Digital Serenity

Community Server saw a major overhaul to the user profile public display page.  One of these newer features is the Shared Feeds.  Shared Feeds allow a user to put any feeds they find worthy of sharing into their profile and have them displayed, per the sites layout, on the profile page.

The screenshot above is from my personal profile on dev.communityserver.com - as you can see there are two feeds shown here, each with the latest posts from that feed displayed.  The default CS theme displays 5 posts there, though that can be changed using the QueryOverrides  "PageSize" property of your TemporaryRssFeedList control.

But really this isn't what made me think this was a good blog post.  Allow me to put the Search Engine Optimized phrase here: Why does my Community Server 2008 Shared Feeds only show 5 feeds?

The answer, my friends, is blowin' in th...nevermind that.

It's simple, CS08 has a limit to the number of feeds you can share, not just that are displayed, but in fact share; the magic number being 5.  If you try to save 6 items CS actually removes the 6th item from the list before saving, but never tells you this:

I learned this the hard way, of course; I spent an hour trying to troubleshoot why only 5 of my feeds were displaying even though I saw my profile save after entering 6 items - Moral of the story, always make sure what you thought saved actually saved (yes, only 5 items saved).

[ cross-posted from the Dallas Stars Podcast ]

Before I actually get to the schedule, allow me to reflect a bit, in no great detail, about this years Dallas Stars:

• Marty Turco continued to prove that he is a clutch goalie and that he has it in the playoffs.  While he had a rough bout against the Wings, he not only pulled the team 3 rounds deep, he finally got his first win at the Joe ... ever ... in the playoffs.
• The freshmen are AMAZING.  Who would have expected a group SO chock full of rookies to make it as far as they did.  Barch, Erikson, Grossman, Fistric, Niskanen, Peterson, Stephan ... I know we saw more guys, but these guys really impressed me this season.  I can't wait to see what happens with our backup goalie situation next year - and how about Grossman with his first career NHL goal being in the Playoffs ... no ... in the Western Conference Finals???  Nuts I tell ya, nuts!
• Oh captain, my Captain.  When the "C" was abruptly and rudely taken from Mike Modano many people questioned the move, and also the choice of Brendan Morrow as the replacement.  If there are ANY doubters left, allow us to reflect, without me digging up the stats, how well Morrow did this series.  First and foremost, if we had made the finals, he would have, in this bloggers opinion, won the Conn Smyth this year.  Second, was there a player with more heart, more drive, and better to model the rest of your team after this series?  How about his injuries?  (yeah, we'll get to that in a moment).  I admit, when I first saw Morrow I questioned him as Captain.  I knew there had to be a reason, but I wasn't sold.  I will never question him again after this year.
• Shoulder surgery, sports hernia, torn shoulder, bum leg, concussion.  And this is just the list of players who PLAYED WITH THESE INJURIES this playoffs; for the Stars.  We knew about Boucher, Zubov, Barnes & Fistric, but how about Morrow & Norstrom?  That's right, for the entire Playoffs Norstrom did everything he could to ignore a sports hernia; and it was, in my opinion, the most alive he has been as a Dallas Star.  As for our Captain, he was "basically laying on one leg" since the final game against the Sharks, not forget the partial tare in his shoulder.
• Mike Smith was an amazing backup goalie; Jussie Jokinen a clutch on the breakaway/Shootout; Jeff Halpern a quiet leader; and we saw all of them leave this year.  It was a sad day for everyone, not a single fan I know was happy to see all 3 of these players leave, and I'm certain the team had a rough time of it too.  However, Brad Richards and 3 years of contract came to Dallas.  This will be HUGE in the coming years as we see some of our vets retire.  It was huge in the playoffs as he was tied for second in points and led the lines of not only Mike Modano but also the rookies at different times.  B-Rich will be a major player next year, the year after, and going forward.
• Brett Hull and Les Jackson were placed into the first ever co-GM experiment in the history of the NHL.  They relieved an unspoken pressure between the players and their concern for job security; they relieved a similar unspoken pressure of Dave Tippet and his team of coaches, who just hadn't proven themselves in the playoffs (don't believe me?  Look at San Jose's head coach; oh that's right, they don't have one anymore).  They placed a few minor pickups in Iowa; and they tailored the deal that got us Brad Richards without giving up our entire future (can anyone say Marion Hossa to Pittsburgh?).  Rumor has it that Tom Hicks is actually trying to convince the two to stick around together another year; wow.
• Fabian Brunnstrom; this years hottest free agent; a supposed #5 overall draft pick, without the draft pick and without the ramp up time in Iowa.  Need I say more about next year?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boy and Girls, it's time to look at 2008/2009.  Hold your heads up high because the Dallas Stars were a team to be proud of in 2007/2008 and will be a team to reckon with next year.

