Do talk back

Friday 1411hrs

So long as it’s not about sodding Texas Holdem or Cialis.
I’ve installed a new plugin, the seemingly wonderful Spam Karma 2.0. While I’m putting it through it’s paces please PLEASE get right in touch with me via email (Contact Me page) if you get bounced, blocked, or accused unfairly of being a filthy good for nothing spammer.

Peace.

Hopefully.

Firefox Button mashing

Tuesday 0106hrs

Firefox is throwing an illegal exception error when I click the “publish” button. Investigation is required. I’m running the new Deer Park Beta and so far, can’t post using it.
I just hope I can find the problem fast.

This post was brought to you by… *shudder*… Internet Explorer.

Photography Forum

Tuesday 0105hrs

For those who are members, the photography forum will soon be moving over to Vanilla and starting a-fresh. I’m looking out for some way of translating the posts from SMF to Vanilla but it doesn’t look hopeful, so it’s quite probably “clean sheet” time, with the old forum’s posts preseved somewhere in XML format for reference.

More updates when I have time to configure and style Vanilla, but it shouldn’t be too far off.

(If you’re wondering what Vanilla is, check it out at [the Vannila Homepage](http://getvanilla.com) )

Upgraded! (yes, honest)

Monday 1531hrs

For the observant, a few changes will already be apparent. Some things are broken and missing. Some things look a little different.

That’s because I’m now running WP1.5 and it was a lot less painful than I’d envisaged. Also the change was so fast I didn’t have to have my site wearing the so-generic-it’s-painful default Kubrick skin. Hurrah!

Please please please contact me immediately if you see anything amiss so I can get on to fixing it as soon as possible.

About time

Thursday 1724hrs

Today I took the first tentative steps towards the impending upgrade to WP 1.5 and all that goes with it. Database backup and some other bits and bobs, mainly trying to get the code in order so nothing is too broken for too long.

The biggest headache is the database, the old one includes all my gallery information along with the WP stuff and upgrading posesses great potential to nuke the lot. Plus I’m also in two minds as to whether they should be extracted into two databases anyway, they probably should be but that causes complications elsewhere because the code I’m dealing with is the first code I ever wrote. And it’s pretty bad.

If anything expodes violently, just hang in there and it’ll get fixed in due course.

Continual Revision

Thursday 1613hrs

As minor typos, small bugs and other annoyances are posted in regarding the AMM, I’m fixing them and quietly updating the downloadable files.

Can I just say to people please if you run into a problem, download and install the zipfile from the Sozu website in the software section before panicking :)

The filename won’t have changed, the website won’t have changed but the contents of the zipfile ARE being updated.

Why not go for version numbers you might ask ? I’m not keen on letting bugs build up until we’ve got enough to warrant a “new version”, I’d much rather find it and fix it as soon as it’s reported.


Supporting Amazon Media Manager 1.5

Amazon Media Manager 1.5

Monday 1129hrs

FINALLY!

It’s done. It *might* have some really arcane and weird bugs in it that we’ve not managed to find yet by accidentally forgetting to search amazon for depleted uranium in the “Homewares” section, but the main thing is, it’s finally ready.

This new version is for WordPress 1.5.1.3 and above. That’s it. If you’ve got an older version of wordpress, UPGRADE NOW or figure out how to get it working for yourself, we won’t help you. 😉

The new version is so far removed from the old in terms of coolness and ease of use it’s insane, so the easiest thing for you to do is head over to the Sozu website and get yourself a copy of Amazon Media Manager for WordPress.

PLEASE NOTE: As people find minor glitches and HTML stuff-ups, we’re updating the downloadable version as we go, rather than waiting to release a “Fixed” version. I know this is naughty but hey… So, if you run into any difficulties with the AMM, please download and install the version on the Sozu website *first*, just in case the problem has already been addressed.

Sadly you won’t see it running on this blog just yet as I’m still on WordPress 1.0beta or something, but when I finally *do* get round to upgrading adn redesigning, it’ll be burning bright just over there in the sidebar. Or maybe the main body? Or maybe the header… Who could say. You can however see it in action so far at Randomtask and at Gabbages, thanks to both of them for doing some preliminary testing.

With that, good day!


Supporting Amazon Media manager 1.5

Amazon Meddlings

Thursday 1708hrs

I’ve been toying with the idea of re-writing the Amazon Media Manager wordpress plugin thing, so I went to have a bit of a read about how best to integrate with Amazon’s services.

After reading through a few seemingly old tutorials it appears that if you use any particular “Talk to amazon with their permission” system, you have to register to become an Amazon Web Services (AWS) developer. This is free, but it did make me stop and wonder whether the general WordPress using audience would bother, or whether having to register with AWS would put them off using the new version of the plugin.

Come to think of it, after looking through the AWS centre I’m not even sure if the SOAP approach in the old tutorials is going to work. Won’t be able to say anything about that until I’ve tried it.

If anyone’s interested or has an opinion on this, mail me or comment here.