Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Web

Technical/legal questions about a site that will parody a trademarked brand

Riki tiki — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:59:14 -0800

I'm thinking of creating a political parody website that may step on some toes and/or trademarks. I have a few technical and legal questions about how best to go about this. So I had an idea for lambasting a prominent political party in the United States. I was shocked to find that a really obvious domain name for that party was available, but it may infringe upon a trademark for that party.

I know YANAL and YANML, but a little guidance as to the prudent first steps here would be appreciated. I would assume (but correct me if I'm wrong) that free-speech protections of satire and parody may protect me from some of the trademark issues. But I also sense that those lines may become fuzzier if I ever appear to draw a profit from the site. Is there anything I can do to reasonably ensure that my site is on firm legal ground without the cost of consulting an actual attorney?

On more of a technical level, does anyone know of a good hosting company that could be relied upon to keep the site running even if they got big scary letters on legal stationery from that political party?

This idea is still in the brainstorming stages, so I'm probably imagining a bigger future for it than will realistically happen... but I'd rather be overprepared than underprepared.

How to send phone pics to a spartan web site via Flickr?

ehamiter — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:16:59 -0800

What's a minimal self-hosted "blog" that hooks into Flickr's API so I can send photos from my camera directly to my web site? Ideally, I want a blog that is not a blog. I don't want tags, or articles, or categories, or spam filters, or any of that stuff. A perfect solution workflow would be this:

I take a picture with my phone
I send it to Flickr via e-mail
Flickr then posts it to my website with no interaction

The ideal layout would be a main site title, and each time I send a photo it appears as the newest one, using the title I typed. There would be maybe 10 photos on the main page. You could access earlier photos by clicking "older" or something like that which would serve as the archives.

I can do this with wordpress, movable type, typepad, etc., but they are all way too huge feature-wise and not what I want. I can also do this with blogger or tumblr, but they are not self-hosted. I tried this recently with textpattern, but the templates and general admin are much too complicated for my needs.

It should be very simple, aesthetics-wise. You could maybe change the color scheme / typography via CSS, but that's about it.

Does something like this exist? For the Flickr hook-in it needs to be a MetaWeblogAPI Enabled Blog or other Flickr-approved application.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Cool, easy tattoo parlor website template?

Gucky — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:56:47 -0800

What should I use to set up a simple, cool-looking small business site for a non-techy friend? I bought my cousin-in-law 2 domains for Christmas related to his tattoo parlor. (I searched his small business and found that they didn't have a web page and some other business took the most obvious way to spell their URL.)

I've only hand written a webpage in HTML before or grabbed one of Dreamhost's default WordPress themes.

I don't want to become the business's tech support.

I just want to hand him a paper with a URL and a user name and password and there will be an easily update-able web page with the business, address, link to Google directions and blog and/or Twitter feed and a gallery (possibly a Flickr pull in?)

Do I use Google Sites? Is there a theme that is suitable for a pretty tough tattoo crowd that's easy to use?

Do I host it on my own Dreamhost with a WordPress theme? Is there a WordPress theme you'd recommend?

Low effort. Cool enough. Doesn't require a regular outlay of cash or tech effort. Help?

Learning Php in New York City

chirico — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:20:23 -0800

I would like to learn Php & Web Development programming by taking courses in NYC. Any advice, suggestions?

You own a Web Design biz, how would you advertise?

livin4u — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:02:56 -0800

You own a Web Design biz, how would you advertise? Until now it has been entirely word-of-mouth. Hey, I do Web Design and until now all business has come from word of mouth. Never did advertising for it.
What would you suggest doing to attract more clients.

Thanks for your time and input :)

Can I save a timestamped version of a website to use in court?

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:43:49 -0800

Is there a way to capture a website at a certain point in time so that it's admissible in court? I may be about to be involved in litigation soon and there's information on a site which will be very important and I'd like to use it as evidence, but I'm worried it might move or change.

Need recommendation on FLASH program

hellodonna — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:42:23 -0800

I am looking for a program that will easily allow me to create a Flash banner. All I want is to create a banner that has about 4 images fading in and out and some animated text over top. I should think this would be super easy but I am trying to find a software program to do it and I am coming up with either stuff that's way too complex or software that can't do it. Do you know of any program that would help me? (It doesn't need to be free, I can spend up to 100 USD on it).

