Anyone know how to make your own tiny/short URLs?

One of the most frustrating aspects of writing a computer book is providing pointers to useful information on the Web. We have a lot of URLs in this book, and most are long and random – expecting the reader to type in one of these URLs from the printed edition isn’t all that realistic.

Not only that, but URLs decay over time. I’m in the final stages of updating Windows Security Inside Out (delayed a few months from the original publication date and now scheduled for release in September/October). Many of the Web pages we pointed to in 2002, when we wrote the first edition of this book, have changed. A few Webmasters provide redirects, but most don’t.

One possible solution for this dilemma is to provide URLs that redirect to the actual page. Third-party sites like tinyurl.com and snipurl.com already do this. The advantage is that those long, impossible-to-type addresses get cut down to manageable size.

I’d like to do something similar, but without having to rely on a third party. My vision is a Web page where I can maintain a simple database consisting of a page name, description, original URL, and short URL (the short URL would be a simple four- or five-character code, which would be tacked on to the end of my domain name). I would create this list as I work on a book, so that the URLs published in the book would point to the short URL and redirect to the proper page.

If a page gets moved, I can change the redirect code so that it points to the new location. If a page disappears, I can point to a cached copy of the original or to an alternate source that contains the same information. I can publish the master list of resources on a page that’s available to anyone.

Anyone know of an off-the-shelf package that does something like this? If not, any suggestions on the best way to build this kind of application? Leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

Tip of the day: Get the ultimate list of Microsoft keyboard shortcuts

You say you hate to take your hands off the keyboard to click the mouse? Then you’ll love this master list of keyboard shortcuts covering a long, long list of Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer 6 and nearly every program in the Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 families. If you use Windows XP Media Center Edition, be sure to get this one.

Today’s clinic in bad journalism

Here’s why I don’t trust or recommend BetaNews. Nate Mook of BetaNews writes an outrageously bad lede to a story on the Google toolbar this morning:

In a marketing tactic used primarily by spyware and adware companies, Google has begun bundling its Google Toolbar and Desktop Search software with the popular WinZip archive utility. The move comes as Google begins to expand its bundling effort with a number of leading software applications. [emphasis added]

WinZip quietly updated its download executable last week, which now weighs in at close to 4MB with the added Google tools. Users are given the opportunity to opt out of installing the Google software on the first WinZip setup screen; by default the tools are installed.

Good lord, I can’t even begin to count how many unwarranted innuendos are in this story. For starters, when you kick off the story by comparing the two companies involved to spyware and adware companies, you create an impression in the reader’s mind that is difficult to overcome. Mike at Techdirt calls bullshit on this story:

[T]he details don’t support the charge. It’s clearly displayed in the setup screen and it lets people choose not to install the bundled apps. Also, the purpose of the apps aren’t obfuscated by misleading language. It’s not a spyware tactic by any means — but the fact that so many spyware offerings use similar, if more underhanded, tactics means that such bundling is always going to be looked at suspiciously.

Here’s the screen that pops up during the installation of the evaluation version of WinZip 9.0:

Google__winzip_setup

Now, it’s true that you might see a similar-looking dialog box when you install a program that bundles spyware or adware. Except in those cases the intent is typically to mislead, and the bundled software often performs functions (such as displaying pop-up ads) that are not disclosed or are hidden in a license agreement deliberately written to confuse. For that matter, many bundled spyware and adware programs are downloaded without the user’s consent. But none of that is true here. This isn’t spyware. It does a good job of providing disclosure and asking consent (although I’d prefer that the default be off with the user being required to click yes or no to the installation of these two items). The bundled software doesn’t do anything that is remotely like spyware or adware. But none of those details are in the BetaNews story.

It gets worse. Here are a few more examples of loaded phrases, later in the story:

Google did not respond by press time to inquires about whether such a distribution approach could be seen as questionable from a company that boasts its ability to “make money without doing evil.” …

Unlike its rivals, Google does not have the ability to push its search tools via established software products…

But Google isn’t the only company resorting to bundling. Yahoo recently inked a deal to offer its Yahoo! Toolbar with Macromedia Flash and Adobe’s Acrobat Reader – both essential downloads for most computer users.

Let’s review: According to BetaNews, Google is “pushing” its software through “a marketing tactic used primarily by spyware and adware companies.” And to compete with Microsoft and Yahoo it has had to “resort” to this desperate bundling strategy, despite its “boasts” of not being evil. Can you blame Google for not responding when BetaNews asked them an obviously loaded question?

This is a great opportunity to discuss the nature of software bundling. As Techdirt notes, there’s a lot of room for confusion when bundling is involved. Users who have been trained to be suspicious of every unsolicited offer (for good reason) should be suspicious here. But a good journalist provides information that can help the reader figure out the real story, not throw more suspicion into the mix through sloppy reporting and inflammatory language.

