How do I log on to WordPress? Where is the WordPress login page?

How-to login to your WordPress.org-based stand alone Web site

If you installed WordPress.org software on your own hosted Web site, than add “wp-admin” to your URL in order to get to your login page. If your URL is: http://dangerismymiddlename.com/ Then your login page will be: http://dangerismymiddlename.com/wp-admin

How-to login to your WordPress.com blog

If you would like to login to your WordPress.com blog, then use this link instead:

http://wordpress.com/wp-login.php

The above link will work for any user that wants to login to WordPress.com, regardless of how many WordPress blogs one participates-in.

It is also possible to specify a language via the third-level domain. In other words I could use this link if I want my administrative screens in English (note the “en”): http://en.wordpress.com/wp-login.php. And I could use this link if I want my administrative screens in Spanish (note the “es”): http://es.wordpress.com/wp-login.php.

If I am interested in logging into the “dangerismymiddlename.wordpress.com” blog on WordPress.com, then I could also use this an URL in this format: http://dangerismymiddlename.wordpress.com/wp-login.php. And if I am interested in logging into my wife’s blog on WordPress.com, then I could also use this an URL in this format: http://kilefamily.wordpress.com/wp-login.php. These work just like this URL that was mentioned above: http://wordpress.com/wp-login.php.

How To Add WordPress To facebook: No Plugins, No facebook Application ID, No Muss, No Fuss

Here is how to add WordPress posts or comments to facebook notes.  It works with WordPress.com, and WordPress.org installs, and yes, it really is this easy:

1. Go to: http://www.facebook.com/editnotes.php?import
2. Enter the following: http://[the URI for your WordPress blog goes here]/feed/ in order to import your posts into facebook notes.  Replace [the URI for your WordPress blog goes here] with the correct URI (URL).
   
3. Enter the following: http://[the name of your WordPress blog goes here]/comments/feed/ in order to import your post’s comments into facebook notes.  Replace [the URI for your WordPress blog goes here] with the correct URI (URL).

That’s it!

Is Adobe Flex Your New Rich Internet Application (RIA) Front End? (Actually A Post About My Love Of DataGrids)

We have used a few Java UI frameworks in the past (Google GWT, Click, Stripes, and the like) with varying amounts of satisfaction. I believe that one of the holy grails of Java Web business application development is a drop-dead simple Editable-DataGrid-and-DetailsView-CRUD-thing, like we used to have back in the 1980′s with dBIII+, FoxPro, etc. Some of the Adobe Flex samples seem to indicate that Flex makes it easy to do that.

This is an area where Microsoft excels-at with every UI API that they produce (WPF, Windows Forms, Silverlight, ASP.Net, etc.) and we really need the same focus for Java. Part of the problem might be that too many folks are competing with each other instead of working with each other, and that’s just a natural part of an open source world. Part of the problem might be that many programmers haven’t been exposed to good DataGrids in order to miss them. Part of the problem might be that building a good one is a difficult thing to do.

Could Flash (Flex uses Flash) really be a good Java front-end? What about downloading all those big Flash movies? Well, actually the Flash movies don’t get downloaded each time that the UI updates. The MXML and ActionScript that is embedded in the movies updates the UI on the client-side. This is extremely efficient.

I did some coding and support for the Miller Lite Virtual Racing League (a now defunct racing simulator that had over 80,000 simultaneous users). We listed each team’s standings in a DataGrid; it used Flash on the front end, and Struts on the back end. Adobe Flex, which is a free and open source API, now makes that power available to all programmers. You won’t need to purchase expensive software to get there.

I actually built a scanner program with dynamic UI once by embedding a spreadsheet into a VB program (FarPoint Spread). It would automatically display the correct editable fields for various types within Documentum, even if those types didn’t even exist at the time that the program was written. It was really easy to code, and extremely powerful, and not something easy to do with JEE as far as I know. I was successful, because the tools were powerful, and easy, and I had the wacky idea of using a spreadsheet in place of text fields (it looked much like text fields when I was through with it). Non-Web Java programmers could probably build a CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) List-details-thing with SWT/JFace (the GUI API that was used to build Eclipse).

Education professionals and students can go here in order to get Adobe’s Flex Builder and Cold Fusion 8 for free.

Adobe Flex is free for all, and available here.

