XML-RPC Ping Services for Web Page Content and Blog Update Notifications

XML RPC pings allow you published web content to be advertised and broadcast-ed to news, search, and index sites providing these web content services with information about your new content, and that new or previous content has been updated or created.

The majority of Blog applications are sure to have XML RPC capabilities.  I use Lifetype which provides a global option list of RPC enabled web engines you want to notify of your Blog's, or News site's new content.

There are up to four pieces of information that you may broadcast to a XML RPC Ping enabled site.  Two of these four are required, the name of your site, and your URL.

The third optional string sent by your Blog is a "Change URL", a resource providing changes to your site's content.  The fourth optional piece of data sent is your content's category name.  These two optional ping content strings may be used by a service to track, for instance, an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed from a site, for example, Weblogs.com or technorati.com, to better provide the world wide web with new media you may have.

Their are thousands of ping servers available across the web.  I will give a list of some of the more popular, and all of which I use.  I should note that pingomatic.com is an XML-RPC Ping service that uses your ping to notify multiple other Ping enable sites using a similar ping with your content.  To add to this, I have found this list to be the most reliable resources, as trouble may arise if a not-so-reliable engine is not available when you update your content.

1. http://api.moreover.com/RPC2
2. http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2
3. http://ping.feedburner.com
4. http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
5. http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
6. http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080
7. http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
8. http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
9. http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
10. http://services.newsgator.com/ngws/xmlrpcping.aspx
11. http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080/

Often search engines take the most interest in your site when the cycle of new content is regular, your writing style is of search engine specific interest, and the relevancy of your content's title is to the point.  PING!

HOWTO: Make an Ubuntu Boot CD

1. You will need to install the syslinux debian package.  "sudo apt-get install syslinux"
2. Create a directory, any name will due.  For this example, I will create a directory called 'boot', "mkdir boot".
3. You will need to copy /usr/lib/syslinux/isolinux.bin to your 'boot' directory you just created: "cp /usr/lib/syslinux/isolinux.bin ./boot".
   1. ISOLINUX is a boot loader for Linux/i386 that operates off ISO 9660/El Torito CD-ROMs in "no emulation" mode. This avoids the need to create an "emulation disk image" with limited space (for "floppy emulation") or compatibility problems (for "hard disk emulation".) - Syslinux
4. Now you will need to copy a kernel of your choice into this directory, for example "cp /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic boot/linux", where the renamed kernel name, which is now the file 'linux', will be your system's running kernel in the need you would have to use a boot CD.
   1. vmlinuz is a compressed Linux kernel, and it is bootable. Bootable means that it is capable of loading the operating system into memory so that the computer becomes usable and application programs can be run. - LINFO
5. Next, copy your corasponding initrd image to your 'boot' directory, "cp /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic boot/initrd.img".
   1. The initial ramdisk, or initrd is a temporary file system commonly used in the boot process of the Linux kernel. It is typically used for making preparations before the real root file system can be mounted. - Wikipedia
6. Use your favorite text editor, emacs will not work, and edit a file called 'isolinux.cfg' in your 'boot' directory, "nano boot/isolinux.cfg".
   1. nano: http://www.nano-editor.org/download.php, or "sudo apt-get install nano". nano is installed by default on many Linux distributions.
7. Enter the following text: "DEFAULT linux initrd=initrd.img ro root=ROOT DEVICE".
8. Now you must replace the text ROOT DEVICE with a disk's UUID, or file pointer.  You may look at '/boot/grub/menu.1st', "nano /boot/grub/menu.1st", and copy your 'ROOT DEVICE' that is being used with a working kernel in this file.  For example, "DEFAULT linux initrd=initrd.img ro root=/dev/sda1".
9. Now to create the Linux Boot CD ISO: "mkisofs -o bootcd.iso -b isolinux.bin -c boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -J -hide-rr-moved -R boot/"
10. You may now use your desktop's CD recording software, cdrecord, or any other of your preference to burn the boot CD to disc.

Record your Spew for Playback on http://myspew.com using Google Voice

See that "call me" button on the top banner of this page?  You should, unless you are still using IE 6.0 in which case I should inform you that I have not supported the design of this site for this browser in well over a year and a half.  You come, and then exit gracefully just as your computer will in the very near future.

In any case, do you have anything on your mind you would like to Spew about?  Anything at all is welcome, though only the marginally creative messages will be Blogged in a post.

My Google Voice e-mail invite has been sitting in my in-box for a week now and I just finally took it out of the shell.

Though not only will it serve as a conduit for Spew and Sludge, the internals of Google Voice are now humming away and in charge of my personal and business communication needs.  How could I resist giving this widget a try, as it is provided to me nicely packaged and ready to go.

Give me your best shot!

Woops! Server response time? Too much Cherry Red Mountain Dew, huh?

OK, I finally tracked down the performance issues I was having with my web services.

My Lighttpd configuration spans 4 directories, with dozens of include files.  What was causing this latency, for so damn long?  A single character which spoofed my sore eyed vision for such a great, long, and agonizing time.

Damn it all.

Random Thought : To hell with Dew, I need a BREW!

It is squirrel Thursday! The New Glarus Brewing Company - Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale

One deceptively spring like winter day, Brewmaster Dan walked home from the brewery, sat down to dinner and said, "Boy, there are some fat squirrels out there. They're running all over the place. I think I should brew a Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale." Deb agreed and so another beer legend was born.

100% Wisconsin malt of six different varieties impart the natural toasted color to this bottle conditioned unfiltered ale. Clean hazelnut notes result from these carefully chosen barley malts. Hops from Slovenia, Bavaria and the Pacific Northwest give Fat Squirrel its backbone.

When the going gets tough, remember to relax a moment and enjoy the "Fat Squirrel" in your neighborhood.

Style	Nut Brown Ale
Flavor	Hazelnut brown ale
Alcohol	5.8% by volume
Available in 6 packs, Cases, 1/2 Barrels and 1/4 Barrels

 

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/Beers.cfm?BeerID=2