GO STARS!
--j

Because I Can, I'm 5 hours behind.  Like it, or bugger off :-)

Friday, Day 16, I'm thankful for good music.

A legend of a local DJ here in Dallas and I have become friends over the past year.  He is the Music Coordinator / Entertainment Director (last time I called someone that she was a Madam in Vegas, but I digress) for the Dallas Stars, and also the liaison at the Stars for the Fanatics: Jeff K.  Jeff, who doesn't DJ as much these days did a set tonight at Whiskey Bar on lower Greenville - while the place was small and not as busy as I expected (the whole area was dead tonight), Jeff was fantastic in bringing back some good, old fashioned (aka - old school) dance music - the stuff that made me fall into the techno/hypno/trance/dance genre back in the day.  While not as many of us showed up as I had expected (and boo on you sir, boo on you) it was still an awesome time.  So today, I think I shall end my day with a note for you, sir Jeff K: Rock on, sir, Rock on!

As seen in my post, Because I Can, here is what I'm grateful for, today:

Today, Day 15, I'm grateful for second chances.

Yup!  Tonight the Stars showed up in Detroit and acted like a bunch of prospects.  Talking with Streakgrl from the Dallas Stars official boards we (probably she) commented it was like watching the annual Pros vs Prospects game.  It's simple, guys: you have the talent, you have the skill, you have demonstrated the ability to play the level you need to.  However, tonight, you chose not to.  You were nervous, star-struck, afraid even.  Who showed up?  Morrow showed up.  Turco showed up (you really can only blame one of those goals on him alone).  Zubie & Robie kinda showed up, but their defensive pairs were too flaky to produce enough.  And Daley ... oye.  One play he kicks ass, deeks the wings, does a few fans over the puck and makes a beauty of a shot; the next play he acts like it's his first AHL game ... yeah that's right, AHL, not NHL.

So here's to tomorrow, when the Stars will practice hard so when they come out Saturday the team that shows up is the same team that beat Anaheim & San Jose, not the prospects we watched tonight - so they don't blow their Second Chance.
 

As seen in my post, Because I Can, here is what I'm grateful for, today:

Today, April 7, Day 14, I'm grateful for the Internets and all of it's splendor.

The list is FAR too long to actually list them all, however, here are some the most important, life changing parts of the internet (this, of course, being a family safe list), in my opinion.

• E-Bay - I recently gave in, after much peer presure, and purchased myself an X-Box 360.  My biggest deturrant has always been the cost associated the console, however, once the pressure got hard enough I thought I'd see what I could find.  Thanks to the world's most popular auction website I found one, plus a wireless controller, for an amount that didn't entirely break the bank.  E-Bay has brought many changes to the world of person to person sales: it has made internet selling easy and almost garunteed if you follow it's best practices; it has made the weekend garage sale an every day (quite literally) occurance; it has also spawned many brick-and-mortar stores that afford people who are afraid to sell things themselves online the opportunity to do so.
  