And if a journalist is going to accuse a company of using unsavory tactics, it helps if they review their own standards and practices first. BetaNews uses Google AdSense ads (full disclosure: so do I). Ironically, this story is accompanied by a Google AdSense ad that links to Hotbar.com, which is identified in the Computer Associates Spyware Information Center as adware that includes a downloader and a search hijacker. (If that ad happens to appear on this page, I apologize. Please don’t click it.) Here’s a screen capture from the BetaNews story.

Google_ad_betanews

By the way, BetaNews uses a technology called IntelliTXT from Vibrant Media, which places ads directly in editorial content. This story contains a reference to Google’s rival MSN Messenger, which in turn links to an IntelliTXT ad that offers (I could have said “pushes”) Microsoft’s LiveMeeting software. I found this story through a link at The Office Weblog. I think Jason Calacanis, who owns the network that includes that blog, had the best description of this advertising technique: “The only publishers that will use this software are a) desperate ones, b) ones without ethics or c) people who make a mistake.” Ouch!

MSN toolbar adds tabs to IE6

I just installed the new MSN Search Toolbar, which includes an updated version of the Windows Desktop Search utility and adds tabbed browsing capabilities to Internet Explorer 6.

First reactions: The search tool absolutely rocks, and the degree to which you can customize it is very, very impressive. For now, at least, it’s going to replace Copernic Desktop Search on my machine.

Tabbed browsing is promising, although not nearly as smooth or configurable as Firefox or Maxthon. My biggest complaint so far is that new links I open from an external source (like NewsGator Outlook Edition) open in a new window. That kind of defeats the purpose of tabbed browsing, and I can’t see how to override that behavior. I’m sure there’s a way; if anyone’s found it, drop me a note in the comments.

Also, I’d really like to be able to close an open page by double-clicking its tab (or open a new blank tab by double-clicking in the empty space of the tab bar). Both Firefox and Maxthon do this, and the IE add-on should do the same.

Biggest benefit is that I can return to using IE with several of my favorite add-ins that aren’t supported elsewhere: BlogJet, Fiddler, and the Send To OneNote PowerToy are three that come immediately to mind.

Asa Dotzler of the Firefox team tried the MSN Toolbar “for about 15 minutes” last night and posted his capsule review: “It sucks.” Today, he says he tried it for another 15 minutes: “I’ve revised my opinion some; it _really_ sucks.” Underestimating the competition is always a bad idea, Asa. This version of the toolbar appears less than four weeks after the original version shipped. As Google has already shown, you can incrementally improve and deliver a browser toolbar component very quickly.

Update: After spending a few hours with the MSN add-in, I think I’ll turn off the tabbed browsing function and go back to using Maxthon. The Windows Desktop Search capability is slick and polished, but the tabbed browsing add-on feature is very poorly implemented. As Asa points out, there are some serious bugs in this portion of the code that render it unusable. If you switch to full-screen view (press F11), all other tabs close. That sucks.

Hey, MSN, are you listening?

Earth to PC World

Spotted in my news reader within seconds of one another:

First, this Opera press release, by way of Neowin:

Opera once again wins PC World’s World Class Award for best Web browser

Opera Software today announced that for the second year running it has received PC World’s World Class 2005 award for its Opera Web browser. This accolade of excellence is based on Opera’s attractive and feature-rich Web browser product, Opera 8.

PC World selects products for this award based on exemplary design, features, performance, innovation and price. Hundreds of products were reviewed by PC World, and according to their announcement the most “revolutionary” products that “contribute to changing the world” were selected.

And sure enough, there’s Opera, listed as a World Class Award winner in the Web category (Browser subcategory) on PC World’s site.

Then, from J-Walk:

At PC World: The 100 Best Products of 2005.

When you’re buying hardware, software, and services, you want the top combination of power, features, reliability, and value. That’s what you’ll find in these World Class Award winners–starting with the Product of the Year.

And that product of the year is Mozilla Firefox.

And sure enough, there it is in the Product of the Year category (Web browser) on PC World’s Web site.

And people wonder why magazines are dying.

Update: It just gets better and better! Mysoft’s Maxthon (which is listed as a browser plug-in but is actually a full-fledged browser that builds on the IE code base) is also on the list. In fact, it’s #12, just 11 spots below Firefox and way above the #88 Opera.

If IE7 had come out a few months earlier than its scheduled release date, it would probably have made the list too.

Tip of the day: Get your downloaded programs organized

If you’re like most people, you store downloaded programs in a variety of locations-on the desktop, in the My Documents folder, or wherever the Save As dialog box happens to be pointing when you download a file. I recommend that you look for these downloaded program files on your hard disk and pull all of them together into one well-organized Downloads folder. You can then transfer the whole collection to your new PC by copying that folder, and when you’re ready to reinstall that software, you can do so quickly and efficiently by working through all the items stored there. Spending a few extra minutes getting organized now can save you hours later.

