RSS how-to revisited

Seen that thing before? Wondered what it meant? Well you're gon' find out.

Ok, I must start by saying I've blogged about this before. The reasons I'm revisiting it are two-fold: One, I'm convinced that there are far more people reading blogs at this point in history than there were when I originally posted about it. Two, Lynsey's recently posted about it and apparently had some issues. So for you technologically savvy readers, please pardon the repetition. It's for the good of the whole. Here we go.

Problem: You waste too much time clicking every single link on the Hendrick's blog (and give them an undue amount of pageloads) to see which blogs have been updated that day.

Solution: RSS feeds. Blogs are set up to where you can check them without actually going to them. You'll save heaps of time.

It's important to know that there are tons of different RSS feeds out there, some of them have more bells and whistles than others, and this post is only going to address two different ways to go about doing things.

Option 1: How do I set up an RSS feed? Click that and it'll take you to the post I put up about a year ago, and it shows you one way to install and use one type of feed. It requires that you browse the web in firefox, which you should be doing already. I happen to know that over 60% of my readers are still using Internet Explorer... come on people. At any rate, if you use firefox or are willing to start using it, this is a very easy and low-profile feed you can use.

Option 2: I don't have firefox, and I don't want it, you say? Well let's agree to disagree and then talk about Google Reader. To use Google Reader you have to have an account with Google. Again, this is something that you should already have as an Internet user in the year 2007. If you don't have one, it's super easy to set up (you can do it from the link given above). If you don't want to set one up, go back to option 1. Ok, if you have a Google account, go ahead and click here to see a video explaining Google Reader to you. I could do it myself, but it's already been done, so no need. It's super easy.

So there's a little recap on RSS feeds. If you don't like either of those options, there is still (tons of) hope! Just google "rss how-to" or something of that nature to see other possibilities. If you have any questions or are having issues making either of my two options work, let me know. I like helping people. I'll leave you with a suggestion of how to spend your newfound free time: bake me some cookies (I like them crispy).

the new machine: 2nd mvt.

Remember way back to July 2nd when I wanted to cuss at my computers and their inability to transfer files? Well fear not because the temptation has left my presence. I was able to figure out my problem. Though I ended up not needing it, thank you so much, Thomas, for offering your services.

This is where my normal readers quit reading and my curious quasi-geeky readers read on.

How I fixed the problem. Apparently using Windows Easy Transfer is not the easiest way to transfer files. I opted to use a different program, one that came with the transfer cable (thanks again to Laura). I'd tried using that program before but gave up when it proved unable to have the two computers recognize each other. At one point this was the problem with both programs. Then I tried -- as a last ditch effort -- switching the transfer cable around. Unplugging what was in my old compy and putting it in the new one, and visa versa. Somehow that worked. Upon having the computers recognize each other, I was lost in my excitement and I failed to recall that I had an option other than Easy Transfer. Thank you Laplink PCsync. You're good.

the new machine

Well this is my first post that my new machine's ever produced. It looks like that. It was a ridiculously nice present from my folks. They love giving me stuff I don't need. They love.

I've not yet said goodbye to my old machine however. I've been with her for five years now. She wrote every college paper I ever submitted, every journal entry I ever typed for the past half-decade. She houses every picture I've taken on my digital camera and every song I've purchased over the past 20 years. Even though she's done all those things, I'm not emotionally attached to her. That's not my reason for keeping her around. It's more of an issue her inability to take said documents and move them to the machine in my lap right now.

This is where my normal readers quit reading and my helpful quasi-geeky readers read on.

I've had a ridiculous time trying to transfer files from my old computer (XP) to this one (Vista). I've installed "Windows Easy Transfer" on both machines, acquired an Easy Transfer Cable from Laura (thanks), and reached the point where the computers recognize that the other exist. When I start the file transfer process, before a single file is actually moved, while the program is 89% into determining the size of files to be moved, Windows informs me that an unknown error has occurred and that Easy Transfer needs to be closed. This is enough to drive a man to cuss.

I've read everything Microsoft's support has to offer on this issue, and I've yet to come across anyone who's had this same issue. I emailed the folks at Microsoft and they were kind enough to send me the links to all the pages I've already read. More temptation to cuss. So needless to say, this has been a frustrating process. I just want my pictures and music on the ol' laptop. Is that too much to ask?

So anybody got any suggestions? Thomas? Mikey? Random reader that doesn't normally post comments but obliges for such a time as this?

the most helpful post since the rss how-to

This may come as old news to some of you, but it is the most exciting thing I've learned since Planet Earth on Discovery Channel last Sunday.

