12 Apr

PHP Classes Constant Arrays

This is something I fought on Friday and got to the realization that PHP classes don’t support array constants. Not sure why not but sometimes you’re stuck with a situation and need a work around. In this instance I used static class variables in place of consts:


class AutoReport
 {

// This should be a constant but PHP constants don't handle arrays

static $DelayTimes = array( 0 => 'Run Once' ,
 60 => '1 Minute' ,
 120 => '2 Minutes' ,
 180 => '3 Minutes' ,
 240 => '4 Minutes' ,
 300 => '5 Minutes' ,
 600 => '10 Minutes' ,
 900 => '15 Minutes' ,
 1800 => '30 Minutes' ,
 3600 => '1 Hour' ,
 7200 => '2 Hours' ,
 14400 => '4 Hours' ,
 43200 => '12 Hours' ,
 ) ;

}

And when referencing this:


AutoReport::$DelayTimes
… Read the rest
09 Apr

Google Maps Centering and Zooming

OK fought this for a while yesterday so thought I would share. The original objective was to display a Google Map with pointers for all the locations on the map, the map would then be re-zoomed and centered so all points show. Sounds simple! After hours of fighting the system the big problem is Google Maps wants to have the map centered and zoomed before adding any pointers. Here’s my take on this, BTW this was built from various other authors code snippets but the combination of them to make it work is my original code:

First off you need a div to put the map into.… Read the rest

09 Apr

Seth on the sweet soda tax

Interesting take from Seth Godin on the soda tax proposed in New York http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/04/rights-and-responsibilities.html

I find it fascinating that companies can sell a product that’s (supposedly) bad for you, they have alternatives available (including diet, water, and other beverages), and yet won’t help their customers move to the healthier alternatives. This isn’t tobacco where there is no healthier alternative, you either smoke or you don’t – here they could help wean people off full HFCS sodas to diet without losing their market or their sales.

This seems typical big company head in the sand thinking – if we fight it we keep the status quo.… Read the rest

08 Apr

Issues Creating and Downloading File in IE from PHP

Took a while to fix this one. The problem is you create a download button in HTML that leads to a PHP program that creates a file that Internet Explorer should download. The code works fine in Firefox just not IE.

The original code was something like:
{code type=php}
header(“Pragma: no-cache”);
header(“Expires: 0”);

header(“Content-disposition: attachment; filename=\”export.xls\”;”);
header(“Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-excel”);
{/code}
Which works in Firefox but not IE. The new code is:
{code type=php}header(“Pragma: “);
header(“Cache-Control: “);

header(“Content-disposition: attachment; filename=\”export.xls\”;”);
header(“Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-excel”);
{/code}
And that works fine.… Read the rest

06 Apr

Online Reputation Management Extortion

While extortion might seem a harsh word there have now been three companies that have found our false complaints in ripoffreport and have contacted us to inquire about helping fix the issue. Now obviously if they did any due-diligence they would know we to do online reputation management however these companies are obviously too ignorant to do even basic background checking before sending their offers of help (for a fee of course).

List of shame:

  1. Repspinner – first to respond through phone and email – twice.
  2. www.Reputation-Armor.net – just email so far
  3. www.reputationstore.com- just email so far

So why did I use the word extortion?… Read the rest

25 Mar

Repspinner Scam – Beware Possible Rep Spinner Scam

Repspinner (or is that Rep Spinner) appear to be putting up fake bad reviews of companies and calling the company or emailing them to get the complaints removed. Fionn Downhill discusses her issues with a potential Rep Spinner scam on her blog at http://www.fionndownhill.com/2010/03/25/repspinner-warning-reputation-management-scam/

Fionn details various telltale giveaways that the reports are bogus including:

  • They mention the owner of Elixir Interactive is a man (first Fionn has heard of that).
  • They say that Elixir uses telemarketers – they never have.

These are the two easiest claims to refute, the other claims are bogus too.

So is Repspinner involved? Fionn contacted their US phone number who denied any link to Rep Spinner and started complaining about the number being a home address and she had a baby asleep in her house.… Read the rest

30 Jan

The Importance of Online Reputation Management for Small Businesses

Small businesses have a unique place in today’s market. In many ways they are safe from many of the things that bring other businesses down. Many small businesses are unable to offer employee benefits such as 401k’s and insurance and although it is difficult at times, it saves the company a lot of money. Small businesses don’t have a lot of the costs that larger businesses do and, if they do, they are much smaller scale. On the other hand small businesses need all the business they can get, especially during these uncertain economic times. There are few things you can do to protect and build your online reputation.… Read the rest

26 Jan

Making a Career of Online Reputation Management

If you enjoy computers and want to be part of the fast-paced internet-based world, perhaps a career in online reputation management and SEO would be just the job for you. There are several benefits to starting out on your own. One, you can work from home and have complete flexibility of your time and hours. And two, there is no special degree or certification required. And for many who are facing uncertainty in the job area, they are benefits you may not want to pass on.
But before you go and quit your day job, be warned there are many challenges should you decide enter this field.… Read the rest

18 Dec

Page Load Speed Part of Google’s Algorithm

Following on from our post the other day (SwiftRank By Optimizing Page Speed) I was looking for more information on this. I found one post from Search Engine Land Site Speed, Google’s Next Ranking Factor which indicates that page load times will be a factor in the algorithm next year.

This makes sense from a user perspective. I have been advocating for a long time keeping the weight of your home page as low as possible, and have always recommended having less than 1MB in total downloads for the home page. This total number includes not only the page source, but also images, CSS, JS, and any other file that might be downloaded by the home page.… Read the rest

18 Dec

Can you copyright hashtags?

Interesting post on dot.life on the BBC News site. Someone in the UK is claiming intellectual property rights to the hashtag ‘#uksnow’. Now realizing that the patent office allows patenting life (anyone see ‘Food Inc’?) why wouldn’t they allow patenting this mark? Can you imagine every time you wanted to use a hashtag you had to worry whether someone had patented it first? What about if you built on a tag, such as #uksnowing – is it a new tag or an extension of an existing tag?

Would the large corporations start buying up patents and enforcing them, forcing the small guys into line through the treat of lawsuits?… Read the rest