Continue reading “Tip of the day: Get your downloaded programs organized” →

Press release or review?

I’m not the only one who’s noticed the mainstream press falling over each other to declare their unbridled love for Tiger. At Columbia Journalism Review‘s CJR Daily, Brian Montopoli asks Which of These Things Is Not Like The Other?

It’s Friday, so let’s play a game. It’s called “Press Release or News Story?” The rules are simple: We print two pieces of writing, and you tell us which one is the press release and which the news story. The topic is the new Mac operating system, “Tiger.”

Montopoli turns his critical eye on the Associated Press and concludes that the AP “review” of Tiger is a “fluff job” and “an absolute love letter, apparently written by an Apple aficionado….”

It’s not impossible to write a fair review that’s still positive. According to Montopoli, David Pogue of the New York Times did exactly that in his coverage of Tiger:

Read that piece, which is really a review, and you realize the AP could have said a number of things about the new product, both positive and negative. Instead it gave Apple a valentine: a piece of nearly uncritical PR the company didn’t even have to pay for. The company must be thrilled.

Troll repellent: Pogue’s piece is highly positive about Tiger, and he takes his fair share of deserved dings at Windows. But he knows the difference between well-deserved praise and gushing. If you write reviews of technology products, take note – this is how a pro does it.

Walt Mossberg reviews Tiger

Just finished reading Walt’s review of Apple’s new OS upgrade in the Wall Street Journal. It’s filled with cool features, according to Walt, who says it’s “the best and most advanced personal computer operating system on the market, despite a few drawbacks. It leaves Windows XP in the dust.” A few drawbacks, he said? I was struck by this:

The only significant problem I noticed was that the computers seemed to run into slight, but greater-than-normal, delays from time to time. Certain functions, like Spotlight searches and the updated Safari Web browser, were very fast. But with other tasks, I noticed more spinning beach-ball icons, Apple’s symbol for delays, than I had with the prior Panther version of the Mac operating system.

In particular, the built-in e-mail program, Apple Mail, was slower. There was a perceptible lag in opening a new e-mail form, beginning a reply, and displaying the drop-down contact list that appears when you begin typing in an e-mail address.

Apple acknowledges it will need to tweak Tiger to eliminate the delays, and it promises to address the problem within a few months.

I don’t get it. This is shipping software. It costs $129. This problem occurred on all three computers that Walt tested Tiger on. Repeated delays in everyday use of the operating system would drive me nuts (you too, I bet). How would you feel if there was a “noticeable lag” in every single operation of your e-mail program? And this will be fixed within a few months???

I just wonder what the same review would have looked like it this operating system update had been released by a company that was located further north?

Trend Micro flubs an update

Last Friday my main computer started exhibiting some odd behavior. The case fan was running full tilt all day long, and response from other applications was slow. When I looked at Task Manager, I saw that the System process was pegging out at 99 percent and making it impossible for any other app to work properly.

I followed my own advice and used Msconfig to narrow down the problem. It turned out that PC-Cillin Internet Security 2005 was the culprit. This Trend Micro Knowledge Base article acknowledged that I wasn’t the only one who had been hit by this rogue antivirus pattern file, and it gave me the fix, which involved booting into Safe mode, removing or renaming some files, and then restarting and updating PC-Cillin.

When my notebook started displaying the exact same symptoms this afternoon, I was able to fix the problem in a few minutes. If you’re experiencing a sudden slowdown and you use Trend Micro’s security software, you know where to look. (Their article says the problem is caused by pattern file 594, but I found that my notebook, with pattern files 586 and 596 on hand, was affected.)

Windows desktop search tools compared

Over at Ars Technica, Adam Baratz does a fine job of reviewing five free Windows desktop search tools. Skip over the first few grafs of the long-winded introduction and you’ll get to this clear summary of the review criteria:

The real novelty of desktop search apps can be found in their interfaces. The central design problem in these programs isn’t finding the best way to catalog your information, but finding out how to let you best traverse it. A quick comparison of the programs reviewed here shows that there’s still a long way to go with this on interface design. There’s no consensus on a best method; everything from web interfaces to Start menu toolbars are used. However, this indicates that these developers are open to experimentation. The battles for the desktop has barely begun, but no one is going to let it go without a fight. Let’s see what they have to offer.

I was surprised by the conclusion (Baratz picks MSN Desktop Search as his favorite), but this review does what any good review should do: it gives you enough detailed information to help you decide which product is appropriate for you. Based on what I read here (and my hands-on tests of three of five products), I see no reason to change from my preferred utility, Copernic Desktop Search.

PS: Copernic Desktop Search just released a new version 1.5, with support for Firefox and Thunderbird, iTunes, network drives, and a host of other features.

(Via Marc Orchant)