Dan York

Just a guy in Vermont trying to connect all the dots...

Author's posts

Nov 24

The Problem Of Trying Blogging From An iPad Using TypePad

Yesterday's blog post epitomizes one of the problems I have with creating blog posts on a tablet that work with TypePad, the service with which I started hosting this site way back in 2005.

All I wanted to do is have an image that was right-justified with the text wrapping around it. Instead I got this:

Rightjustified not

(Which has now been changed to be correctly right-justified, but through the regular desktop web interface, not to the mobile interface.)

In order to write more regularly, I've been trying out using the iPad as a writing platform. It's been working well for sites hosted on WordPress, but not so well for TypePad.

Because the TypePad app is fairly useless on the iPad, I wrote the post using Blogsy, a fairly interesting and useful blogging app for the iPad. However, try as I might, I could not get Blogsy to right-justify and wrap the image. The issue seems to be that Blogsy would only send to TypePad the <img> tag with this attribute:

class="alignright"

Now this might be fine if the CSS for my theme on TypePad defined a class like that, but it doesn't. I tried multiple times to edit the raw HTML in Blogsy to add the simple inline CSS to the IMG tag of:

style="float:right;"

However, Blogsy kept removing that style attribute when sending it to TypePad. Now, maybe there is some setting in Blogsy that I couldn't find that would pass along CSS attributes... but if so, I have no idea what it is.

Trying other apps to correct the problem... as I mentioned, the TypePad app is fairly useless on the iPad. It is only an iPhone application and so while you can blow it up to take over the whole iPad screen, it is still an iPhone app and doesn't make use of the iPad's screen nor of its improved keyboard. More importantly, it only lets you create new posts - there is no way to edit or modify existing posts... so there was no way to get in and modify the post to add this style attribute to the image.

Next, I tried the "mobile" website for TypePad, but it doesn't seem to work so well on the iPad. I tried to get in and modify the post above and wasn't able to easily do so.

Finally I tried logging directly into the "regular" TypePad website on the iPad. It looked like it might work as I could get into the HTML view (which was the only view, actually) and add the style attribute. But when I went to try to publish the updated post, the Publish button didn't work.

In the end, I had to go to my desktop system and login to the regular TypePad web interface to make this change.

This is a perfect example of what I referred to in my "Barriers to Blogging" series as "Getting The Tools Out Of The Way". A whole chunk time spent... simply to get an image to be right-justified. :-(

Now to get the tools out of the way in this case, I may again search for a better blog post editor on the iPad. Another option, of course, would be to move this blog off of TypePad and over to one of my WordPress servers (where the tools work better)... but that's a much longer process. Still, it is another answer.

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Nov 23

Now Amazon Rolls Out Pages And Posts, Too?

As if companies and brands don't already have enough places to establish their presence online, now comes word that Amazon.com will let you create a URL with your brand name where you can promote your products and other information. You also will be able to create "posts" for your page similar to a Facebook Page.

Amazon spells out more details in the FAQ for "Amazon Marketing Services", including the fact that these pages are free to create and that there is a verification process for brands. It notes that in building your Amazon Page you have a choice of three templates - and that Posts can also be cross-posted over to Facebook after you link your Amazon Page to a Facebook account. It also notes that there is "Amazon Analytics" to show you the interaction with your page.

I have not yet explored setting up a Page myself, but I can certainly see the value for any company selling merchandise through Amazon. I expect we will see a rush for brands wanting to own their own brand name at amazon.com. For marketers this becomes, though, yet one more place to potentially establish a presence.

What do you think of this move? Will you establish your own Amazon Page?

 

Nov 22

Thank you for all of your support and assistance with IPv6, DNSSEC

Today is the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S.A. where the current members of our team all live. It is a day off for us and we will be spending it with our family and friends, giving thanks for them and for so many other aspects of our lives.

