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My Notes can now have tags, and have much better microformats markup. Still unsure on declaring authorhip.

So I now have a simple notes section on my website capable of syndicating to Twitter. Even with short URLs as seen by the last note.

Drive is such a beautiful movie

Embedding Google Maps

When you want to embed a map of a location on a webpage the first place to go is Google Maps. This process is slightly complicated for me as I am using the Maps Preview which removes the default sharing options. Maybe this is a plan by Google to move all developers onto the Google Maps JS API. Though how that benefits normal users who don’t know what Javascript is I don’t know. The original method however was to generate an <iframe> HTML block to put in your site. This was to me essentially undecipherable. All the options were cryptic URL parameters. Using a little Javascript is much simpler. You define all your options and then add your map to the relevant <div>. Here is an example:

See the Pen bfdLj by Jonny Barnes (@jonnybarnes) on CodePen

Goodbye DumbQuotes

I’ve decided to stop using my DumbQuotes library on my site. I found that there were too many issues. Primarily with raw HTML and code-blocks. The straight-quotes in these sections all needed escaping so my library didn’t mangle anything. So I am now manually typing in curly-quotes using the appropriate keyboard shortcut. This is much simpler to maintain and keeps my markdown clean.

I have also slightly redesigned my site. I was using Skolar and Myriad Pro but found this a little clichéd. I am now using Prenton for titles and Livory for my body text. I’m liking the look so far. For readability I’ve also increased the font-size slightly.

How should non-profits spend money

Dan Pallotta gives an excellent TED talk about the differences in how the non-profit and for-profit sectors spend money. In summary, he suggests that our current attitude that charities must spend as little on overhead as possible is actually limiting the amount of good they can do. Who cares about the overhead, what matters is how much money actually gets spent on doing good. In order to grow that number then money will have to be spent. This shouldn’t be stigmatised like it currenly is.

HTTPS certificates with StartSSL, a guide by konklone

I have no idea where Eric Mill got his pseudnym of konklone from but this is a great article he's written about using StartSSL certificates to secure your website.

The great thing about StartSSL is that their certificates are free. My previous SSL certificates I've used have cost money, albeit only in the region of about £10/year. Free is still free.

As far as I can tell StartSSL will let you have as many free (domain/email validated) certificates. I have two registered so far.

I can highly recomend StartSSL to anyone thinking of getting an SSL certificate.

One Second on the Internet

It just baffles my mind on how sites like Facebook and Google deal with that much data. Its truly astonishing.

Oh Noes, iPad Sales Struggling!

Not really, Apple still sold 14.6 million iPads! That’s a lot of iPads. Apple also sold a record Q2 high of 31.2 million iPhones.

There is still the issue of Samsung’s supposed dominance of the market. They sell a much wider variety of products than Apple. Of course thry’ll ultimately sell more devices.

Porn Finds a Way

David Cameron has decided the Government needs to do something to protect the innocence of children. How horribly miss-guided he is. There are two main problems that I can see. The first is an ideological problem, the second a logistical one.

##Why? The main issue to be dealt with is child pornography. This is less of a filtering issue. In terms of online consumption it’s mostly adults who can jut turn any filter off. The current strategy of taking any servers found containing CP offline is an effective strategy that we should continue and expand upon.

Then we get legal porn. Filmed with consenting adults acting out various fantasies or fetishes. This is now to be censored by default.

##How? Quite, how?

My name is Jonny Barnes, and jonnybarnes.uk is my site. I’m from Manchester, UK .

I am active to varying degrees on several silos:

My usual online nickname is normally jonnybarnes for other services. I also syndicate my content to the IndieWeb friendly site micro.blog. Here’s a profile pic. You can email me at hi@jonnybarnes.uk, or message me on Matrix: @jonny:jonnybarnes.uk.