Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Website

Help me name my photography website...please?

damionbroadaway — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:36:08 -0800

Please help me come up with a name for my photography website. I would like to try and get some of my prints put up somewhere in Kansas City. I'm no pro, so I'm not talking about nice galleries, but coffee shops or something similar. I want to be able to point people somewhere to look at my work and/or contact me. You know, to put on that little card that is hanging next to my photo.

Other information:
- I'm a web designer/developer so I got making the website covered.
- I already have a flickr account (link in profile).
- I am also going to try and sell on etsy (bonus round: any tips?).
- I am not expecting to make a living from this.
- You can get a flavor of my personality from flickr as well. I upload all my mobile pics to there.

Fun fact:
This is my first question after being a lurker for years and getting my account a couple months ago. Hello everybody!

Help key West build a better City website...please!

Mike Mongo — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:55:33 -0800

Do you live somewhere interesting that has a great city government website? [Previously].

It's been a year and and half since this question was similarly posed, and here is my interest: I am partners at a high-gloss web-media design company, and subsequent to my run for mayor of Key West this year much of my time is dedicated to city government and related. Much of the related is web-related.

What I am looking for are examples of city government websites for cities similarly as unique and interesting as Key West, city government sites which present information and resources in ways that combine looking good with accessibility.

Here in Key West, as a semi-trendy travel destination, the island is already well-represented by travel sites and sites focused on "things to do". This is the City of Key West's present website. Our site was constructed by a design operation specializing in government websites, egovstrategies. While it is supposedly adequate, it is less than especially terrific, and far from engaging. After all. this is Key West!

What I am looking for is is a city government website which depicts quality accessible government in a smart and engaging manner. With all this in mind, I call upon the sensible (and aethetically sophisticated) input far-reaching and all-seeing Hivemind: Examples of great websites for other interesting cities?

Can I disable Firefox cache per-domain?

odinsdream — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:26:29 -0800

How can I set Firefox to not cache any pages from a certain domain? I have to use a crap ticketing system written in .NET which doesn't work properly in Firefox.

If I clear cache between page views everything works fine. Once the site is loaded, the URL at the top never changes no matter where you navigate or what actions you perform, so I'm guessing Firefox doesn't know the page needs to be reloaded.

Is there an extension to Firefox that will let me set one particular domain so that it does not create cache items at all?

lookbook for people who aren't 15-year-old artsy kids?

oinopaponton — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:43:56 -0800

Does a collaborative, extensive, tagged and search-able (women's) fashion website like this exist? I'm aware of lookbook.nu, which is certainly fun, but I'm looking for something a little more sophisticated and grown up (with maybe a lesser emphasis on see-through stockings as pants).

My ideal website would have lots and lots of tags: brands, colors, item of clothing, occasions, even material. I'd imagine it would superficially look somewhat like lookbook in terms of structure, with lots of individual contributors. An aggregator site where someone goes through magazines and street style blogs and back-tags outfits would be great, too.

I want to be able to type in, for example, "skinny black jeans" and see photographs of a bunch of different ways to style skinny black jeans-- not on models, or at least not exclusively on models.

Simple suggestion engine

jonah — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:41:57 -0800

Looking for an existing script to do some data matching and suggesting. Sort of like a very simplified Netflix suggestion engine. I'm trying to set up a website that takes a user list of a defined number of inputs from a database of options. From those inputs, a number of outputs would be offered to the user based on other people's inputs.

For instance User 1 inputs: Apples, Bananas, Carrots

User 2 Inputs: Apples, Bananas, Watermelon

Based on matching Apples and Bananas, User 2 would see: You might like Carrots

Sort of like a dating site or the Netflix suggestion engine, but just for specific items. Is there something out there that could be modified to do this in php? I did some searching, but my google-fu is failing.

I realize that some of the answers might be "this would be easy to write in php", but I'm mainly looking for something already out there. I'll explore developing something if it isn't already out there.

What is the most efficient way to migrate an Actinic ecommerce website to Magento?

toocan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:17:50 -0800

What is the most efficient way to migrate an Actinic ecommerce website to Magento. I have a clean install of Magento and an existing Actinic website (around 3000 products). I thought maybee do a product export from Magento to a CSV then do the same from Actinic then manually copy content from the Actinic CSV to the Magento CSV. But having looked at how Actinic exports its data (in rowed sections) it appears to be very time consuming... so my question is there a better way or more efficient way of doing this?

