< 140

… or in other words: About Me.

Just thought I would add a little blurb in the sidebar under the title of < 140. Of course this is borrowed heavily from the Twitter concept of 140 characters or less messages, but it does provide a method to create a concise description of oneself. The real challenge for some will be insuring the < 140 About Me message is a proper sentence using complete words and/or accepted acronyms; and, with proper punctuation. Here is mine:

WordPress junkie and blogger; aka Cais, a maker of fine Themes and Plugins.

This also happens to be my Twitter Profile which I have been using for quite some time; and, I generally use this when introducing myself, especially in an “around-the-table” setting. What is your < 140 ?

Digital Darkness Day

Yesterday was our 17th wedding anniversary and as requested I spent the entire day away from my computers, and did not use my iPhone … no emails, no web surfing, no phone calls. It was quite peaceful and I thank my wife for the request and quite honestly look forward to making this an annual event.

Of course, this was made much easier by considering the day as a holiday, but also as a last-minute decision it was greatly appreciated by my family, friends, and colleagues to honor our choice, too.

So, I would like to propose that March 25 be set aside as Digital Darkness Day when you take the time to turn off your smart-phones, your computers, and any other devices. Take a quality day for you, your family, and your friends; and, if March 25 is not the best day for you then choose a day that is … but most of all, enjoy!

Add WordPress Required Version and Tested Up To Version

I just made my second submission to the WordPress Core Trac with the summary above. Here is a link to the new ticket #16868 … and here is the description:

The premise of this idea is for Theme authors to be able to add a reference to the version of WordPress their Theme requires to work correctly; and, the version of WordPress the Theme has been tested up to. This idea comes from the the plugin readme.txt file and some of the data that is expected to be found there.

Once implemented, further enhancements to the Appearance tab in the Administration Panels can be added to better inform end-users on the compatibility of the Theme with their current WordPress installation.

This is essentially an extension of my previously submitted ticket #16395 to “Add ‘Template Version’ for use with ‘Template’ in Child-Themes” I wrote about here.

Being Prepared

Maybe it’s the Boy Scout in me remembering that well known motto, “Be Prepared”; or, maybe I’m wanting to make sure the job gets done right the first time … either way, this thought came to mind while I was responding to a recent inquiry:

Caution in mystery is safety in history.

A simple little axiom to remember, but sometimes simple is best, too.

Writer’s Block

Just under the surface I know there is an idea just wanting to break out onto this digital page. There’s been an itch lately to write but it seems there is a block of sorts that is slowing down the whole process.

The nebulous thoughts in my mind are just shy of forming an idea to put into words.

Submitted My First Patch

There has been some recent discussions on the Make.WordPress.org/Themes site dealing with the inclusion of Child-Themes in the WordPress.org Extend Theme repository.

Amongst the suggestions and discussion is the idea of adding a Template Version to reference the version of the Parent-Theme for which the Child-Theme has been confirmed to work with by its author.

This struck me as an opportunity to have a look in core to see if this was being addressed; or, if I could offer a patch to address the idea. Several searches under various different criteria for this idea yielded no results … I didn’t expect any.

So, I proceeded to write and submit the patch. You can read the Trac ticket here: #16395

I believe this will be a useful piece of information that can be added to the style.css header block, if accepted.

Now it’s just a matter of time … what are your thoughts? Feel free to add them here for my patch idea; or, join the discussions on the “Make” site.

Make.WordPress.org/Themes

Modern Comments

Discuss.

Seriously?! Maybe I’m being a bit sensitive, but every time I see that demand … directive … self-agrandizing command? I cannot help but think the writer must feel they have just written their magnum opus and it is to be considered a requirement for every one of their readers to respond to; and yet, in most cases, it really is something a lot more run o’ the mill.

This is not to say I would dismiss the idea or ignore the content out of hand, but I honestly do not see this approach as one of the best to garner input … maybe it’s just me. What do you think?

PS: The original title was “Modern Day Rudeness” but that seemed a bit harsh and was changed before publishing this post.

Google Wishes You a Happy Birthday

Although it was actually a day early according to my calendar, it was still a nice surprise to see the Happy Birthday image when I arrived at the Google home page.

It’s just a little something from Google that happens if your profile has your birthday information. I had read this earlier in the week from one of the fine folk I follow on twitter and had not really thought much of it … but there it is: Google wishing me a (early) Happy Birthday!

Where Do You Write?

Maybe the question should be: where do you write?

I’m writing about two different ideas of “where”. The place where you publish your writings; and, the place where the creative juices flow and you actually put digital pen to electronic paper.

Personally I find that sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to have multiple sites to write for. I have three major domains of my own that I write content for; and, I have often and still do consider writing guest posts for a few other sites. This is content writing I am referring to, not some quick blurb of an aside or status update. Those types of posts would add another two or three sites I write for if taken into consideration. This creates a bit of a push-me-pull-you effect when the post idea has a cross-over potential between sites. I believe one should not just simply copy and paste the same content from one site to another creating the dilemma of: where do I write?!

One of the great beauties of writing here is my thoughts can meander around and really just accomplish more or less not too much at all; but, how often can you realistically reference a Pushmi-Pullyu and have it be relevant?! Give it a try sometime, it really can be quite liberating. (This paragraph is also one of the primary reasons I have been developing a new and interesting plugin … more to follow elsewhere.)

The other where of this topic is perhaps what sparked my writing today. Where do I write? I write wherever I can find a space to write my thoughts down. My home office, my work place, the subway, a laundromat, a coffee shop, a park … just about anywhere is the answer; but, I also find the physical where has a dramatic affect on the digital where.

… and as for the question of when do you write; that will be a topic for another time. Enjoy!