Often organizations already have a vendor they plan to work with, and the RFP process is just a formality. I’ve heard firsthand of this happening many times, and it’s a true disappointment, especially when you’ve put in a lot of time and energy to create a response.

I might reply, but I will be cautious if any of the following elements exist:

1. Lowest bid. The RFP states they take the lowest bid that meets the project criteria. We submitted a proposal to an organization where we had previously worked with one of their people at a different company. When submitting a proposal, we knew the criteria for selection was lowest bid that met the requirements. However, their ceiling price point was much higher than our bid and I felt good about being 40% under that. We got that project.
2. High volume. If the RFP was posted far and wide, and the organization is likely to get a heap of proposals (10+), I’d be cautious about submitting. I wouldn’t want my proposal to be lost in the mix.

Do you reply to RFPs? How do you decide which ones to reply to?

We're excited to get to know more of the amazing ExpressionEngine community - all over the world. This week we head to Portland to chat with the very talented Angie Herrera (@420Creative), principal and creative director of 420 Creative, where we find out what it's like to transition from print design to ExpressionEngine pro.

MQ: Tell us about your work in 140 characters or less.

AH: I work for 420 Creative, a design studio I started in 2003. Our work focuses on CMS-powered web design/dev, branding and Internet marketing.

MQ: How/why did you get into the web industry? Why do you stick with it?

AH: When I first started my business (when it was 100% me), I was primarily doing traditional graphic design (logos, print design, etc.). But more and more clients and prospects started inquiring about web design. I already had some web design experience and I couldn't pass up on the opportunities, so I started creating sites for clients and have been doing so ever since. I stick with it because, as it turns out, I love it. More so than print design and it's become the core of my business.

MQ: Why do you use ExpressionEngine?

AH: There are plenty of reasons! To name a few: its incredible flexibility and robustness to power virtually any kind of site; it's extensibility – even though I'm no back-end developer, I know a lot can be built on top of it and the CodeIgniter framework; it's easy to tailor for clients so it works with their workflow and is easy for them to use.

MQ: What was the first EE site you ever worked on? What was that experience like?

AH: The very first EE site I ever worked on was for another web company that hired 420 Creative to build a CMS-driven site. At the time I was only aware of WordPress and one or two other platforms but none really fit the bill. I remembered reading about EE, checked it out and it fit perfectly. The experience was a bit daunting at first because I didn't get it right away. But I plugged away until I hit that infamous "lightbulb moment" and it was a breeze after that. I'm sure if I were to look at that site's code now though, I'd probably laugh myself to death.

MQ: What does a typical workday look like for you?

AH: It starts out with email and making sure all the new stuff is taken care of one way or another. Then I take a look at the to-do list and start working away (with lots of breaks in between). I spend a lot of time in Basecamp managing projects, as well as the regular apps for coding and designing. My workday is definitely nothing glamorous.

MQ: How do you stay passionate about your work? What do you do to refocus when you're having a bad day?

AH: The absolute best thing I do to stay passionate is to get away from work. For me, that means very little to no work on Fridays. If I do work, it's usually a phone call or two, or working on the business or personal projects. I have a relatively strict "no weekend work" policy as that's reserved for anything else. Once in a while I have to make an exception, but they're very, very rare. If I'm having a bad day, I'll expend the energy from the frustration somehow – a walk, stretching, taking a TV break, whatever. Then I get back to it. Stepping away is key for me.

MQ: My favorite EE site I worked on is: _______

AH: This is a tough one; there's a good-sized handful that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's probably a tie between Tilteed.com and Nashelle.com – both e-commerce sites with their own set of challenges and both a lot of fun.

MQ: My favorite EE site someone else did is: _________

AH: Also a tough one, partly because there are plenty of great sites out there powered by EE. I think Mezzetta.com tops my list though. Christopher Kennedy worked on it (the EE and cart portion if I recall) while he was at Shotwell. It helps that I love Mezzetta products.

MQ: If I could change one thing about ExpressionEngine it would be:__________

AH: The forums. Admittedly, I've only worked on a couple of sites with the forum module, but they are a serious pain to theme. I would love to see them use the same template engine that everything else in EE does.

MQ: If I had once piece of advice for someone trying to break into the web industry it would be: ____________

AH: Never stop learning. The web, like most things, is constantly changing and evolving. Settling for "good enough" will leave you behind.