Why am I not getting indexed by Google?

griphus — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:38:33 -0800

Why am I not getting indexed by Google? I've been running my site for a few months and I get about 20 or so hits a day. I've started running an automatic sitemap plugin, touched up robots.txt, submitted it to Google, signed up on Webmaster Tools, added a (non-illegal) SEO package to Wordpress (just to automate meta-tagging) and I still can't get indexed. At all. I've surfed the forums and I'm getting a lot of conflicting information.

Meanwhile, my friends who start tumblr/wordpress blogs get indexed almost immediately. Is it because I'm running it off my own domain? I read that Google indexes "large" sites faster so I guess that their individual *.tumblr.com and *.wordpress.com blogs are considered part of a much larger chunk of webspace?

My reconsideration request has been processed (as of today) and I noticed some hits from a Google IP on my hit logs (although not search-hits.)

Is there something obvious that I am missing? It is not that big a deal that I get indexed (I'm not selling anything,) but it's just really bugging the hell out of me on principle.

The website is in my profile if you need to see it for any reason.

Geiss-like website

cashman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:40:53 -0800

Are there any websites that mimic the geiss screensaver of yore (react to the music playing on your computer), without having to download anything? Essentially I want to turn on some music that I want to hear, open a website and have it show me the cool visualizations based on the music that I'm listening to. I'm looking for a page that requires no downloads (plugins are fine). I'm not sure if this is possible, but it would be great if there was a site out there that did this. I'd like it as a page rather than the geiss screensaver because I just want to have it as a browser tab that I can flip back and forth to. Thanks!

Is it common for corporate websites to have targeted, orphan pages when no other capabilities exist?

stormpooper — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:01:07 -0800

Is it common (or even good practice) to use a corporate website to post targeted orphan pages because there isn't another solution? Ready to scream. We treat our public facing, corporate site like junk. Our IT capabilities and platforms can't give us what we need or our password protected, internal site is such a @#$# that no one wants to use it. So they use our 3rd party hosted site to post everything and their brother with the excuse of "well we don't have options".

For example, they want to post a Flash Xmas card on the site as an orphan page. They say they can't do it as an ecard since we don't have a service (or that's their excuse). They can't use the internal site for some weird reason--I'm guessing they don't want to send a link and have someone type in their password to see it.

Where I came from (web agencies and a major credit card company), this was unheard of. Either you have the capabilities or you figure out another way. Our site gets 99% negative feedback from users. We can't get a redesign done since senior management doesn't get it. And this site is always "hey just post an orphan page" because they hate IT.

My manager says her company (small assoc) did this all the time. I worked on top brand sites (even if they were crappy) and we didn't do this.

Any good resources where I can show her that she's wrong? Her argument is if they don't have capabilities and it's temporary, who cares? My argument is "sure, keep degrading the site in the name of we can't upgrade our capabilities."

take me to your leader

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:29 -0800

What are the good independent music/arts/entertainment/hipster websites in your city? Is there a site in your large- to medium-sized city that fits these criteria:
* not affiliated with a print version (Onion, city paper, etc)
* not affiliated with a network in other cities of some kind like Gothamist or Yahoo
* not in NYC or Los Angeles for various complex reasons
* are totally awesome

and that you might turn to for most of the things listed below:

1. music and concert reviews
2. entertainment calender and preview of events
3. movie, tv, food or theater reviews
4. obnoxiously fashionable photographs of shows, dance-parties and events
5. other quirky articles about local goings-on
6. discussion of other current topics on the web or in the world of pop culture

I'm asking because I work for one like this in DC and want to find out if we're all alone or if there are sister sites out there in places like Minneapolis, etc, with which we can communicate. So if you've heard of one but never used it I'd appreciate the tip even if yr not sure of its quality. I have read this thread, but there aren't many choices in there which fit the criteria.

Thank you.

What do you think of "Words Like Notes"?

jlhopes — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:08:32 -0800

I have tentatively given my freelance editing and design business the name Words Like Notes. What do you think of it? I am creating a name and website for my freelance editing and print layout/design business. I would like to have a name that is not just my name, but which covers the different types of work I do (editing, writing, layout, and some translation) and gives a sense of the style I aim for - light and refined, yet professional.

The name I have been going with is Words Like Notes. I like the sound of it, but I realize that it is not a straightforward name, and I'm concerned that it will just confuse people.

What is your reaction to the name? Does it convey anything? Does it turn you off? Do you have any suggestions regarding how to use the name, or modify it, or replace it altogether? Thanks!

Where's the website Startup button?

Drasher — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:19:10 -0800

I want to create a website and need general and specific guidance. I don't want to give the idea away so the description is a little sketchy. How do I deal with keeping the kids out of the "adult" section? How do I "spread the word"? (to get submissions and readers?; i.e. kickstart) I am considering a WordPress engine and Nearly Free Speech for hosting (at least at the start). Is that reasonable to use? I have not purchased the domain yet.