As if google hasn't done enough cool things lately (Google Earth, Gmail, Forbes #1 Company to Work For, etc), they went ahead and stayed the course for cool things... and doing them...

For those of you with text messaging capabilities on your cell phone, go ahead and send "google" (466453) the text "living hope college station tx" and see what happens.

I used Living Hope because it's a common thread that many of my readers have. If you want, you can text google something else. Like "chicken express college station tx"... or Layne's. Sorry Mike.

an RSS how-to that you don't want to miss

I had been thinking about doing a post about rss (are-ess-esse) feeds the past few days, then I saw the Super's did one already. However mine will take a different approach. Read his to see what RSS feeds are... go... read...

In short, RSS will help you keep up with all your blogs without having to click every link from your blog twice daily. It checks them for you and tells you when changes have been made. Ok. My version of the RSS post will be a how-to concerning installation and usage of a RSS reader that you can use in firefox (which you should be using at this point in history).

Welcome to Sage. If you'd like you can install it as you read along. Just click the link, the "install" tab, then the "install" button. You will probably have to restart firefox (close and re-open) before Sage will work. No biggie.

The sidebar you see on the left of the mini-screen (click to enlarge) is what Sage will look like. If you don't see any sidebar when you re-open firefox, just press Alt-S, or click the new button you have up in your URL bar (the colorful talk bubble icon).

Now your Sage sidebar should have three feeds automatically installed to it: BBC News, Yahoo! News - Sports, and Sage Project News. You may or may not care about any of those, but you probably do want to add your blogs... and here's how.

Open up one of the blogs you read. At the top corner of the URL bar you will see this:

Which will open up something like this:


To which you will select the "Sage Feeds" folder, and click OK.

Repeat for all of the blogs you read, and in about ten minutes, you'll have a nice looking list in your sidebar. Now when you open your internet you can press Alt-S (if you don't leave Sage open all the time) which will open up your sidebar, and then click the little orange refresh button (see first pic) at the top left of the Sage sidebar.

Here's the cool part:

The blogs on your list that have been updated will change from normal font to bold! You want to check the bold ones because they've got something new. You needn't check the non-bold ones because they haven't been updated.

Note: at first they will probably all be bold, because the reader doesn't know that you've read the existing posts. Simply press Ctrl-Shift-C, and that should mark all of your feed items as read. Now you're set. From now on, all the bold items are updated sites.

That's it. If you have any questions let me know via comments, and if you actually do install it please let me know, because I'd like to think that the past 45 minutes of post-composition weren't a futile effort.

is bigger better?

As many of you wonderful people know, I recently celebrated my 22nd birthday. As is the custom in this country, I received some gifts on my birthday, not because I did anything (in reality I only aged one day on the 6th, not an entire year), but because I'm blessed with friends and family who love me.

One of the gifts that was given to me was the product they call an iPod nano. It's the mini-est rick I think I've ever seen. I thought about simply taking a picture of it and showing you how small it was, but I didn't think that would do it justice, so I placed it next to two well-known items, my cell phone and my wallet. I used to think that both my phone and wallet were very small, until the nano came to the town often known as my front pocket. It seems I couldn't have been further from correct. This mini-ditka is ridiculous. It holds like 1,000 songs, the screen is color, it weighs about 3 ounces or something... it's crazy. Thanks to my parents for getting me this luxury item. I love you.

And in case the above picture didn't give you a good enough idea as to how tiny this little nano is, here's a pic from the bottom:

my best kept secret

When I first discovered this amazing resource, I opted to keep it to myself. I was often tempted to tell a colleague or put up an away message in it's regard, but I resisted the temptation... until now. I decided that if there was any place I should reveal this magnificent discovery, this blog would be the place to do it, because only the Supercinski's and the occational Joshua Langston will be enlightened to my secret, which, in all honesty, they probably already know about. What is this great secret you ask?

Google Earth

This amazing resource allows you to travel the globe from the convenience of your computer desk. Granted, you won't get the full effect of having visited the countries you "travel," but I promise you'll be impressed by the speed of the plane rides, and the selection of tunes you can listen to while you move about (see your own personal music folder). Now, I'd like to give just two examples of things one can do with this program:

Look around the 10-40 window, or any other windows you may have come up with:


Even take a satellite view of your house:

So that's that. I thought it was amazing. There are many other features on there, lots of labels and things you'd never really imagine. So I encourage you, go ahead and download it, see if you like it, and leave tons of comments on my blog. cheers.