We also want to thank you, the many readers of this site, for all your support since we began this experiment in publishing deployment-related information about a year ago.  Thank you for all the suggestions you have given us. Thank you for all the feedback where you have offered ideas about how we could better help.  Thank you for all the retweets… the shares and “likes” on Facebook and Google+… the articles mentioning our site…. and the so many other ways that you all have helped spread the word about the resources we have here on Deploy360.

Thank you, most of all, for being out there deploying IPv6 and DNSSEC… for making it happen in big ways and little ways… for overcoming the obstacles… for being persistent and focused… for getting it done.

Together we are changing the world in our own way… bringing about an Internet that is more open to endless possibilities and innovation… and that is more secure for all of us.

Thank you for all you do.

Nov 22

Thank You

Today, for most of the seven billion people in the world, it is just yet another ordinary day.  Nothing special... just another day.

But for those of us living in the USA it is our "Thanksgiving". It is a public holiday that most people get off. And it is for me the holiday that in so many ways I enjoy the most.

Why?

Simple ... because it has not yet become over-commercialized. Tomorrow, of course, is an epic nightmare of consumerism and crass commercialism (and the participation in which I avoid as much as possible).

But today, for the most part, is a collective... pause. 

Throughout our nation (and around the world for those living abroad) people gather with friends, family, loved ones. Most businesses are closed (except for many restaurants, convenience stores and some gas stations).  People eat (often large quantities), play, relax and enjoy each other's company.

It is a moment to revel in that gathering... to reflect on how we are thankful for what we have... to help out those who need help... to pause in a sacred moment and give thanks.

And so I take this moment... here... on this site... to thank all of YOU out there.  All of you who continue to read my articles... to listen to my podcasts... to read my books... to watch my videos... to hear me in presentations... to read my newsletter... to engage with me on social media...  thank you!

Thank you also for challenging me... for asking me tough questions... for giving me feedback... for doing all those things that help me to grow and learn and become even better in what I do and help me learn how to be of better service to you all.

Thank you.

For the 6.7+ billion of you for whom today is a perfectly normal day, I hope you have an excellent day. For those of you celebrating US Thanksgiving, I hope that you all are able to gather with those you love - and that you are able somewhere in the madness to pause for even just a moment and reflect on all that you have to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. It's not all rosy, of course.  Many people cannot be with their family and friends. Many people do not have food, homes, or the money or means to travel to visit people. Even "normal" family gatherings can be filled with tension, drama and crisis.  It can be a quite bleak and depressing time for many.  For those of us who are able to celebrate, the question becomes, too... what can we do to help others?  How can we translate our thankfulness into action to help those who are struggling?  Can we dedicate part of our lives to helping other people have something more to be thankful for?

 

Nov 21

Slides – Adding DNSSEC to Fedora and Red Hat Linux

What is the status of DNSSEC being added to Fedora and Red Hat Linux?  What changes have already been made?  What changes will occur in the future?  What tools are available to help?

At the recent ICANN45 DNSSEC Deployment Workshop, Paul Wouters from Red Hat spoke about integrating DNSSEC into Linux. Paul’s slides are available for download and a video of the entire workshop is available from the main page.

Paul Wouters presentation on DNSSEC in Linux

In the presentation, Paul talks about the difference between Fedora and Red Hat Linux and then dives into what needed to be modified to support DNSSEC. He provides some insight into their experiences using DNSSEC in different configurations and with different tools.

Paul also spoke about support for the DANE protocol to use DNSSEC to validate SSL/TLS certificates and in particular his TLSA Validator add-on for the Firefox browser and his “hash-slinger” tool that generates TLSA records.  Both tools are available at his site at:

http://people.redhat.com/pwouters/

It was a great presentation to hear, and Paul is very active within the DNSSEC community working on tools such as these to help get DNSSEC further deployed. It is well worth some time checking out his tools.

