Now With More Internet Exploder!

Hopefully, all you Internet Explorer users will now be able to access the Green Kitchen blog. Stats were down about fifty percent over the last week, but I just figured everyone was using Google Reader or out and about for Spring Break. The weather here has been absolutely wonderful.

The vague technical difficulties stuff:

Apparently I was having script issues, but not noticing because I use Firefox, which doesn't seem as sensitive to not-so-perfect scripts. I recently made several little changes to my blog template: added my tweets, as well as a widget that suggests other posts you might enjoy (I love seeing the photos from the old posts). But it turns out that the problem was my over enthusiastic tweaking of my email subscription code. It took me a couple hours to figure that one out. This article helped. I still need to fix the email subscription thingy and the RSS feed thingy and the tweets. Phew!

So, if your blog starts to load in IE and then a window pops up that says, "Internet Exporer cannot open the Internet site: Operation Aborted" you'll sort of know what it might be — script related. If you are a blog reader and not the blogger, you can always download an alternate browser, like Firefox, as a workaround. I know this is a bit vague? I'm running on the fumes of Springtime insomnia. Hopefully you can just ignore this post and move onto the rainbows and fabric and such.

Thanks to Kristin at Sew, Mama, Sew! for the heads up, and Rose for her sweet note.

Things You Shouldn't Do in the Blogosphere

1) Do *not* take content from someone else's blog — like mine for example — and post it on your blog without asking, or linking back, or giving any sort of recognition of the author/photographer's work. It's extremely rude, as well as infringing on copyright ownership.

2) Say you feel like stealing content anyway. Do *not* steal bandwidth, too, by directly linking to the the server hosting your victim's images. Not only is this bad form, but it also makes it really easy for the owner of the images — me, for example — to add watermarks, URLs, and copyright lingo. I've heard of people doing worse things in this situation, like replacing the hijacked images with offensive ones. But, I wouldn't do that, because I'm nice and polite and kind enough to share my work. All I ask for is the same in return.

3) Then, after being asked to take stolen content off of your site, please *do.* Adding a couple unhyperlinked URLs that stagnantly refer to where the stolen content came from is not an acceptable solution. WTF?

4) Stop the scraping. Get some real content.

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This, of course, is small potatoes compared to what Rosa is dealing with, but I'm still bugged. I like to be generous. I like to write up and photograph crafty tutorials to share. But I really don't like it when people steal my stuff — it makes me bitchy and ungenerous.

*Note* I've removed the link back to the offending scraper. She apologized and removed my content.

Spammed

My blog got spammed last night. Is that what it's called? I caught it at about 200 bogus comments. I quickly changed settings on who is allowed to comment and that seemed to stop it. They were posting the same advert for shoes on random posts at a rate about one per second. I changed some passwords and set up comment moderation. Not sure how they could get through the word verification without a human. Until I know more, I'm sorry for the moderation that awaits your comments.

The Sweater Apron Winner is...

There's a lot going on over here. So, without making anyone wait any longer, I'm stopping in to announce the winner of the Sweater Apron Give-away.

Congratulations, Joanna! Unfortunately, I don't have a link to contact you. Oh, the joys of using Blogger (see more about this below).

This is Joanna's sweet comment:

"I love this tutorial, and I really love the orange halter version! I linked to your giveaway and tutorial on my blog...you just need to scroll down past the top post...I love your blog and have added you to my blogroll, if you don't mind..."

So, Joanna, please email me with your mailing address and I'll send the apron off. I hope you don't mind it's not the orange one.

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About Blogger:

I'm furiously working on redesigning (about time, no?) and setting up my blog using WordPress, and if all goes well I'll be able to switch over seamlessly, without anyone needing to update RSS feeds. This change will make it so that I can easily reply to comments, which has always been Blogger's downfall. Don't they know we like to have dialog?

