by WebKeyDesign | Jan 18, 2007 | Internet Explorer
When it comes to Internet Explorer, there is one feature that is not particularly useful for web developers. Both IE 6 and the newer version 7, have a feature that overrides error messages sent from the web server to the browser. This feature takes effect any time an error message is less than 512 bytes long. To turn off this feature, you need to bring up Internet Options and go to the Advanced tab, under the Browsing section you will find: Show Friendly HTTP Error Messages. You need to clear this setting and now IE will display all error messages sent from the server.
Note that most web servers send 404 error messages that are less that 512 bytes, by default.
by WebKeyDesign | Dec 14, 2006 | WebKeyDesign
Undeniably, I have been on a bit of a break from WebKeyDesign, but before 2006 officially passes into the server logs as just another year, I wanted to put down some final thoughts on a very trying year.
Great Expectations
Like most people, I started the year trying to improve myself. After fifty hours of online seminars, a few self-improvement books, lots and lots of technical reading on web site related technologies, and many personal challenges having to do with family and work, I have to say that 2006 was perhaps in the top three of worst years I have ever had to go through. Professionally I had this vision of improving myself and when my company decided to close shop, I was devastated and unemployed.
At the same time, my personal life was not very enjoyable. I felt like I was being pulled apart in several directions and that all I could do was stand there and try to be the pillar that doesn’t move for everyone else. I probably wasn’t very much fun to be around.
As for myself, I was learning things, improving my skills and knowledge. Since college, I have always known that there are only two ways that I learn. I either recluse myself to some private space and pore over thick books or I sit and do what it is I need to learn to do at the computer. In general I can’t stop reading, it is something which helps me with stress, so I constantly read.
Learning To Succeed
After a few job interviews, I had started to doubt myself, to think all kinds of bad thoughts, but then one day I woke up and all that self improvement seminars and books kicked in. I found myself at another job interview, being asked the same question again: “Why should we hire you?” Then at that very moment, it sunk in. I don’t really need this job. “I will be successful regardless of where I work.” After the interview, I got a phone call at home, informing me they wanted to offer me the position. I ended up not taking the job after all, because I actually received an offer from my current employer, who I had really wanted to work for.
At home, I knew I needed to change things. Instead of doing more, I did less, but what I did do, I tried to do better. Communication is key in relationships, and while I’m not known for being very good at this in personal relationships, I knew I had to work at it. The idea is that your personal life has to be enjoyable. If it somehow isn’t then you need to change things.
Time Enough For Updates
There seems to never be enough time for everything, and while IE 7 and Firefox 2.0 came out, I don’t know very many people who prepared all that much for major browser releases. It seems like we are always trying to catch up. But The Holidays are a time for family and friends. While I do enjoy putting in long hours at work, I also understand that December is the month for relating to people and not computers. So while 2006 was a hard year for many of us, we are definitely better people because of it. Hardship is what makes life challenging, and while no one welcomes the stresses, we certainly enjoy life better when we learn to properly handle them. See you in 2007!
by WebKeyDesign | Nov 8, 2006 | WordPress
Recently I had some problems with another site that I maintain and I had to move the entire domain to a different physical server, and of course the WordPress installation decided to break along the way. There were various problems, but I would have to sum it up as not being able to access anything in the wp-admin folder. Every time I tried to access the admin side of WordPress, I would receive an internal error 500, along with 403’s. After researching this issue for a while, it turns out my original .htaccess file was not restored. More importantly, the workaround for mod_security was not in my .htaccess file. Adding this to the root .htaccess file fixed the problem with not being able to access the admin interface:
<IfModule mod_security.c>
SecFilterEngine Off
SecFilterScanPOST Off
</IfModule>
I also use the plugin WP-Cache, which can cause problems if you move your WordPress installation; this usually comes up as a php include error: wp-settings.php on line 69. The fix is to remove define(“WP_CACHE”, true); from the wp-config.php file. If that still does not fix the problem, then you might have to remove all of the files created by WP-Cache:
wp-content/advanced-cache.php
wp-content/cache/*
wp-content/plugins/wp-cache/*
If you recently moved your files to another server or renamed your home directory, then the problem is the symbolic link advanced-cache that is under wp-content. Most FTP programs will not show the link, so you must either delete it from within cPanel’s FileManager or shell into your account and do it that way. You can then usually just deactivate and re-activate the plugin, and when you enable caching, it should recreate the link.