Nov 21

My Report Into FIR #678 – Facebook Mobile Sharing, Barriers To Blogging, and Social Media with Israel/Hamas

In this week's For Immediate Release episode #678 on Monday, November 19, 2012, my report covered:

If you are a FIR subscriber, you should have the show now in iTunes or whatever you use to get the feed. If you aren't a subscriber, you can simply listen to the episode online now. There is a TON of other great information in the weekly episode relevant to those involved with PR, marketing and other forms of communication, so I'd encourage you to give it a listen.

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Nov 20

DNSSEC Workshop at Japan’s Internet Week 2012 on Wednesday, Nov 21, 2012

Internet Week 2012Are you attending Japan’s Internet Week 2012 in Tokyo this week? And do you want to learn about how DNSSEC makes DNS and the Internet more secure?

If so, there will a DNSSEC workshop/tutorial tomorrow, November 21, 2012, from 9:15 to 11:45 in Akiba Hall.  More information can be found at:

https://internetweek.jp/program/t9/

As I am not able to read Japanese, I am relying on Google Chrome’s translation but what I see there sounds like quite an interesting session with multiple case studies.

It’s great to see DNSSEC conference sessions happening in Japan and we look forward to seeing the growth of more signed domains and validating resolvers within Japan!

 

Nov 20

PSY, MC Hammer, the American Music Awards – and The Amazing Power Of The Internet

Psy hammer 1Seriously? The American Music Awards closing out the evening with a song sung almost entirely in Korean?

Wow.

Let's just reflect up on that for a moment. The American Music Awards... ending with a song sung...

... in Korean!

A song where the only words that the vast majority of the audience actually understood were "Heyyyyyy, sexy lady!" and "Gangnam Style". (Well, and the overlay of MC Hammer's "Too Legit To Quit" song last night.)

But the rest of the song was entirely in Korean.

How cool is that?

Forget for a moment what you may think about the actual "Gangnam Style" song from PSY and whether you love or absolutely hate the "horse dance" thing he does. Forget about whether you think the whole meme is overdone with everyone and their brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandparents and babies (and animals) doing remakes and paradoies of the song. Forget about whether you are so sick of it and hope you never hear about it again.

Forget about all of that.

Think of the moment. Think of the fact that a 40-year-old awards show... again, the American Music Awards... closed its event with a song by a Korean performer sung almost entirely in Korean.

Amazing.

And we see here again the amazing and awesome power of the Internet and how it has fundamentally changed the ways in which we communicate.

Without the Internet, PSY might have been extremely popular within Korea... but probably would have remained almost unknown outside the country.

Instead, because of the Internet his music has been seen and heard 100s of millions of times in basically every part of the world. And here he is is... on stage with MC Hammer closing out this award show.

I love it! Even as I am not personally a particular fan of the song (nor did I watch the awards show)... I delight in the fact that here in the US we celebrated that song.

Score another one for the power of the Internet to unite us all and enable us to experience the creativity that is in all countries and among all people... and in all languages.

Very cool to see!

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Nov 19

Got A DNSSEC Project That Needs Funding? Apply to NLnet Foundation Before Dec 1

NLNet FoundationDo you have an open source project (or the idea for one) related to DNSSEC that needs funding? Perhaps a new tool that will make it easier to use DNSSEC?  Or perhaps new software that supports the DANE protocol to increase the security of TLS/SSL? A browser plugin?  A program that makes it easier for registrars to pass DS records?  A measurement tool for DNSSEC usage?

Or do you want to add DNSSEC capabilities to an existing program, like the Jitsi team did when added DNSSEC validation to VoIP?  Would you like to build DNSSEC validation into your tool or service?  Would you like to add DANE support to your browser or other tool?  Would you like to add DANE support to another service beyond the web?  Do you have a use case where DNSSEC-signed TLS/SSL certificates would greatly add another level of security?