Best of the Web of Sound 09

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:46:58 -0800

What are some amazing virally-disseminated music songs from the internet from 2009? Every year I put together a blog post of "the list of the best/weirdest/catchiest internet-disseminated and -popularized songs from this year. They don't necessarily have to have been recorded this year, nor do they have to have an amusing video or animation associated with them, though that certainly is a major bonus.

The more obscure and memey the better: I'm not looking for just the most popular, though I can guarantee Kutiman's Thru-U is probably #1.

Thanks in advancement!

How do I save the planet with computers and stuff? and get paid!?

Gaeacon — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:19:34 -0800

I want to help guide the development of "new" environmentalism... Where should I (educated/trained as an Ecologist) start on a career change into media (online/web development)? better explained... I graduated in June with a Master's in Ecology/Conservation and a certificate called Leaders in Sustainability. I started out in the PhD program, but about half a year in I started thinking a lot about doing something at the interface of environmentalism/activism/science through an online medium. I distracted myself immensely, setting out my grand entrepreneurial vision. I thought I could balance all that....and my very demanding dissertation research abroad.

Well, I couldn't. A couple of years of tortured back and forth, I decided to take the Master's and try to explore the sort of channels I was envisioning. The entrepreneurial vision still exists, although on the back burner a bit. I was faced with the reality that I have a lot to learn, and my ideas need maturation.

I set out to learn more and gain experience. In my last year of grad school, I worked with an environmental non-prof that aimed to engage youth in recreating activism...a lot of interactive, educational pieces at events and festivals. I functioned as an event coordinator/"engineer"/educational programmer....many hats, so to speak. I really enjoyed the broad audience and the "cool" factor of this type of work. The work, however, wasn't paid and would not last forever.

Since graduating, I have worked with The Nature Conservancy. It was a short term position that has been extended by working myself into some new projects....but I am starting to earnestly look forward to what's next. TNC has been a great learning experience - amazing to see conservation on the ground and to be involved behind the scenes with all the different stakeholders. That being said, I still feel my heart gravitating to the entrepreneurial vision I had in grad school.

I know I can't rely on a vision alone, so I need the help of you MeFites to figure out my next steps....

My "vision" rests deeply upon the future of the internet/social networking and the fusing of media with environmentalism/science.

What would be a logical next step to dive into this realm? What kind of jobs can I apply to? I feel like I have been hovering around the conservation world for a bit....and maybe I should be exploring the media side some more.

I am very interested in computers and web development. I don't have much of a "formal" background in computers so I am not even sure which area would be the best (or if I even would have a chance of working anywhere).

What about back-up plan? Should I continue in the conservation world? Perhaps seeking out work with environmental consulting companies?
(OH YEAH, I am in debt and need something that pays at least 30-35k)

Any tips on career change and anything that would help get me closer to my goal would be greatly appreciated. TY

I live in Los Angeles...if that helps

Gimme 20 more!

brokeaspoke — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:40:17 -0800

Looking for a website to help me, a late thirties male, who wants to get in shape. Not obese by any stretch of the imagination, but not as slim and trim as he and his doctor feels he should be. BMI of about 26. I know the general range I tend to feel best at and in that range I do tend to fall into the healthy BMI range. I’m more concerned with feeling good than with being at the exact right weight to get to the right BMI for my height and age. I want to lose a little weight, trim up, look better, abs of steel, ass to match, etc. A silly pushups contest here in the office has spurred me on to wanting more. We’re halfway through an eight week contest, I’m in third place and I can do more consecutive pushups than I have ever been able to do at any previous stage of my life.

I want a website at which I can track all of my exercise and fitness related numbers. I looked at WeEndure. I like it a lot, but find it limited (can’t track my pushups, weights or even my body weight for that matter.) Livestrong seems too “mainstream” (or is there something I don’t know from looking the site over?) So, what I want is a MetaFitness; Something fun, flexible, challenging, snarky at the right moments, possibly downright rude at times. What are you MeFites using? The ability to easily use it with iPhone or even another smartphone in the future would be a very nice feature.

So, what have you?

What would I do without you guys, really?