Technical Difficulties, That You Might Be Having With Your Blog, Too

I read over at Gwendomama that Site Meter and Internet Explorer and Blogger weren't really working together. So, I switched over to IE and, yep, my blog was unavailable — it was fine in Firefox, which is why I hadn't noticed. Since I was having problems retrieving my password from the Site Meter people anyway, I deleted their bit of code from my template and everything was back up in IE. I've been using StatCounter all along and have had no problems.

Speaking of statistics: I noticed that I'm down about 25 to 30 percent this quarter on readership. Is it the summer time blues? Am I experiencing blog suckage again? Are you all on holiday? I know that I haven't been up to writing anything of much depth lately. Maybe I don't leave enough comments with others? Maybe I should answer more comments? Do you all want more tutorials? Freebies? Human interest? Etsy updates?

Just wondering.
What makes you come back for seconds?
Constructive criticism welcome.

Thank you,
Michelle

Would you like a side of Technorati with that Del.icio.us Web Feed?

Today's my second blogiversary.

It took two years of convincing, but my friend Julia finally got me to add an email subscription service to this blog. I, recently, started with FeedBlitz, but didn't like the ads. Right now I'm trying out FeedBurner.

I've set it up so that subscribers get each new blog post (not just shop updates), in full, sent as an html email. I might make some changes — perhaps only post a teaser, instead of the full post — please consider it a work in progress. So, if you want to sign up for Green Kitchen emails, the form is over in the right side bar.*

I'm also trying out a couple widgets from AddThis. One, you'll see, is at the bottom of each post. It allows readers to easily save blog posts into their choice of social bookmarking: Del.icio.us, Google Bookmarks, Facebook, etc. The other addition is the all-in-one button for RSS feed subscription, so you can read Green Kitchen over at Bloglines, or Technorati, or My Yahoo, etc. If you want to read this blog in a feed aggregator, the RSS button is under the email subscription form in the right side bar.*

Before making these changes I only had a Bloglines link, because that is how I choose to ingest my 393 craft blog habit! It took all this time for me to *get* that everyone likes to take their internet a little differently. Apparently only about 11 percent of internet users even use feed readers. You mean everyone's not just like me? ;)

Of course, all this change is motivated by my Etsy shop. Now that Green Kitchen is serving up more than just posts, I want to make sure that y'all are getting your bookmarks, or emails, or feeds, as you like them.

Suggestions?

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*If you click over from a post title in a feed reader, my side bar doesn't show all it has to offer. Please click on the Green Kitchen banner and it will bring you to the home page, which will have all the side bar content. Sorry about this glitch. Anyone know how to fix it? Alice?
Thanks to Karen in Wichita for the technical help.

New Blogger

Well, I printed out a whole year's worth of posts and comments before I switched over because I know someone who had lost everything. Kind of feels neat to see the pile — looks like a lot of work. Anyone know of a way to back up a blog electronically?

Sorting Folk: Matching Names with Places

blog_emails
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.

I used to be able to remember the name of every person I had ever met. Then I worked in retail and things got a bit confusing. But, I was still pretty good at recalling details, such as: relationships (didn't she used to go out with...); jobs (oh, I know her from...); residences (I always see you in front of the house on...)—all trivial information, but, fun to me—it's how my brain works. I get a sense of satisfaction at making connections, secretly hoping that everyone I know will know each other—it's my version of the Kevin Bacon thing.

In the pre-computer years I kept Manila folders on the guys that I thought were cute, mostly surfers. I know, it sounds stalker-ish, but it wasn't, really, it wasn't. ;) I inherited this trait from my father. He once kept a folder on a dead-beat renter who had stiffed him of a couple months rent. One day the FBI knocked on our door asking my father if he knew of this man. My dad whipped out his folder, impressing the FBI representative—they joked about offering him a job.

Isn't there a job where you follow around a politician and whisper in his/her ear telling them what they need to know about the people they are meeting? I'd be good at that job. I mean, I would have been good at that job. Now my brain is mush, some people call it mama-brain. A friend told me that your IQ temporarily lowers while you are pregnant and for sometime afterwards. Is this true? In my case, probably.

