api

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – API stands for Application Programming Interface. It allows developers share information between their programs. It’s a standard method where developers can access a program (or website) and build a program around it.

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Sean Hickey has created an amazing workflow for both Brad and myself in bLaugh comic publishing. In doing so, he’s also created a WordPress plugin for the comic (found on his own amazing WP Plugins directory). It’s Sidebar Widget compatible, BTW. I thought it would have been nicer to see bLaugh show up on my Admin Dashboard page – but this’ll do for those who don’t wanna dink with the JavaScript stuff. No matter, I’ve updated our comic syndication page (which now includes MySpace options).

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I don’t really wanna poop on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) program, but I have a huge problem with it: you can’t sign up to deploy the service unless you give them your bank account information first! Are we living in 1990 or something? Have they ever heard of PayPal – or a credit card, at least? Undoubtedly, Amazon is trying to verify that I have the proper funds. I do have adequate funds, but I’m not going to give them access to my bank account to prove it! If Amazon doesn’t want to use PayPal because it’s eBay’s brand, they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face. FWIW, PayPal has a Web service, too! I really want to test some ideas with MTurk, but not if I have to jump through a flaming hoop to do so. Jeff, can you please smack some sense into your employer?

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Don’t expect every one of these searches to yeild results, though. The output was generated by a single OPML file and the Optimal OPML WordPress Plugin. Looking for other easy ways to display the OPML from Gada.be right now. Hell, entirely new sites could be built on top of the OPML we produce – much like RSS, it’s a poor man’s API.

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I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but I’d like to put my latest Flickr photo thumbnails in the Lockergnome HTML newsletters. Since I use CaRP, I have virtually no configuration options (other than manual hacking or asking Antone). In searching for an easy way to get ‘er done, I found this solution from Fuddland (but it relies on MagpieRSS, which I’d rather not use). The information is already in the feed – it’s getting it out of the feed that’s a bit tricky for people like myself. Why doesn’t Flickr just have a separate feed for thumbnails – letting the user designate the size of the desired output? Yeah, there’s an API for that – but have I not beaten it into the world’s skull that I’m not a developer? In my Flickr travels, I found quite a few useful tools – including one I used this morning for my previous Dell post.

Read more on Flickr Fun…