A Funnelweb World

One of the things I’ve been keen to do for a while is to add some better comments functionality to London for Free to make it feel a bit more web 2′y.

And as things have gone a bit quiet on the work front lately, I thought I’d seize the moment today to make a start.

I discovered an excellent script from GentleSource, which seemed to do the trick nicely. All I needed to do was to buy another mysql database from my webhost and download, install and configure the script. Then add it to some pages.

Simple - but there was of course the small matter of 150 code validation failures once the code was embedded in my site.

<rant>

Why can’t developers write validated code? If I can do it - and I’m not a developer - why can’t they. Or is it that they won’t, or can’t be bothered.

Its the equivalent of writing a letter filled with lots of spelling and grammatical errors and they ought to be slapped with wet fish. Didn’t they learn how to write properly? Honestly.

Guys, here’s a link for you - use it?

</rant>

Faced with more failures than the X Factor panel, I ended up pulling the script apart, re-writing the include.php file and, instead of including the comments form as an SSI, sticking it into xhtml pages as an iframe. At least this way, I removed all the reported code failures and also had more control over the look and feel of the comments form through being able to edit the style sheet for it.

I’ve managed to get it working for two walks sections: cultural and royal walks and hope to get the rest done over the weekend.

Now I just need to sit back and wait / hope for comments

In the meantime, I’ve got other challenges to prepare for, like being the chair of our local tenants and residents association. Such an honour, I feel very humbled to have been voted in and am determined to do a good job for my local community.

Am also starting - just starting, mind - to think about how nice it would be to set up my own business, working in partnership with some selected and trusted contacts rather than forever struggling against the insanity of corporate UK workplaces.

I know loads of extremely talented people and its interesting that they seem to also be starting to feel the same way about the concept of work.

Just need to come up with that elusive “brilliant business plan”. Time to phone Hector again, I think