The website will mostly deal with user submitted documents; I am not really sure I know how to get the submissions: users scan things and email or upload the files. Should I allow submissions to me snail mailed in and I scan them? (I don't want to be required to return them, I think)

I know that some of these things will end up being the "adults only" type (I'm OK with that), but I want to keep the kiddies out of there. Require a registration for that section? What qualifications do I ask for?

Is it reasonable/acceptable/advisable to accept PayPal donations for upkeep? What about advertising? what's the best way? (I don't want to go with the obnoxious popups and horrific banners if I can help it)

Is it possible to make a buck or two if it is popular? I'm not looking to make a real killing, mostly pay for the effort and costs.

How does one select and "promote" moderators that will keep in line with the original concept of the site?

When do I bust the cherry and put it on MeTa's Projects section?

What have I not covered??

Anyone "volunteer" to answer specific questions after I get started?

What is the PayPal of the adult industry?

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:29:58 -0800

Adult Website Filter: Which payment processor should I use to sell advertising space on my porn website? I'm going to launch a little project of mine which is a porn website. I won't go into detail about what it does, but it's basically a portal site for advertisers to place banner ads to their websites. I want to be able to accept payment from the advertisers.

I would normally use PayPal for such a thing, but as far as I can tell, PayPal will not allow any transactions from an adult website, no matter what they're for. Is this true? If so, can you recommend another good payment processor which will allow adult content? Note that I am not selling adult content; I am only selling advertising space which will contain adult content.

I have heard that CCBill is good, but their fees are high (starting at 14.5%), and I don't want the upfront cost of a full merchant account.

House Design on the Computer

VC Drake — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:31:28 -0800

Can anyone recommend a website that lets you design a house, inside and out, including furniture placement in realistic-looking 3D for free?

Favorite recipes website?

Neekee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:19:08 -0800

What is your favorite online source for recipes? I'm looking for reliable recipes. Bonus points for the ones with recipe ratings. I'm busy, broke, and love to cook. I'm looking for fun new online recipe sources. I've gone to the basic websites, like Food Network and Better Homes & Gardens, which are very reliable, but I want to try something different. Many websites feature user-submitted recipes and sometimes those are missing ingredients or necessary steps or just plain taste terrible - so ratings help me to sift through those recipes.
I've very busy and on a tight budget. If I'm going to spend my time and money cooking or baking, it's got to be on a good recipe.
Thanks!

Websites for flow charts or concept maps?

tnygard — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:10:19 -0800

Is there a good website for making flow charts or concept maps or cognitive maps in groups? A group of my students and I will be making a website together, and I am hoping to find a free or low-cost way for all of us to make such a chart together online. This would be to show how all of the sections of the website relate to each other. Any thoughts or experiences with such services would be most appreciated.

Testing IIS websites locally over virtual machines

LeiaS — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:29:21 -0800

I'm running IIS on Windows 7 to test a website locally. How can I access my local site through my virtual machines? I'd like to test my website locally across multiple browsers before putting them into our staging environment. I have two virtual XP machines set up on my Windows 7 laptop, with various browser versions on each. I want to be able to see my locally-hosted site on these virtual machines.

For example, I have http://site.leia.dev pointing to my folder of files on my Windows 7 laptop. I can view that URL in my Windows 7 browsers. In my IIS settings for the site, I have the bindings for "all unassigned" IP addresses on port 80 to use site.leia.dev as the host name.

Is there a network setting I'm missing to make my virtual machines recognize IIS as a server? Is there a specific IP address I should use instead of my host name?

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?

How Do I Write A Site?

foxy_hedgehog — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:22:42 -0800

What are your most critical and helpful tips to keep in mind when evaluating the copy -- not the design, but the copy -- on a website? I'm doing some volunteer editing and want to help the organization I'm working for as much as possible. Thanks for reading "more inside." Previous AskMes are full of site advice, but it seems to be all on coding and design.

The organization I'm working for doesn't have the budget or the time for a site re-design, so they need feedback on organizing and presenting information within the limits of the current design.

I'd love your advice on specific considerations to keep in mind for creating effective website copy (i.e. keep paragraphs to three lines or so since it's harder for people to read large chunks of text online; make sure the presentation of points coheres with the site design).

More details: the organization is a project that advocates for an issue on a high level (the US govt., the UN etc.). It needs to show that its approach is sophisticated and thoughtful and demonstrate a high level of professionalism. Yet it also needs to frame its objectives and method in lucid and approachable terms to introduce people who are sometimes skeptical of its mission to new ideas.