• Google - It's hard to argue that any company has had more effect on how the internet is used.  From mail, calendar and business applications to their flagship search application (which includes topical searches for blogs, images, news and many more) Google has revolutionized every aspect of using the internet.  They even have their own video sharing site - YouTube, eat your heart out (ok, maybe the video sharing site is lacking).  And for all you MAC/Apple Fan Boys, I am a Google Fan Boy.
  
• Evite - I don't have quite the praise for Evite that I do for Google, but Evite was the first (that I knew of) publicly available internet event planning system.
  
• Wikipedia - No one said everything you read on the internet is perfect, and this site has had more than it's share of mis-information; however, if you are looking to learn something quick this is a great place to start.  START being the key.  I have, on many-a-night, been watching a historical fiction on TV (most recently The Tudors on Showtime) and found myself skimming Wikipedia's database for more information.  I do sugges,t however, if you're using this for any fact-finding you find other sources; this user-driven content is not always the most accurate.
  
• Craigs List - Craigs list, too, has been around for quite some time.  It, like E-Bay, has brought the garage sale to the internet, however, it's lack of restrictions has given it as many negatives as it has positives.  Oh, if you're a regular Craigs List user, I suggest ListPic.com: a site that displays Craigs List results using their photographs ... a very cool site to use.
• IMDB - The Internet Movie Database.  Want to know what actor was in what movie and who co-starred in it?  How about some reviews?  Maybe photographs from the movies.  How about Television shows?  The list goes on, and this site has all the data you could need on your favorite star, or starlet.

Like I said, there is PLENTY more, but these are some of the sites that, I think, have revolutionized the internet, and our lives.  What would you add?

Sunday I woke up thinking "Don't forget to post your Being Grateful article today" and as the day wore on I thought "No no, you can post it when you get home from tonight's game, you'll have plenty to be thankful for then.  And I was, MORE than grateful.  I had a bleeding split upper lip (damn plastic horns), sore fore arms (damn drum) and no voice (damn screaming) ... but allow me to continue my Being Grateful series by telling you that on

Day 11 I was grateful for Tailgating.

What, you didn't expect me to be thankful for the NHL Conference Finals, did you?  Come on, that game didn't end until 1:30 Central time.  No, no, Sunday the Fanatics had our second Tailgate and, I think I can safely speak for all 40+ attendees, it was awesome.  We even had people not attending the game join us for the tailgate ... and non-fanatics asking about it at the game (so I'm told).

Day 12 I was (and am still) grateful for Marty's sticky fingers ... and toes ... and his back ... and his helmet ...

... Seriously, is there a spot Marty Turco did NOT make a save off?  You see, Sunday night into Monday morning, for over 5 hours, the Stars played hockey against the Sharks.  This game, the 8th longest NHL game ever recorded, cost the Sharks their opportunity to continue onto the Conference Championships, and afforded the Dallas Stars their 2nd trip to that hallowed round since winning Lord Stanley's Cup in 1999, the previous time was 2000.  Marty made a franchise high 61 saves that game; the game winner by Brendan Morrow came in at approximately 1:25am - almost 5.5 hours of hockey.  Bliss my friends, pure bliss.

Day 13, catching us back up to Today, I am thankful for a good nights sleep.

When I was 21 I convinced my parents I needed a new bed, and they helped me buy one.  I love this bed, it's a pillow-top style (brand/model I can't seem to recall), that's not too fluffy, not too firm; that combined with my Brookstone Tempur-Pedic Pillow AND my feather pillow and Eddie Bauer Goose Down Comforter ... After Monday mornings hockey shenanigans I needed a strong nights sleep.

As I drove around today to:

• find out status of part for broken cell phone;
• get refund for part that isn't coming for broken cell phone;
• go to AT&T store to get broken cell phone fixed;
• go to AT&T support center to get broken cell phone fixed;
• find out broken cell phone is out of warranty, thusly not able to be fixed by support center;
• go back to AT&T store to buy new cell phone
• go to friends house to pickup house keys (note to self: never lose house keys again);
• go to other friends to get smoker for tomorrows Game 6 tailgate;
• go to office to make up for lack of hours during normal M-F hours

... I came to realize something that fit perfectly in my 30 day writing experiment; I realized that ...

