Loosing Site is written by Phil Rees, a freelance learning technologist and web developer based in Burnaby, British Columbia. Phil has over two decades experience as a trainer and developer in workplace training, further education and higher education institutions. In the past decade, the majority of his time has been spent at the University of Oxford, developing and implementing learning technologies and web applications for Templeton College and the Medical Sciences Division.
Google Reader Shared Items- Ask an Expert: Does the Magento Platform Create SEO Obstacles? September 2, 2010"Ask an Expert" is an occasional feature where we ask ecommerce experts questions from online merchants. For this installment, Andrew Casey of 877MyJuicer.com asks about search engine optimization and the Magento platform. For the answer, we turn to our own senior contributing editor, Armando Roggio. He's a Magento expert and, in addition to h […]Practical eCommerce Staff
- What I Said Today September 1, 2010[cross-posted on Transparent Algebra]Today was our Skype session with Professor Garibaldi, and I thought that went well. After the Skype session we only had about twenty minutes left (shortened classes due to a PLC day) so I took that opportunity to talk with my class a little bit. I realized that I hadn't done a good job of conveying my thoughts and be […]Karl Fisch
- Google’s Chrome Strategy Is Picking Up Steam September 1, 2010In August, Google’s Chrome web browser jumped up to 7.5 percent market share, following 7.1 percent share in July, according to data from Net Applications. That compares to static market share performances for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. Meanwhile, the arrival of Google’s much talked about Chrome OS is imminent, and the company’s overall Chrome s […]Sam Dean
- Open source 4.0: excellent for dancing September 1, 2010It’s been interesting to see how many people have picked up on the concept of open source 4.0 especially since it was ignored when I first made reference to it over eighteen months ago. A little bit of flattery goes a long way, and referring to it this time as potentially the golden age of open source probably didn’t hurt, but I also think it is now evident […]Matthew Aslett
- Social Network Unites Writers and Fans of Short Fiction [INVITES] September 1, 2010This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.Name: FictionautQuick Pitch: A social network for writers that doubles as a crowdsourced literary magazine.Geniu […]Lauren Indvik
- Ask an Expert: Does the Magento Platform Create SEO Obstacles? September 2, 2010
Latest Sidewiki Notes- Better than a Paywall May 26, 2010I'm impressed by the way the Guardian is engaging creatively with the internet instead of locking itself up inside a paywall. […]
- Layout Engine and Page Templates are a great combination April 6, 2010I've used this feature on a test server. It's giving me much more flexibility with fewer page templates. […]
- Guardian report on British Council evolution survey results is inaccurate. October 25, 2009The poll is far broader in scope. The summary from the pollster's website is:"New research, conducted by Ipsos MORI for the British Council, investigating awareness of Charles Darwin and attitudes towards evolution, has found that there is a broad international consensus of acceptance towards his theory of evolution."http://www.ipsos-mori.com/ […]
- It's not about you, it's about us October 2, 2009If you go into a bar, a restaurant, a convention or a dinner party you would not assume that all conversations were about you, or that you needed to participate in all of them simultaneously. Google Wave is like that. It's easy to see public conversations, and you can join in, but you don't have to. You can find the few people that interest you and […]
- These are the best cakes I have ever eaten. September 27, 2009I used to work within walking distance of Maison Blanc and would use any excuse to sample one of their cakes. My wife and I still obsess over the taste and texture of one particular cake base. My mouth is watering just thinking about the taste. Must visit Oxford again soon. […]
- The Sidewiki ranking algorithm can be seen in action on the New York Times home page. September 27, 2009At the time of writing only the two meatier posts are visible. The remainder have been relegated to the second page. I think the voting system will have an impact on the tone of the comments, as will the linking comments to a users profile. […]
- We have "fair use" rights. September 27, 2009"Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 17 U.S.C. and 17 U.S.C. , the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, […]
- You own that site and I own these comments. September 27, 2009I'm intrigued by the question of ownership of engagement and discussion. I'm seeing a lot of successful bloggers expressing a lot of outrage, and yet normally receiving comments is something that bloggers love, excepting spam, unless it's really good spam. As I'm typing this I don't see what I'm doing as a defacement. My comment […]
- Balsamiq works well for me September 27, 2009I've used it on a couple of projects and found that it saves a lot of time, especially in the early stages. It's very convenient to be able to sit with a client and create a mockup of a site in a single meeting instead of having to bounce emails back and fore. Being able to type the names of controls and have them dropped straight into the workspac […]
- Useful white space in these free Twitter Graphics September 27, 2009It's nice to have room to drop in an @twitteraddress. […]
- Better than a Paywall May 26, 2010