I know how to achieve this balance with traditional documents, but I want to make sure what I come up with is well-suited to the particular demands of a website.

Thanks so much for your suggestions!

help me get a small site built!

canine epigram — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:57:45 -0800

what's the best way to get a web site built for a non-profit? I'm in the unenviable position of having taken on the webmaster position for a hacked together web-site (php/mySQL) for a small non-profit - mostly because nobody else would or could do it.

The web site desperately needs overhauling and it's impossible for any non-technical users to update it. Most of the content (with the exceptions of event pages/calendar/seasonal info) would not be updated that frequently.

I don't know php and my html skills are decent but basic. I'm in grad school and working full-time, so I don't have time or the inclination to build something by myself.

I'm leaning toward trying to find a pro or semi-pro who we can pay a nominal fee (remember, non-profit) to help us set up something relatively simple that meets our requirements and can be maintained by our non-technical members.

I read this previous thread which had
some good suggestions about possible platforms. I hoped that if I listed the basic requirements, people might point me in the right direction and suggest how to find a web-savvy developer interested in a small job for a non-profit.

It needs the following:

the pages should be easily updatable via some sort of user-interface, including text and pictures.

ability to add pages and a way to navigate to them.

an integrated updateable calendar (being able to set reminders for events would be nice) and events page.

whatever software should not require a lot of patching or be a security nightmare - we have no IT. None. Zip. Nada. (this suggests that WordPress might not be ideal)

internal members pages and file repository system that can be accessed via a web interface

easily maintainable mailing lists for the community.

some customization - our logos, colors, etc.

Improving my skills with a DSLR camera.

Political Funny Man — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:50:18 -0800

I recently purchased a Nikon D5000 DSLR, and while I'd like to think that I have a bit of a photographer's eye, I really haven't used anything beyond a point-and-shoot for the last few years. Any advice or resources that people have (beyond reading the manual) to improve my skills would be awesome. In a high school photography class (5 years ago) I learned how to develop film, frame a shot, the mechanics of it, that sort of thing. Since then I've barely used anything beyond a simple point-and-shoot. While I know a bit about what I'm doing, I really could use a refresher on F-stops and the like. Next semester I'll try and take a class, but until then...

- Any photography-related websites/books/magazines/etc that inspire you.
- Somewhere I can read or watch videos about the basics, like aperture, histograms, framing a great shot, that sort of thing.
- Other places that have more advanced stuff once I'm bored with the basics, and want to try something new.
- A forum or similar where I can get tips on how to improve my photos (e.g. "Hey this is what I photographed, what can I do better?")
- What are your favorite things to photograph, why?
- Your advice...?
- Something else I'm missing.

While I'd prefer not to spend any more money than I already have on the camera to learn how to use it, I'm open to all suggestions.

I've seen this post, and it's great. It's 4 years old though, so maybe MetaFilter has some new stuff?

Thanks!!

Looking for a particular website

Senator — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:40:13 -0800

My PC crashed with all my bookmarks (bad me), and I can't remember a certain websites address nor can I find it on google. It was similar to this but showed apps that were designed to keep you more productive. People could comment below, and I found it very useful. I remember it had a brown logo at the top. I am sure some of my fellow metafites probably visit it. Shot in the dark.

Website based oin IP address

yoyo_nyc — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:37:59 -0800

How do I show different webages to my website visitors based on country of origin? Currently I read the browser language settings with this code.

This has some disadvantages for my application. How would a code look that shows different websites not based on the language browser settings but on the actual IP location?

Dear Mystery Site: Where can I fly for $300?

tinamonster — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:41:39 -0800

I am looking for a Website I once used that allowed you to enter in a departure city and a date and then gave you all possible worldwide flight destinations sorted by cost. What was that site?

Print is dead; help me replace it

TochterAusElysium — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:16:34 -0800

What's the best platform for a local community news and events site? I've volunteered to set up a site which will serve as a news source, events calendar, and community hub for an area encompassing three or four small cities. I've done personal blogs, and a single-area blog in Blogger, but for this larger project I'd like to expand my options. Is Wordpress a better way to go?

Are there other platforms I should look at? I know Ning is dead or dying (or so I've heard) but it seemed to have the flexibility to do something like this. I don't mind learning a new system, but I'm not a programmer, so I don't feel ready to build a site from scratch. Ideally, there is a pre-existing community news platform that I can customize to be exactly what is wanted.

Also, do you know of any local blogs or community news sites that are well-designed and useful that I could look at as reference?

Many thanks in advance!