Kubrick template for OPML blogs 
This is a simple adaptation of the famous kubrick template to be used for OPML blogs. It uses the files from the kubrick release 1.2.6.
The images and css files from the kubrick release have been used verbatim, while the php files have been substituted by the template.opml and a css file for the images customization
| it has been necessary to use a separate custom.css file because i was not able to properly generate inline styles from the template.css. I consider it a bug of my adaptation of kubrick to be solved as soon as i will know more of the OPML editor. |
To use the template you have to:
| 1. uncompress the kubrick_opml.zip archive in a temporary directory |
| 2. open the template.opml inside the temporary dir |
| 3. You'll need to change |
| 3.1 the title: insert your weblog title |
| 3.2 all the urls to make them point at your hosting space on opml.org: the base url for any files dropped in the www folder is http://hosting.opml.org/blogname/ |
| 3.3 the blog title (sorrounded by the h1 tag) |
| 3.4 the blog description (sorrounded by the div below the h1 tag) |
| 4. save the changes |
| 5. backup all your www\blog\decorations directory |
| 6. copy all of the files and dirs in the temporary dir into the www\blog\decorations dir |
To customize the aspect of your weblog you can:
| - replace any of the images in the images subdir |
| - modify the custom.css stylesheet to point to different directories or to override some of the default styles |
| - modify the template.opml |
| - modify the wp-layout.css style to change the styles |
| Notice however that wp-layout.css and the images are taken directly from the original kubrick, thus if you don't modify them you will be able to use files from any new releases more easily |
| just corrected the link, rushing to release it i had it worng ;-) thanks to A.H. Jaffe! |
Some thoughts about the outliner
Since being introduced to the concept, I thought that outlining is a nice way to edit and read programs source. When dealing with big chunks of code, it really speeds up reorganizing the code and lets you write the software in a more organized way. For my works in python i did mostly use ActiveState Komodo which has a code folding editor, more limited than real outliners, but giving at least some of the convienence.
Now I'm tryng out this OPML, and i find it to be a bit rough in the interface (e.g. I would prefer having the outline windows came up maximized inside the MDI, and it is not clear which is the role of the right half of the main window panel) but it gives a complete outlining experience.
I find it to be really easy to use for composing the outlines and re-organizing the structure (this should be THE primary goal of any outliner). The feel of a simple tool (at least) makes you concentrate
Moreover it is absolutely one of the easiest ways to blog (and to do structured blogging), and the upstreaming directory (which was there also for Radio) is a wonderful idea.
Also the idea of distributed outlines linked and viewd through dynamic inclusion suggests some intersting uses as a group tool.
some suggestions for OPML (the editor)
let the outlines come up maximized, preferably adding a tabbed interface, make them the most prominent
the first time it opens, after registering, show a how to post to the blog (let's call it "1,2,3...blog!")
| 1. open "today's outline" |
| 2. give a popup message explaining what it is and how to write a post |
| 3. explain how to view it from a browser (maybe open it) |
when OPML starts open a new outline if it is not called to open an existing one (just as most editors do with text document)
add a recent outlines to the file menu.
add the documentation as an outline, a distributed one, where anyone can contribute, building the help from the community contribution in a bottom-up fashion.
some ideas on the use of outlines / outliners
Outlines can be a powerful tool to write in an organized way, they give you the way to write documents with a structure, but they also give you the power to easily re-organize the structure following the evolution of the ideas, without easy manipolation the structure would be more of an obstacle than and help (we may call it restructuring impedance). Here are come ideas on the use of the outlines:
TODO - DONE lists, that can be used in a group environment to track the evolution of a project
TODO-DONE document for Log4Js  |
collecting requests form the users of the product (OPML might have a feedback outline, predefined and upstreamed, which the server automatically includes in a global requests outline)
Presentation format: imagine doing an on stage presentation where the slides can be modified/integrated by the conference partecipants writing on their outlines...
