Happiness online: We can dream, right?
Several things online have made me happy today, most of them related to the previously mentioned DreamWidth project.
Firstly, when designing the site navigation structure, they used a card sorting usability test to get it right, and came up with this navigation scheme, based around a design by grrliz. I've used my LJ OpenID to login at the site, and while it's superficially similar to Horizon, it just makes sense. I was stoked about this project just fromt he basic ideas behind it, that they're actually following usability and accessibility guidelines? Yowsers. I uploaded a userpic. I was asked to provide "a description for visually impaired users". Userpics will get proper ALT text. If that means anything to you you know this is cool.
Secondly, they've got what appears to be a top notch comment importer: we will import all of your content from LJ: entries, comments, tags, userpics, interests, profile bio, you name it.
Other people's comments will be imported as OpenID comments, so that if (for instance) I've commented on http://esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com/ with my [info]synecdochic LJ account, and you import that into (for instance) esmeraldus-neo.dreamwidth.org, the comment will appear as coming from the OpenID identity synecdochic.livejournal.com. (That way people can still control their own comments.) We'll even have a way for people to tie their OpenID accounts to their Dreamwidth accounts, so I can say "hey, synecdochic.livejournal.com and synecdochic.dreamwidth.org are the same person; replace all comments from synecdochic.livejournal.com with links to my Dreamwidth account instead."
Such a simple, simple thing to do, but apparently beyond the ken of most other import tools I've encountered.
On the subject of importing or backing up, remember when I promised I'd write a backing up how to? Well, I never did. Don't really need to now, Wordpress.com (my preferred online backup option) has upgraded their importer and launched Even Easier LiveJournal Migration. Seriously, you create an account, go to 'import', and follow the easy instructions. Mine is here if you want to bookmark it somewhere in case of LJ dying unexpectedly, I'll be turning off the search presence over there, don't want it to look like a mirror. Thanks for the heads up foxfirefey. SRSLY people, you can mark the whole thing as private "your eyes only", just make sure you've got a copy of your journal, just in case?
Lastly, a completely non geeky post. I post a lot of anti-religion stuff when I'm in a ranty mood. I know that not all religious types are crazy bigotted loons, but idiots like Christian Voice tend to spoil it for the sane majority. Today, I got another reminder, several people linked to:
The Life and Opinions of Andrew Rilstone: An Immodest Proposal
Go read it. Really.
Anyway, my importer has finally finished, so time to shut down the PC. G'night all
Firstly, when designing the site navigation structure, they used a card sorting usability test to get it right, and came up with this navigation scheme, based around a design by grrliz. I've used my LJ OpenID to login at the site, and while it's superficially similar to Horizon, it just makes sense. I was stoked about this project just fromt he basic ideas behind it, that they're actually following usability and accessibility guidelines? Yowsers. I uploaded a userpic. I was asked to provide "a description for visually impaired users". Userpics will get proper ALT text. If that means anything to you you know this is cool.
Secondly, they've got what appears to be a top notch comment importer: we will import all of your content from LJ: entries, comments, tags, userpics, interests, profile bio, you name it.
Other people's comments will be imported as OpenID comments, so that if (for instance) I've commented on http://esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com/ with my [info]synecdochic LJ account, and you import that into (for instance) esmeraldus-neo.dreamwidth.org, the comment will appear as coming from the OpenID identity synecdochic.livejournal.com. (That way people can still control their own comments.) We'll even have a way for people to tie their OpenID accounts to their Dreamwidth accounts, so I can say "hey, synecdochic.livejournal.com and synecdochic.dreamwidth.org are the same person; replace all comments from synecdochic.livejournal.com with links to my Dreamwidth account instead."
Such a simple, simple thing to do, but apparently beyond the ken of most other import tools I've encountered.
On the subject of importing or backing up, remember when I promised I'd write a backing up how to? Well, I never did. Don't really need to now, Wordpress.com (my preferred online backup option) has upgraded their importer and launched Even Easier LiveJournal Migration. Seriously, you create an account, go to 'import', and follow the easy instructions. Mine is here if you want to bookmark it somewhere in case of LJ dying unexpectedly, I'll be turning off the search presence over there, don't want it to look like a mirror. Thanks for the heads up foxfirefey. SRSLY people, you can mark the whole thing as private "your eyes only", just make sure you've got a copy of your journal, just in case?
Lastly, a completely non geeky post. I post a lot of anti-religion stuff when I'm in a ranty mood. I know that not all religious types are crazy bigotted loons, but idiots like Christian Voice tend to spoil it for the sane majority. Today, I got another reminder, several people linked to:
The Life and Opinions of Andrew Rilstone: An Immodest Proposal
Go read it. Really.
Anyway, my importer has finally finished, so time to shut down the PC. G'night all