It’s called In-Out, and it’s a windows application that works with a web server to monitor in-out status, just like those in-out boards in offices (the ones everyone forgets to use).

Happy 2007 to all my visitors!

[download]

~Jason

I finally decided to spend some time re-working and improving this metaphor site, “thePathway.ca”

This is one of my favourite sites, topically, just because the metaphor is so cool and consistent. I started out with the initial idea for this metaphor, and Bryan Wylie helped connect it with our phases of discipleship. Together we really worked out the various descriptions and FAQ. As of this writing, I’m still tracking down bugs created because of the server change and domain name transfer last year… when it’s all smooth again I am going to rewrite and add new content.

~Jason

The crontab entry for sending messages every 10 minutes is:

    0,10,20,30,40,50 * * * * $HOME/bin/run_afu.sh >> $HOME/run_cgi.log

This logs the output from the cron job to $HOME/run_cgi.log so cron doesn’t object about not knowing what to do with the generated output. Some systems send email to the owning user and some just refuse to run, so it is insurance of a sort, and reduces the size of your inbox.

The shell script $HOME/bin/run_afu.sh Actually does the work.

    #!/bin/bash
    cd $HOME/public_html/cgi-bin/afu
    echo - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    echo Starting at: `date`
    run.cgi
    echo
    echo Finished at: `date`

This gives us some information about what is going on and when. It also tells me that on my system it takes less than a minute to send out 100 emails of typical size.

Full path names are used throughout because cron doesn’t provide a very useful environment so it is easier to just point it where you know things are at and save a lot of debugging time.

Thanks Dennis!

~Jason

GPX files contain GPS data to put in your portable GPS unit. My software was good because it put more extensive information in the file than you would normally be able to get from their web site, including things like difficulty, terrain, descriptions, comments, etc.

Here’s the email:

Please be advised that your GeoCache GPX Grabber application violates the geocaching.com Terms Of Use Agreement.

In addition, your use of the geocaching.com Trademark logo to sell a commercial product constitutes Trademark Infringement. 

Accordingly, we are respectfully requesting that you immediately cease all distribution of the application as well as all use of our Trademark.

If you’d like to discuss this further, please contact me.  Otherwise, please respond with confirmation that the above requests have been honored.  

Thank you.

Bryan Roth
Groundspeak, Inc.

f 206.374.8161
www.geocaching.com

So, I’m sorry if you were using this program from my site, or planning on getting it someday. Perhaps it’s out there on one of the download sites which caches downloads, but I’m removing it from my site so I don’t get lawyers calling me.

If anyone has any insight into the legitimacy of their complaint, or if you’re a lawyer, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment.

~Jason

Update:
This is so pitiful. Now Geocaching.com has banned my boys and I from using their web site, even though I have complied with their terms of service by removing the script.

This is all because I refuse to remove Bryan’s contact information above— he’s afraid of the fallout he will get, I guess.

They banned me a couple of days ago, then minutes later, unbanned me. Now they’re banning again. I’m not sure what the point of this is, eactly, since it’s simple enough for anyone to sign up for another account… all you need is a valid email address.

I guess they’re just trying to be mean. I don’t like mean people, what about you? So, I’m not going to ask you to be mean back, even though that’s what the natural reaction might be. Instead, why don’t you send Bryan a nice email telling him what a nice guy he is.

Either I’ll set up another account, or maybe I’ll explore geocaching alternatives?  Navicache looks promising.

His name is Tino, and here’s his script:

<?php
   header (“Content-type: image/png” );
   $signature = “39 40 39 40”;
   $points = explode(” “, $signature);
   $image = imagecreate(250, 65);
   $bgcolor = imagecolorallocate($image, 255, 255, 255);
   $color = imagecolorallocate($image, 0, 0, 0);
   for ($x = 0; $x < count($points) - 2; $x = $x + 2) imageline($image, $points[$x], $points[$x + 1], $points[$x + 2], $points[$x + 3], $color);
   imagepng($image);
   imagedestroy($image);
?>

$signature is the signature data.