Today, May 3, aka Day 10, I am grateful for Sunlight.

It may sound silly but I love the Dallas weather.  First, we don't have weeks of rain.  Rain comes and within 36 hours even the worst of storm fronts are completely gone; usually you only have to wait 6 to 12 hours for it to clear ... if that.  Something similar to what we northerners call Snow comes and 6 hours it's 60 degrees and the ground is dry.  Humidity comes, and well that sucks because it's 100 degrees when it comes, but it's gone in 24 hours.

Seriously, I don't mind the 105 degree summer days (even when they are 60 days straight).  While I do miss my snow and the changing of the seasons (don't even try to tell me there are "seasons" in Dallas), I wear shorts and sandals 8 months out of the year; and almost NEVER say "gosh I just wish [insert next season] would come already!"

This is what I was afraid of: I'd lose track of days, next thing I know a week's gone by.  Not bad, it took me 5 days of successful blogging before I missed the opportunity.  So, to continue my 30 day theme as seen in my post, Because I Can, here we are, days 6, 7, 8 and 9, all in one post.

Tuesday, Day 6, I was grateful for the Stars' 3rd straight Playoff victory over the Sharks.

It's not cheesy, it makes perfect sense.  I was high as a kite, and tired as heck, as the overtime winner made it look like a possible sweep.

Wednesday, Day 7, I was grateful for Facebook & MySpace.

I feel about as dirty as you having written that, but in reality, those sites aren't all that bad; it all depends on how you use them.  I use Facebook & MySpace for about 15% Dallas Stars Podcast publicity, 15% to keep in touch with current/local friends & co-workers, 65% to keep in touch with old/distant friends, 5% miscellaneous random stuff.  On this particular day I found a friend of mine from when I was a volunteer in training at the Southport Volunteer Fire Department.

Thursday, Day 8, I was grateful for Telligent.

I know I've been thankful for work once, but on Thursday Telligent found out that it was officially voted the number 10 small-medium sized business to work for in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (funny, spell check doesn't like that word much).  A very cool article in the Dallas Business Journal displays many of the things that make Telligent cool - when/if I get an online link I'll be sure to post it.

Today, May 2, Day 9, I am grateful for the ability to Serve.

Yes, I put serve there with a capital S.  "Service Above Self" is the slogan of Rotary International, an organization I am a member of through the Park Cities Rotary Club.  It is also a slogan I have come to believe in and follow, as mentioned a little here and here.  I have learned that it is very easy to feel good about yourself when you know you are doing your best to help others, be it by raising funds, getting your hands dirty with Habitat for Humanity, cleaning the local parks, serving food at the soup kitchen, or shaking hands with the USO to outgoing troops.  It's not about agreeing with political views, respecting the decisions that led us to certain situations, or laying/accepting blame; Serving is about knowing you did something towards a goal of leaving the world a better place then it was when you got here.

As seen in my post, Because I Can, here is what I'm grateful for, today:

Today, Day 5, I'm grateful for friendly reminders.

Today I got a friendly reminder when, in my news reader, I saw my good friend Devin over at El Blog de Los Amigos post his "grateful" ... I totally forgot about it and would have left for the night without doing it.  Sometimes your reminders are a bit more direct, like when my brother Oscar sends me an email last Friday reminding me to get my time sheet in before the day ends; and no, we don't work together, he just knows my inability to get that in on time.  HAH!

As seen in my post, Because I Can, here is what I'm grateful for, today:

Today, Day 4, April 26, I am grateful for HDTV.

