Having recently reviewed the WordPress plugins that are available to assist with the current cookie legislation I was dismayed to find a lack of anything simple that would be list out the shortcodes on a site, yet provide some flexibility.
So, I’ve written something.
(more…)I’m going to assume you know what I mean by the new cookie regulations. Anyway, they came into force on the 26th May 2012 although the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) is saying that it has no plans to fine people immediately. Instead they will instigate action when a user complains via a webpage that the ICO have not yet set up. Even then they are more likely to ask you to make changes before going as far as fining you. Never-the-less, there is a potential $500,000 so it’s important that if the changes do apply to you, to do something about it. Of course, you can also complain about the law.
There are a number of plugins currently available in the WordPress.org repository which can assist you with meeting the requirements and I’ve looked at each to see what they offer and what they lack.
(more…)
Since my Raspberry Pi review I’ve had some comments (and, I suspect, more to come) critisising my poor review of the product. The first one I answered personally but after the second person made different arguements but I would have answered them in an almost identical way I thought a seperate article may be appropriate, explaining in a lot more detail (more detail than I should put in the original review without boring readers to death!).
I’ve removed my original comment and added it into this response. If I get further comments I will reply via an update to this article (or simply pointing them to it if I’ve answered it already).
So, my review. It wasn’t pretty. The hardware is superb for the money and if the review was about that it would have got full marks. However, it wasn’t. The first thing I need to do, though, is explain WHO the Raspberry Pi is aimed at.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation (RPF) is a not-for-profit UK charity. Tax breaks from the UK Government (and hence also the UK taxpayer) allows them to produce the product so cheaply. I’ve twice been on the committee of a charity and have also applied, on the behalf of a charity, for charitable grants.
The Foundation’s charity number is 1129409 and from that I can find their details on the Charity Commission website. To gain charitable status you have to indicate what the purpose of your organisation is, and where that fits in with such a status. This will tell us what and who the Pi was intended for…
THE OBJECT OF THE CHARITY IS TO FURTHER THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF COMPUTERS, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND RELATED SUBJECTS
What
Who
How
So, the Pi is meant for everybody with the intention of advancing their knowledge in computers. It will do this with education and training via services and other activities.
But, and the crux of my review, is that they have delivered an excellent piece of hardware but with poor software and documentation support. This is hardly “education and training”.
I’m sure both the commentators so far will argue otherwise but both, particularly the first, seem to already be pretty knowledgable in their computer skills and are, therefore, not who the Pi is intended for. The same goes for me – I bought mine for review purposes but also to get both/either of my daughers interested. And it’s because of that latter point that I believe I can state that, so far, RPF are failing. My eldest daugher is nearly 14 and has an interested in computers – Facebook and computer art, mainly. But not at programming or the hardware – both things that the Pi should be able to stimulate an interest in. The former it should be able to do because the hardware is there, present, caseless for all to see. Unfortunately, a lack of documentation means that I couldn’t answer questions on what components do what. Secondly, the poor quality OS and accompnaying software is an immediate turn off for her to try and “tinker”.
Some might try and argue that the basic OS is exactly what people need to get interested but without the documentation to back that up, it’s likely to just be a turn-off. Indeed, even with the documentation, I’d struggle to accept an argument that having to find and install software via the command line is a good thing.
One comment suggested that the initial run of 10,000 was meant for developers.
Although in private the RPF may have regarded the release for developers that isn’t what they’ve been saying when they’ve hyping the product launch in advance, with the skill of the next big Batman movie. Sadly, their blog page announcing the launch is now AWOL, but let’s use as an example, the BBC news page for it’s release. RPF have used the BBC extensively throughout the production of their device to develop interest and I am in doubt that they had a close relationship.
There were 4 separate news releases on the BBC site dedicated to it on the day of release, but this is the main one… http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17190918
Sorry, can’t see evidence that this was launched for developers in mind – it keeps referring to users. In fact, didn’t they give a load, on day of release, to a school? Odd that they’d do this if this was at the early stages and only meant for developers. Personally, I’d have distributed a limited number via the Linux development channels, built up the software to a stable and usable base and then released it.