You can use this in your pages: <img src=”signature.php”> where signature.php is the name of the code above.

Cool eh? Thanks Tino!
~Jason

They had launched a superheros web site called UltimateBattles.com where they put strange combinations of fictional characters upagainst one another to see what might happen. They used computer simulation to put the likes of Jeffrey Dahlmer up against Dr. Hannibal Lector, or the Hulk again the Thing. They had designed software that would predict the outcomes of these battles.

…they wanted to lay down fantasy bets on these virtual battles, and wondered if I could  help. They weren’t able to pay me, so I told them I’d program it for free, and then resell it to try to make back some of my investment. I had no idea how much of a hit Fantasy Betting was to become!!

The latest evolution includes a category system, paid for by Meylin Taylor.

Now you can create any categories you want, and assign these categories to bettors and bets. If a particular wager isn’t assigned to a category, then any bettor can see it. However, if it is assigned a category, then only those bettors who are subscribed to the category are able to see it, and make a virtual bet on it.

Included in this new version are lots of great features!

• set bets to expire after a certain time (updated slightly)
• set the bet amount to a predetermined cost
• include/exlude a ‘draw’ option
• make certain, or all items ‘compulsory.’

You may also limit the number of bets a user can make per term— say, each week. At the end of the week you can login and reset everyone’s bet count with a simple click.

UltimateBattles.com hasn’t been updated since 2005, and they never really made use of this FantasyBetting script— but I hope you do, joinng hundreds who have already bought it — and let me know how you’re using it!

~Jason

This new feature allows me to click a ‘popular’ link to view the number of views each script is getting. So far the results are actually somewhat surprising!

Since some of the popular scripts are not the ones being most-often purchased, I must assume that something about the script isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s too expensive, maybe it doesn’t have all the right features… maybe something else.

I’m often surprised that I don’t get more emails from people about this sort of thing. It can never hurt to request a customization from a software author. I do it all the time, and many authors are glad to add a new feature if it will enhance the usefulness of the program.

So if you’re reading this, and you want to see a feature added to Questionnaire, HomePage2, Dictionary, or another script— please feel free to ask!

~Jason

Not a very fancy name; I called it MySpace Profile Feed. Right now it displays the number of “friends” you have, the number of “comments” made, the date of your last login, and for musician accounts, the number of visits made to your profile.

I plan on adding a few more details to the script, such as the latest posts to your blog, and upcoming gigs (again, for musician accounts). It would be great if I could get the number of ‘plays’ for songs too, but that information isn’t readily accessable for scraping.

It’s cool, because you don’t actually have to install the script to use it— just put your myspace ID in the URL and it will make a custom feed for you. For example, here is my feed:
http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/myspace_rss/fetch_friends_count.cgi?jasondsilver
and here is Joanne’s:
http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/myspace_rss/fetch_friends_count.cgi?joannesilver

~Jason

~Jason

They were calling to ask my permission to use something I created on a show called “The Mom Show.” Did I get that right? Is there something called The Mom Show? (I just Googled it… I got it right.)

Anyway, they were covering a story of a mom who is addicted to playing Crossword, which is a game I wrote! In fact, it’s the first Perl script I ever wrote. I made it back in 1999 so that Joanne and her family could play Scrabble with each other over the Internet.

It’s these little blips that keep the smile on my face. How funny that a game I wrote is keeping a mom from doing laundry!

~Jason

~Jason

LagerLad is based on the idea at www.milliondollarhomepage.com, where visitors can come to the site, select an area where they want an ad to appear, pay for the spot, and upload their ad.

The program infrastructure I wrote, which runs this new site, is for sale and will be available for download shortly at Intelliscript.net. If you’re interested, be sure to check it out.

Thanks!
~Jason

But a week ago I decided to stop allowing free downloads and ever since doing so have started getting a lot more purchases. So sorry to those of you who are inconvenienced, but I had to start paying for that web site if I was going to keep it going.

It’s a lesson to me: people won’t pay for something unless they have to. I guess I’m the same way, so I shouldn’t be suprised.

~Jason