If you have any ideas along these lines, the NLnet Foundation is funding projects through their “DNS Security Fund” and THE NEXT APPLICATION DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 1, 2012 at 12:00 Central European Time (CET).  You can read more and find out how to apply at:

http://www.nlnet.nl/dnssec/

That page lists at the bottom some of the many projects that the NLnet Foundation has funded.  Their most recent “Open call for funding” gets into more details.  There is one very important note:

There is one important condition which is that any software or hardware that a project produces must be available under a valid open source licence (GPL, BSD, Apache, etc.).

As long as you are fine with that, you may be able to get some level of funding through NLnet Foundation.

We’d definitely appreciative of all the great work that the NLnet Foundation has funded to date. Tools like Unbound, DNSSEC-Trigger and the multiple DNSSEC developer libraries they have supported have made it so much easier to get DNSSEC deployed.

Now it’s your turn – what can you develop to help get DNSSEC more widely deployed?    If you’ve got an idea, the NLnet Foundation may be able to help… apply before December 1 to see if they can!

P.S. Note also that if you can’t apply before December 1, the NLnet Foundation accepts proposals six times a year, with deadlines of February 1, April 1, June 1, August 1, October 1, December 1.

Nov 19

What Is The Future Of The Levelator? (The Podcaster’s Ultimate Quick-Fix Audio Tool)

LevalatorWhat does the future hold for the awesome "Levelator®" tool, now that The Conversations Network is shutting down all of its websites at the end of 2012?

That's certainly the first thing that popped into my mind when I heard the word that Doug Kaye was declaring "Mission Accomplished" and shutting down the TCN websites and moving their content to other locations.

The "Levelator," in case you aren't aware, is a truly awesome piece of software for Windows, Mac OS X or Linux that can take an interview recorded with varying audio levels and turn it into something great for listening. As the bottom of the Levelator page says:

Do you believe in magic? You will after using The Levelator® to enhance your podcast. And you'll be amazed that it's free, now even for commercial use.

So what is The Levelator®? It's software that runs on Windows, OS X (universal binary), or Linux (Ubuntu) that adjusts the audio levels within your podcast or other audio file for variations from one speaker to the next, for example. It's not a compressor, normalizer or limiter although it contains all three. It's much more than those tools, and it's much simpler to use. The UI is dirt-simple: Drag-and-drop any WAV or AIFF file onto The Leveler's application window, and a few moments later you'll find a new version which just sounds better.

For those wanting the gory details, the site contains a detailed description of the "Levelator Loudness Algorithms" that explains how it does its magic. The FAQ, also, includes some helpful information.

Normally, when I'm recording podcasts in my home office with my podcasting rig, I'm able to control all the audio levels, even if I'm interviewing someone over Skype. So in those cases I don't need the power of the Levelator.

But... if I'm recording an interview with multiple people over Skype, I only have one feed for Skype into my mixer and so I can't control the varying audio levels for the different speakers.

Similarly, if I am recording a panel session typically speakers are sitting at different distances from their microphones and they naturally have different levels of their voices.

In either of those cases, the Levelator has been a HUGE help in making my recordings sound that much better.

It's also insanely easy to use - just drag a file onto the interface and drop it. That's it.

Now it's now always on target. A time or two I've actually liked the original better, but that's often because I've got noisy backgrounds or other issues. But probably 95% of the time it does a truly wonderful job making the audio sound better.

So what is its future?

I don't know.

Doug Kaye's post about the future of TCN says only that they intend to continue to make the existing content available. It's not clear from reading that what will happen to the Levelator. Will it be updated? Will someone continue to maintain the software? Will it be open-sourced so that the community could maintain it? Or will it just fade away?

The @levelator Twitter account did provide some hope in an October 3 tweet saying plans are still being discussed:

Levelator future

I do hope Doug and his team are able to find a way to keep the Levelator around. It truly is an awesome tool and it is and was a tremendously generous gift to the Internet community to make it available for free.

I look forward to learning its future... and meanwhile, I've made sure I've downloaded the most recent version so that I'll have my own copy around for a while.

Have you used the Levelator before? Has it helped you? What would you like to see the TCN team do with the Levelator?

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