If the current release of the Pi is meant for developers, RPF have done a terrible job of telling people that. I have 3 friends, none of them Linux developers, and all are thinking about getting one. I guess the message has been lost on them as well as it was on me and, I suspect, an awful lot of the 350,000 people who ordered. And THAT is why an awful lot of people are going to be disappointed and stick the Pi in the back of a cupboard.
Having said all, even if this was a development release, who would you define as “developers”. People who can code? I can, but I’m sure as hell not using the current Raspberry Pi software to do this. The only developers who would be interested are Linux Developers – 10,000 is an awful lot.
Another comments makes a good point – if only a few people are turned off by this, what does it matter? 10,000 have been sold.
The thing is, it doesn’t matter what percentage of the overall total it is, but the percentage of those that the Pi is aimed at. I suspect the majority of people who clamoured to get the initial release probably aren’t those the Pi was aimed at. If only 10% of the 10,000 sold were destined for genuine educational needs and 100% of those have been put off by the software and documentation then that’s a 100% failure rate for the Foundation, no matter how many they may sell.
As the commentator said, “I do suspect that the great majority who placed pre-orders are technically savvy and will not be easily discouraged by its half-baked status”. Exactly.
The same comment also mentions that he has a vast experience in development and can remember having to “get dirty” with command line and hence can see what the developers of the Pi were trying to do.
From what the RPF have said they’re taking their key from the 80’s micro computers where you’d turn them on and come to a command prompt and, many people, would start programming. The difference is that these computers, the successful ones anyway, would come well documented and with a vast array of easily accessable software. Those that didn’t died on their arse.
But, most important of all – if the above changes, whether it be later this year or in a year’s time, I will be happy to re-review the Raspberry Pi.
Ideally, the commentator I’d like to see is a teenager who had no interest in programming, was given a Pi, tinkered, loved it and started to do some developing as a result. They might be the exception, so I wouldn’t be ready to eat my words just yet, but that’s the kind of thing the Pi is intended for. Show me that person and we’ll talk.
Indeed One of the co-founders of Raspberry Pi Foundation has stated that…
There’s nothing specifically educational about this device. The only reason it’s applicable is it’s cheap.
With a number of plugins under my belt, I’ve collected a number of theories on what you shouldn’t do. All of them are relevant, if light-hearted.
WordPress is a fantastic blogging platform – I love both using it and developing for it. However, with regard to the latter I find it a struggle to promote the work I do. Any WordPress plugins that I develop are free, GPL licensed and I provide free support via the WordPress.org site or, preferably, here on my own forum. Yet, WordPress.org is hardly helping me to promote my plugins amongst the many thousands of others.
When you visit their plugin page you can get a list of the most popular or the most highly rated, but you need to get people actually downloading and trying your plugin to get on these lists – how do you actually get there? Well, that’s the rub. There is no other promotional mechanism. There is a “Feature Plugins” section on the main page and this might be a perfect way to do this. Sadly, it only shows 6 plugins, rarely changes (and then not by much) and of the 6 currently on display, every single one has been written by Automattic or a member of their staff. Yep, they like to promote their own work, but they’re obviously forgetting about the many others who ensure the popularity of WordPress with their own time and effort.
So, here’s a suggestion, borrowing some capabilities from their own platform. How about a slider on that front page, moving between one of a number of plugins, regularly updated, to help promote them. If the author has supplied a banner image this could be used to really help grab the visitor. Under that slider you could have a list of a number of other plugins that are being promoted. And, no, they don’t have to be created by Automattic.
The irony is, that of their 6 currently featured plugins, only 1 is in the top 6 most popular plugins. Only half of those popular plugins are by Automattic, showing that plugins written by others are equally as important and valuable.
It’s just a thought, anyway.
