halfgeek.codes

Common Reference

Perhaps as a function of habit more than anything else, I use Amazon.com as my main source of example of products mentioned on the site.
As noted on the about web form, I am not paid to maintain the site, nor asked to promote goods or services. From time to time, I'll pass along information I've read in magazine articles, mention Web sites I've found, or offer unqualified comments on products I like or dislike.
As a matter of standard, I choose to use Amazon.com as the common reference for all such items as practical.

Updated on 05/18/2010

Content Templates

Nearly all of the content for halfgk.com lives in an XML-based content management system. Most of the content itself is free of formatting, but is created according to a schema that allows for the use of sections, headings, titles, ordinals, links (and their titles), and summaries to help describe the content.
Content is displayed through the use of content templates. Each template is designed to display the content according to certain rules. The template used to display a specific post is chosen, in most cases, according to the section for which the post is intended, and type of content. For example, photographic content may call for a template that allows for a thumbnail view of the image to be displayed, and the full image to be displayed when the user clicks on the thumbnail. More commonly, text posts may be displayed in templates that organize the content by date, section, heading, ordinal and so forth.

Updated on 07/17/2010

Posts made to the "Interests" section should always include the content summary. The content summary acts as a title by which the post can be recognized from the "Latest Events" section of the Welcome form.
"Interests" posts should use a content template that allows for the display of the summary as well as the content body.

Updated on 07/17/2010

Hyperlinks

When a post contains a single hyperlink, the link should be positioned immedately following mention of the item or article to which it refers.
If the item described is a product, such as those available from the Common Reference, the link text should read "link to {site}", enclosed in parentheses. The parentheses should be included in the link text, as well as any closing punctuation. This is because external links always reference the body_external_link class, and this class appends a symbol after the link. The presence of the symbol makes the appearance of a closing parenthesis and puncturation appear awkward when preceded by the symbol.
Example:

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction (Link to Amazon.com) is still a fun play.
The reason the name of the product is not normally enclosed in the HTML anchor tag is because at present the parser for the search engine may strip out the name while it strips out the other HTML. It's better to reference the product by name outside of the link, then use some other text inside the link — such as, "Link to Amazon.com".

Updated on 05/18/2010

When a post contains multiple hyperlinks, mention should be made, following the initial reference of an item or article to which a hyperlink refers, that applicable hyperlinks will appear at the close of the post.
The links should then appear at the end of the post, separated from the last line of the post by two break tags ("<br />"). At least he word "Links" should appear on the following line.
If all of the links point to the same site (e.g., Amazon.com), the words "Links to {site}" should appear instead of just "Links".
Example of the first mention of an item:

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction (link at end) became a fun play, with great emphasis on stealth over weaponry.
Example of the display of the links:

Links to Amazon.com:
Splinter Cell Conviction
Hitman Blood Money

Updated on 05/18/2010