Monthly Archives: June 2007

Google Custom Search or Direct Database Search?

Here’s an important question: Should you use Google Custom Search (GCS) on your site? Or would it be better to directly search your database.

It depends on your point of view. Some bloggers use GCS, while others use their blog software’s built-in search tool (which acceses the database and searches it). Which should you use? Let’s take a closer look at each option.

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Creating a Favicon

A Favicon, as you may already know, is that tiny icon that sits to the left of a web site’s URL in modern browsers (and in your bookmarks menu). Usually they’re 16×16 pixels in dimensions. Want to learn how to make one for your…

Design Spotlight: June 27, 2007 (The Leaky Cauldron)

Welcome to Design Spotlight. Today we have The Leaky Cauldron. The Leaky Cauldron, or TLC (or “Leaky”) for short, is the oldest Harry Potter news site. Older, and larger, than Mugglenet (the second-largest Harry Potter site). We’re here to analyze their design, not talk…

8 Useful WordPress Plugins

In no particular order, here are some WordPress plugins I find useful. Peter’s Custom Anti-Spam – This is the best captcha plugin I’ve been able to find. Share This Plugin – Who wants to clutter their blog with 15 social bookmarking icons? With Share…

Webmaster Articles Blog Carnival

Webmaster-Source will be hosting the first edition of the “Webmaster Articles Blog Carnival” (deadline July 16th). If you have written any blog posts recently that may be of interest to webmasters/bloggers, feel free to submit them. We accept virtually any submission, so long as…

AjaxLoad: Free “Throbber” Image Generator

Attention AJAX programmers! Do you need a good “loading image” (or “throbber”)? Take a look at AjaxLoad.info, the only throbber-image generator I know of (as of this writing). You pick an image style, then enter some hex odes for the foreground and background colors.…

Free Blog Services Rated: Blogger, Livejournal, WordPress.com

So, you’re not serious enough about blogging to host your own blog? You’d rather use a free blogging service? Are you sure? You can get a domain and hosting for only $3.99/month. No? Okay, then I guess we can get started. Okay, here’s how…

ShareThis WordPress Plugin

Most web users have noticed the “Social Bookmarking” explosion. Millions of people use social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, Digg, or Reddit. Eventually, bloggers started putting buttons for social bookmarking sites at the ends of their posts, so as to make it easier for readers…

Header Design

A web site’s header is the first thing a visitor sees upon their arrival. That is the biggest reason your header is important. It’s right there at the top of the page, where everyone can see it. The header may be the most important…

The 7 Common Types of Blog Posts

So, you need some ideas for blog posts do you? You’ve come to the right place! Below are some of the most common types of posts seen on blogs these days. Take a look, maybe you’ll get some ideas for posts for your blog.