Enter the modern computer age. Now it's very easy to keep folders on everyone you know. But, what do you do when you "know" several hundred cyber friends? Listen people, my blogroll* is pushing 250 crafty blogs that I keep up with! I've enjoyed over a thousand email comments and correspondences with my bloggy friends. But, when I'm skimming through my Bloglines it all starts to blur, to become one voice. I hate losing track. I want to remember everything about everyone, remember.

So, it's been taking me several days and I'm not finished yet, but I'm doing some sorting. I'm taking all my blog comments and putting them into folders, electronically, thank goodness. The folders are titled with the name of the person's blog and their first name. This way when Siow Chin leaves a comment I can remember that she came from Little Purl of the Orient. Even though I subscribe to her blog and enjoy reading it, it took me awhile to connect Siow Chin to her blog because her Blogger profile didn't link back to her blog. Now I have a "Purl of the Orient/Siow Chin" folder for her. This makes me happy.

I bet all you Typepad-ers are going to tell me how Typepad does this for you automatically, in which case I may be tempted to switch over. But, for tonight I have you all neatly tucked away in your little electronic folders. Good night sweet cyber friends.

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P.S. I do read blogs outside of Bloglines, too—in fact, everyday. But, to keep track of the madness which is 234 blogs, I use the aggregator, then I click on the blogs that I want to read up close and personal.

*Warning: Bloglines and other feed aggregators can be very addictive. If you have a touch of OCD it can be dangerous.

Hello Craft Bloggers!

After many months of lurking in the crafty blog world I've decided to start my own, which is proving to be bit challenging on my outdated Mac OS system. But the allure of the craft community is stronger than my I-don't-want-to-upgrade-my-system laziness. I want to thank all you crafty bloggers for giving me entertainment, inspiration, and an overall energy boost--each very necessary for me after my 2005 crafting rollercoaster.

2005 was a very crafty year for me. My child was old enough to allow me some craft opportunities, as well as enough time to co-host an alterna-craft fair called ¡CRAFTALICIOUS! The fair was great--we had over 50 vendors, over 1200 attendees, and a full-page color article in the local newspaper. The only real complaint was that it was crowded and sweaty. I made new crafty friends--I felt like I had found my people. But nobody warned me of post-show letdown. Actually, Leah, from Craftster, who had been generously answering my questions, told me that after her first Bazaar Bizarre show she couldn't even say the BazBiz words for months . At the time I didn't understand; I was riding the high of manic anticipation. But, after the show, I went through several months of craft depression. I was directionless. I only had the energy to do some silly felt portraits of gender-bending saints. Everyone was asking when the next show would be, but it didn't seem right to consider embarking again on a project where two people worked full time on a craft fair for five months, neither financially wise nor fair to the craft widows and orphans the time commitment had created. So, after wallowing in my depression for awhile, my crafting co-hort Meghan and I decided to apply for a local craft fair only to be denied by a committee that liked mohair teddy bears better than our kanzashi and George Bush toilet paper cozies. Luckily the rejection did not set off another bout of depression; I couldn't really get with the teddy bears, so why would I think they could get with our stuff. To each their own craft fair.

Enter the crafty and arty blog world. I fell in love with it as soon as I googled for a children's pants tutorial and found Red Current: a stay-at-home mom who admits to letting her children watch videos so that she can find time to craft. She only cleans for 20 minutes a day. Her photos are beautiful. What's not to love. I've made six pairs of pants based on her tutorial. From there I went to Angry Chicken and was immediately impressed with her small quilts. I was inspired to make a few for Christmas presents, but enjoy hers more. After seeing Susie's little paintings I did a 12 Days of Christmas series and was in my first art show since college. Recently I bought Jess' book and am excitedly anticipating learning to knit on double-pointeds. And, today I bought Camilla's calendar, which brings me up to date, literally and figuratively. I'm looking forward to posting more photos of things I make and hope to be an active part of this crafty community. Thanks again for everything.

The photos above are of a Dreary Xmas wallet series I did last winter. Somehow sad Christmas makes me happy.