And then there is this problem with WordPress 2.0.5.
by WebKeyDesign | Nov 8, 2006 | WordPress
Since I started using Mint, every time I looked on the Pages section, it would show abbreviated titles for the pages that were accessed. I soon realized that the problem was not so much Mint, but that my actual Title tags from WordPress all started with my website’s name and then the actual blog entry title. A more readable title would be one that started with the actual title of the blog entry instead of “WebKeyDesign >> My Post Title”. In order to change this you have to edit the Title tag code in your WordPress theme. You can find a good tutorial on modifying the WordPress Title tag on Ardamis.com.
Here is what I changed the Title tag to:
<title><?php wp_title(' '); ?><?php if(wp_title(' ', false)) { echo ' | '; } ?><?php bloginfo('name'); ?></title>
There is one slight problem though which Ardamis mentions, namely there are some spaces that get inputted into the Title tag. Ardamis does offer a workaround for this, but search engines will not care about the extra spaces, so you can do without the workaround if you like.
by WebKeyDesign | Oct 30, 2006 | In Stock
I gave up on inkjet printers a long time ago, and have been using an Epson 5700i Laser printer for years now. It finally ran out of toner a month ago and I was without a printer for the first time.
A printer is one of those things you never really think about. While printer makers have tried to market printers as multi-function devices, photograph printers, and anything else they can think of, in reality you just really need an affordable monochrome laser printer that works with your current computer setup. Color laser printers are actually now hitting the $400 range, but toner refills are quite expensive and having to replace multiple toner colors, makes color printing three times more expensive than monochrome.
In my case, the Epson 5700i was due for replacement. My home network had grown to encompass multiple Macintosh and Windows machines, so I needed a printer that could reside on the network and accept print jobs from both Mac OS X and Windows machines. While there are many brands to choose from: Brother, Samsung, HP, and Epson to name a few, I decided on the Lexmark E240N, as the most appropriate solution for a small multi-platform home network.
Quality
In the printer world, HP is the number one printer company. If you absolutely want great quality, you need not look elsewhere. However if you have price concerns and are trying to get the most for your dollar, HP printers cost more and have less features. This becomes rather obvious when you try to find an HP printer with network capability in the $300 range. This made me consider Lexmark, because they are known for their printers and not much else, and even Dell sells Lexmark printers exclusively.
Features
The feature that makes the E240N stand out is the built-in print server. Just connect the printer via Ethernet to your router or hub, and you have an instant network printer. For Windows, you can print in PCL6 and for Mac OS X, you can print in emulated Postscript Level 3 or Level 2. The print server is accessible via a web-page interface, but you really will not need to access the print server interface at all. The IP address of the printer is DHCP enabled, but you can install an IP setup utility and change the printer to a specific static IP address.
Performance
The E240N prints 1200 DPI x 1200 DPI and can print about 27 pages per minutes. The DPI is defaulted to 600 to save toner, but you can set it to 1200. There is a manual feed tray that you can use to print envelopes and transparencies. When printing envelopes it is best to use a high quality envelope, as thinner quality envelopes will tend to curl with the heat of the printer. To use the manual feed option, you print in your application and then the indicator light on the printer will notify you it is ready to accept via the manual feed tray.
Upgrades
The printer comes standard with 32MB of memory, but it will accept a 64MB printer SO-DIMM for a total of 96MB of memory. Printer drivers are available for Windows98 thru WindowsXP, Linux, and Mac OS X. Lexmark does not include any USB cables or Ethernet cables. The included toner is only a starter unit that is rated for half of what the standard toner cartridge is rated for.
Conclusions
The only annoyance I have experienced with the E240N is that every now and then it will wake itself up and adjust itself. The noise is not unusually load, it is just that it is a bit alarming when working at night or in a quiet office. Space can be a problem too, seeing how all network printers tend to be quite large. In comparison the E240N is a bit smaller than a comparable HP network printer, but it does take up some space. If space is a concern the Lexmark E120N is a small compact laser printer with more conservative features. When I was comparing prices, the E120N is actually cheaper if you purchase it from Lexmark directly, but the E240N is a better bargain if bought through an online store such as Newegg.com.