I'm a HUGE hockey fan, specifically the Dallas Stars.  Suffice to say watching hockey on TV is a very difficult thing to do.  The camera speed is too slow, the analogue signal is blurry, the puck is so small ... it just isn't a good TV sport.  UNLESS the signal is broadcast in HD.  NBC, once a week, for the second half of the season has been broadcasting an HD game dubbed as "The Game of the Week".  While it's not always a game I want to watch it is TOTALLY worth watching - I thought HDTV was a big deal for football back when it was first released, but I never really appreciated it until I saw the snow fly up from a players skate as he stopped suddenly; the skate-lines in the ice after a half period of ice; or even better, the first time I realized I was watching the puck move on the ice, instead of watching the players react to a mysterious blur I could only barely see.  Thank you HDTV ... now come on My27, start broadcasting EVERY game in HD.

As seen in my post, Because I Can, here is what I'm grateful for, today:

Today, Day 3, April 26, I am grateful for people to share things with.

I grew up with 2 brothers and a sister, all of whom had gone off to college by the time I was 10 (they are 9, 12 and 14 years older than me).  I also spent time with cousins, uncles, grandparents and family friends living in our house at one point or another.  What this taught me was to find bonds with people so the time I shared with them was more meaningful; it's not that vegging in front of the TV was taboo, but that's not the kind of thing that we cherished.  What we cherished was my grandfather, the priest, teaching us poker and the less-favorable Greek phrases; the 20-person Christmas mornings; the exchange students from other countries who stayed with us for entire school years; listening and/or performing music together (no, we were NOT the Partridge family).

Now, as close to an adult as I ever hope to be, I live no closer than a thousand miles to my siblings, parents and closest friends.  It is important, for me, to find bonds with people early in knowing them, to find a bond, a common ground to build quick friendships. These days I have found my closest relationships thanks to the Dallas Stars Fanatics, Park Cities Rotary Club and my various professional affiliations including work.

By the way, the photo above is my brother Andy's wedding.  From left to right are: Peter (eldest brother), David (brother-in-law), Joanna (sister), Andy (brother), Jenn (his wife), Phoebe (mom), Mac (dad), myself; and standing at half height in front of us are David & Joanna's kids: Christopher, Rose and Aaron (my godson).  We may be spread out around the country (San Francisco, Dallas, Ithica and Connecticut) but we have a damn good party when we are together!
 

As seen in my post, Because I Can, here is what I'm grateful for, today:

Today, Day 2, April 25, I am grateful for my offices's XBox 360.

I know, I know, not exactly very emotional, but after taking a nice 45 minute break to lose miserably to Matt D in FIFA08 ... it's nice to remember and be grateful for the wonderful things my company does to keep its employees happy.

Thanks Telligent :-)

Annie over at Jesus' Favorite started a writing assignment that inspired Devin at El Blog de Los Amigos ... which inspired me to try something a little bit different.

I'm, obviously, not a regular blogger these days, even over at the Dallas Stars Podcast blogs.  I've tried to keep myself to every 2 to 3 weeks, but what can I say, I've been too busy to notice when things are really worth blogging, and I've missed many opportunities to get myself regular (I know, Metamucil will fix that right up, thanks).

Yes, yes, what is the writing assignment, I know. 

Once a day, for 30 days, share something you are grateful for.

Simple.  Easy.  To the point.  And after this long-winded explanation, short posts ...

I like it.  It not only gets me, supposedly, writing in my blog once a day for 30 days; which gets me thinking about my blog every day, which will hopefully lead to more though provoking blog entries; but it gets me thinking about the good things in life.  Even better, these small tidbits of happiness could be great conversation starters ... right?

So, to start things off ...

Today, Day 1, April 24, I'm thankful for the opportunity to be free.

I tend to spend a LOT of spare time talking about, watching, listening to and drinking because of the Dallas Stars.  I have, up until now, kept my thoughts about the team separate over at DallasStarsPodcast.com, however, I feel compelled to bring some personal items to my blog here ... especially since I haven't felt compelled to write much technical in quite a while.

So, a bit of cross-pollination from the DSP blogs to my personal blogs here ...