Bageena — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:31:30 -0800

My friends and I are starting an artist collective in Phoenix, Arizona and we desperately need help thinking of a name. Can you help? Short explanation; I myself am an artist with, you know, the paper and the pencil and occasionally, some ink or acrylic or something. I have three friends that are photographers, another friend who's a painter, two friends who are musicians, and a few others who might also join. What we've decided we'd like to do is start a community blog where we all write individually what we're doing to try and break into the mainstream or just get our work seen. The main site will show all of our posts, broken down by individual members, along with a sort of swarm cloud that shows how often each artist works with the others.
Anyways, we've got a ton of great ideas already and we're excited to get a move on it, but we're stuck at what seems to be the first effing step! We need a name for our little community. We don't have a lot in common except that we all work normal 9-5 jobs outside of our passions for our individual work, we are all artists of one sort or another, and we all live in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm trying to think of names that are reminiscent of the desert or of Phoenix. I sort of like the idea of something ancient and awesome sounding. Really though, we're open to anything. I'd list the links to our websites so you could actually see our styles and who we 'are', so to speak, but I think that'd be a little too self-linky for me. So yeah - if your really that curious, you can look in my bio and I think there's a link there to my personal work.
So yes, I leave it once again to the most clever people I know to help me hop a hurdle in my life. Thanks Mefites!

How to split business ownership fairly?

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:11:30 -0800

How should my business partner and I split the ownership and income of our start up? A parter (let's call him Bob) and I (let's call me Alice) started a business with no formal agreement regarding ownership. Currently, the business has minimal income and users. We expect this to change very soon.

Alice: Alice created the project in August '08. Alice has spent $1200 out of pocket on expenses.
Bob: Bob joined the project in June '09. Bob has spent $700 out of pocket on expenses, but is fine with spending the next $500 to equal this out.

Bob and Alice have each spent an equal amount of time working on the project each month that they have been working on it. So, Alice has been working on the project for 16 months and Bob has been working on it for 6 months.

What we want to know:

How should we split ownership?
How should we split income? We're interested in splitting the income evenly until we're each making a decent/living wage.

Alice and Bob have a completely amiable relationship. We're both interested in doing what's fair.

Looking for devolving office image

chaff — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:59:15 -0800

Looking for an image that circulated the web last year. Office workers devolving into tribal primitives. I'm sure half of you have this on your hard drives and I thought I did too, but I don't, and I'm not finding the right search engine terms to retrieve it.

1. The graphic design and illustration style resemble airline safety instructions.

2. The narrative of the panels is like Lord of the Flies in a cubicle farm.

Who did this, is the image being hosted anywhere, etc. Thanks!

Are there any worthwhile professional associations for web developers/designers?

Jairus — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:28:49 -0800

Are there any worthwhile professional associations for web developers/designers/etc?

Sorry, no matches for the tag graphic design books across MetaFilter‽

Mr. Anthropomorphism — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:19:17 -0800

What are the essential books on the topic of the objective qualities of effective graphic design? I am particularly interested in web design, but anything that pertains to the underlying principles of design and the interplay of aesthetics and content would, I think, benefit me.

I'm not so much after a gallery of "wow, look how easy this is for the masters" but more of a manual that bears re-reading and referencing.

I don't have a mint to spend, but if I could maybe have at least one each regarding layout, color, and typography, I think I would benefit hugely.

Help me name my web show!

mordecai — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:50:48 -0800

Name-my-web-show filter: I'm launching a web show that features the places and foods of Singapore. I need a shot, snazzy title for it, ending with a .tv domain. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks so much!

Where to buy tea online, + pu-erh

k. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:24:37 -0800

Tea Filter: what's your favorite online tea store? Bonus question: tell me about pu-erh. Stores I already know about, but haven't necessarily ordered from:
Adagio Teas
Tea Gschwendner (teamerchants.com in the USA)
TeazOnline.com
Upton Tea
Maeda-en (Japanese green tea only)

Which of these is the best, for quality or price? Is there a different one that you prefer?

Bonus: I'm interested in trying pu-erh tea. What does it taste like, in comparison to more familiar kinds of black/green/oolong/white tea? What kind do you suggest I try first?

Need recommendations on automated checkout and download

arniec — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:38:25 -0800

I need recommendations for a web host and software to allow people to purchase digital downloads using Paypal, etc. (think Rifftrax or eBooks, etc.) I want to have a web site where I can make electronic things available for purchase. Be it software packages, MP3 podcasts, or eBooks, I want to have an automated checkout and download system where people can pay and then immediately download the item they've paid for. Credit card purchasing is a must.

In my research I've come across DigiVendor Pro at http://www.idevspot.com/DigiVendorPro.php and the software is very cheap (in price), and security and reliability is a must for me so I'm not afraid to spend more if it means a more robust, secure solution.