Windows 7: Adjust User Access Control Settings

User Access Control is more intrusive by-default in the Windows 7 Release Candidate Build 7100 than it was in the Windows 7 Beta Build 7000, but it is still easier to live with than the original Vista implementation. Here is how to adjust the settings:

1. Go to “Control Panel”
2. If you cannot see the “Action Center” control panel icon, then choose “View by: Small icons”. The small icons settings turns on all control panel icons.
3. Click on the “Action Center” control panel icon.
4. Click on the “Change User Account Control settings” link.
5. Adjust your settings.

Windows has Symbolic Links

I once said that if Microsoft added symbolic links to Windows, then I would use it forever. Well… We currently use mostly-UNIX where I work, but I am still psyched that Microsoft officially includes symbolic links in Vista and Windows 7.

Please go here to learn how to use the mklink command to create symbolic links in Microsoft Operating Systems.

Please go here to learn about symbolic links in various operating systems, including alternatives to mklink in Microsoft operating systems.

UNIX Commands for Microsoft Windows

The name (Windows Services for UNIX) makes it sound as if the application puts Windows services on UNIX. In actuality these are UNIX commands that run on Windows.

I realized how much I needed to install this $0.00, cygwin-like, program when I typed “ls” in front of a coworker for the third-time this morning.

Cons? Windows Services for UNIX does not include bash. For the love of all that is good Microsoft, please merge the features of bash (best… shell… ever…) and PowerShell (best… Microsoft… shell… ever…).

Cygwin is an well-known, older alternative to Windows Services for UNIX. Cygwin does include bash. It’s what I am using today.

Go here to download Windows Services for UNIX 3.5.

Here is information about Windows Services for UNIX 3.5 from Microsoft TechNet’s Interoperability TechCenter.

Here is more information about Windows Services for UNIX 3.5 from Microsoft TechNet’s Interoperability TechCenter.

Thank you, and have fun out there.

electric sheep Screensaver

Here is a quote from a recent email that I received:

[I] had a heart attack walking past your cubicle. Needless to say, I was memorized. I must ask, who makes that screen saver and where can I get it?

Was he “memorized” or “mesmerized”?

I usually turn the monitors off to save energy.

It’s called “electric sheep” like the Blade Runner story. It’s free, and it’s available for most operating systems.

The screensaver uses all of the machines that it is running on as a rendering farm: a 3D accelerator is not required, because the images are pre-rendered by the rendering farm of-which your computer is a part-of.

The most popular sheep (sections of the animation are called sheep) are more likely to run on your screen. The popularity is determined by vote. You press the up arrow key for a “yes” vote, and the down arrow key for a “no” vote. Those two keys don’t turn off the screen saver but the other keys do.

The “DNA” from running sheep gets mutated and combined in-order-to create new sheep. The more popular a sheep is, the more likely it will run. The more often that a sheep runs the more likely it will add its genetics to the gene pool.

It also comes with a language that artists and geeks can use to invent new sheep.

So far the sheep that are developed via evolution are neck-and-neck with the sheep that are created by artists in terms of popularity.

This is an awsome, free, screen saver. Go here to find the electric sheep screensaver.

Caveat: youtube’s compression ruins the electric sheep screensaver’s quality. These sheep get better over time, but I am too lazy to make my own video, so here is a youtube example from 2006:

Microsoft's Free-as-in-beer Software

I have been using the Microsoft Betas since September of 1994. That’s when I began using Windows 95. I always sign up to get the new software. I am very happy with Microsoft-in-general, because their support of IT workers and computer programmers is very good.

This list started out as my disclosure statement for the Windows 7 article. I was trying to accomplish two things:

1. Disclose why I might be biased.
2. I really, really want you all to get free stuff: free software, free books, free training.

Here is my list of how to get free stuff from Microsoft:

• Microsoft often gifts-software to participants at their Launch Events. I have Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Microsoft Office 2008, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, and I paid. Wait… Here it comes… $0 for all of it. I did need to attend Launch Events to receive some of the software, but that’s training that is just plain fun. I believe that this RSS feed will have future Microsoft Launch Events listed in it. Please subscribe if you are interested.
• Microsoft provides IT workers with one copy of Everything for a subscription price via TechNet subscriptions. Here is where-to-go if you are interested in a TechNet Subscription.
• They provide free (as in beer) software. Some of the free-as-in-beer Microsoft software can be found at the Express Editions Web site.
• They provide free training that is as good as you will find at the best training  sites on other platforms:
  • Go here for free MSDN Events and IT Training Webcasts.
  • Go here for free Microsoft Office training.

Microsoft Press occasionally distributes free eBooks to Microsoft Press Newsletter subscribers.

• Go here to subscribe to the Microsoft Press Newsletter.
• Go here to see a list of your free Microsoft eBooks and video classes.