---

A lot of speculation will continue to sprout up around the Stars with their current lack of ability to play 60 minutes, however, Scott Burnside has some interesting thoughts about it:

As bad as the Dallas Stars have been lately, it might actually help them. After sitting atop the Pacific Division and closing in on Detroit for the Western Conference lead, the Stars have lost four in a row and are 1-7-0 in their last eight. The team doesn't play again until Thursday, but are fifth in the conference, just one point ahead of Calgary. The problem for the Stars and Flames, and even Vancouver, is that finishing fifth almost certainly means a first-round date with defending Cup-champion Anaheim. That's not a good thing. Let's be honest -- finishing sixth and playing the winner of the Northwest Division, whether it's Minnesota or Calgary or Vancouver, is a much more palatable matchup.

His full article is actually about Coaches who need to take another look at their resumes, and yes, he does include Tippett, but only barely at the end:

Another highly regarded bench boss who needs a strong playoffs to ensure continued employment is Dave Tippett in Dallas. If the Stars falter, Tippett will move to the top of almost everyone's wish list.

I appreciate that Burnside only barely touches Tippet in this article, a lot of fans will call for his head, but have you seen what he's been doing to try to turn things around for this team?  Easter Sunday was an off day for the Stars, but he had them on the ice working so hard that, Hagman tossed up his Easter breakfast and Robidas was slumped over at the end of practice (thanks Heika for those visuals).

For those calling on Tippett's head, maybe you're right.  Maybe he just can't get these guys properly inspired for the long haul.  Or maybe, with his first season not under Armstrong, and with a team who took a huge mental hit losing Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern and Jussi Jokinen, he needs a fresh start to the season.

I like Tippett, in fact, I'd call myself a Tippett fan and supporter (no, not like a bra, get your mind out of the gutter); but I hope he can turn things around so Hull, Jackson and ultimately Hicks, don't have to make a tough decision.

I'm pullin' for ya Stars, you can do it ... we know you can.

--The Wall

PS - Sorry for the lack of podcasts the past month.  Scott and I have been incredibly busy and just can't seem to meet up.  I promise, you'll get to hear our sexy voices once again soon ... well, soon-ish.

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Do you like reading my Dallas Stars stuff here?  Let me know - and if you have thoughts on the team itself, feel free to hit me up here, or over at the DSP.

This week I started on a new project here at Telligent.  While I'm not sure what details I can get into (like client name etc) what I do know I can say is that it is going to be a fantastic opportunity to learn the newest release of Community Server!

That's right, in case you missed it, this past Tuesday Telligent announced the official release of CS08 Beta 1.  So, what's new in CS 08?  In case you're not going to click on the link above to find out for yourself, here is a subset of the changes that I am actually interested in (and more importantly for me, will have hands on experience in over the next couple of months):

• Groups: Private and public groups that support membership, blogs, forums, galleries ... yup, one community site that supports other community sites.
• Media Gallery: An update to the photo gallery that merges both Photos & File galleries into one application.  Also expect to see viewers for images, audio to help share the content.
• Widgets: YAY!  Widgets found their home at Telligent in GraffitiCMS, and were so warmly welcomed by our family that they have now found their way into Community Server.  How sweet it is ...
• Web Services API: We are shipping a Web Services API with Community Server 2008.  A REST implementation (is therea subject that Wikipedia doesn't have definitions for?) will make it easier than ever to share data from within CS with other applications and tools - could it get any cooler than that?

Also, some things have been removed from CS08 in order to make administration less of a headache.  In my opinion, though, the coolest announcement came October 16th.

Upcoming Changes to Community Server 2008

We are removing the reader application. In this case, we have found that there are indeed some communities that leverage this feature, but we do not feel that it properly fits into the platform. As such, reader will no longer be offered as part of Community Server. Instead, we plan to release a separate RSS Reader application sometime in Summer 2008.

Forgive me if you disagree, but ANOTHER product being released by Telligent ... and an RSS Reader?  I just can't think of anything this company is doing that ISN'T awesome.

And if you're as excited about all this as I am ...