Has anyone done this and can they recommend a good package for me?

(as an aside, I'm a programmer and web developer not afraid to get up to my elbows in code to implement or customize the solution. And yes I asked this question: http://ask.metafilter.com/120735/Need-a-store-thats-quick-and-cheap but this one is different as it's digital download automation, whereas the last one was shipping a physical product).

How is babby.com formed?

mkultra — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:42:21 -0800

Is there a site out there that catalogues what technologies various web apps are built on? I'm not interested in what web server a given site runs, and I know about the sites that track that. I'm more interested in the underlying technologies- languages, frameworks, databases, OS's- that power the (primarily) big sites out there.

Yes, I know this info is not easily deducible, but I'm curious if some group has gone to the trouble to make a "best guess" based on URL's, HTTP headers, and comments from employees.

How to game my Google search results?

citron — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:59:42 -0800

What are some good IT-related, or editorial-related, blogs and sites on which to comment, so that if my name is Googled by potential employers, these comments will show in the search rankings? I'm not trying to get my name out there, what I'm trying to do is: kick some old and irrelevant Google search results down, so that relevant and current interests show up first. I'm doing copy editing work at the moment and have some background in web development, though my skills are not as sharp as they should be, and I'm trying to learn more. Ideally, early next year, I'd be searching for a job that requires more web editing and/or development.

But in today's job search process I'm well aware that potential employers will Google me, and while my social media profiles are professional and fine, I don't have much else that shows aside from a few arts section reviews I wrote for a college journal, years ago. They're not the worst thing in the world, but way too snarky, so I don't like them now and they probably don't present me in the best light. I'm embarrassed of the attitude I've had in the past, basically.

What are some sites I should be reading and commenting on now, just for talking shop? I need sites that would 1) be useful places to comment and ask questions about web development and design processes, user experience, social media, web editing and where I could comment under my own name, where comments are Google indexed & thus show up if someone Googles me? For instance, I used to read A List Apart religiously, but I am out of touch, the web moves so fast! There must be more sites to recommend like this. Thanks!

What are the great foundational essays about the web?

dbarefoot — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:02:52 -0800

What are the great foundational essays about the web? Big picture essays that can help Normal Humans understand the profound impact that the web is having on community, commerce, communications and so many other parts of our lives. My friend and I are constantly recommending the same foundational essays--"1000 True Fans", "The Next Economy of Ideas" and so forth--to clients, colleagues, students and so forth. We thought we'd compile these into a book--a toolkit for getting the web. Assuming we can secure author permissions, we'll publish an ebook and maybe a hardcopy version, donating any profits to the EFF. For now, we're looking for recommendations for your favorite essays about the web.

Unix web apps

yegga — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:49:38 -0800

A two parter: 1. I remember reading a quote by someone along the lines of 'every new 'killer web app' is a unix app. google=grep; facebook=wall; etc. Can you help me find this please? 2. Now that you grok the idea, can you tell me more analogs of unix vs web apps? Which unix apps are yet to be made webby? Which have been, but badly implemented? Which are your favorite unix apps? Etc.

GMP math friendly web host?

wmeredith — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:02:13 -0800

Sys Admin filter: I'm looking for cheap web hosting that is out of the box GMP math friendly. Does anyone have a good recommendation?

Web template for cleaning business?

zeikka — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:39:17 -0800

Where can I find simple, yet professional and elegant web template/ Wordpress theme for cleaning business? I'm helping someone who's starting a small scale residential/ business cleaning service. I have domain and cheap hosting for her, but would like to find nice web template to use.

Wordpress theme would be ideal as I'm not very experience web designer or don't have experience with complex publishing system. Free would be great this as is very small scale.

Fair salary for a "Usability Testing Assistant"

the jam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:42:15 -0800

Asking for a friend: I've been offered a position as a "Usability Testing Assistant" at an established, medium-sized (50-75 employees) web company, and now I need to provide them with salary requirements. In this position, I would report directly to the Usability Testing Director. My responsibilities would include recruiting test participants, running all tests, and communicating to the company's developers insights and feedback from the tests. I've found salary ranges for a "Usability Tester" (60k-70k), but I'm not sure if that would directly apply to me, or if this position would be considered more junior. What is an appropriate salary range for my new position? Concrete numbers or links for more research would be much appreciated!