Check out the definition of social http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/social You’ll find that it is not a one way source of communication. Social is the conversation and to have a conversation you have to listen, once you’ve done that you can respond. When I log onto Facebook, I’m not looking for a brand, I’m looking to connect. I’m not sure who coined the phrase “Social Media” or who told corporations that tweeting was a good idea. I believe we are missing the point when we use these tools as a method of exposure rather than drawing closer as a community.

Community, brings to mind commune, take it further communicate. So we’re a bunch of digital hippies farming relationships with people we may never see. There is a certain power in this, “power in numbers” we can benefit people’s lives in a positive way. Someone is down on their luck, a community comes together to pick them up. A person has a question and someone has the answer. Community is about relationships. relationships are fostered on trust. Trust is gained through conversation, learning about one another. You can’t learn about someone else till you ask questions, and when you ask LISTEN.

So social is not about YOU. Social is about an equal voice, an equal chance, to learn grow and benefit. Social is not saying “you just don’t get it” but teaching and being taught. Social is an evolving mindset of community and as a community we band together so no one has to fall apart.

What is social to you?

Why use SimplePie over the included MagPie Reader?

Usage example:

{exp:simple_pie url=’http://christopherreding.com/feed/’} // parses atom and rss feeds and returns a list)

Get it here: Simple_pie.zip

From Wikipedia:
“A software framework, in computer programming, is an abstraction in which common code providing generic functionality can be selectively overridden or specialized by user code providing specific functionality. Frameworks are a special case of software libraries in that they are reusable abstractions of code wrapped in a well-defined API, yet they contain some key distinguishing features that separate them from normal libraries.”

That explains it? If you are like me then that was more confusion than an answer. For a long time this sort of lofty explanation was a road block to truly grasping the power frameworks contain. However, step forward a few years, and poof I got it. While learning to code from scratch was probably the best thing that could have happened, learning to use a framework (on top of that knowledge) made it all the better. So what is a framework in common terms?

To be concise a framework is a set of tools prefabricated to assist you in building your application. Imagine building a house if you had to create the hammer, mold nails, build a saw, etc. At one time this was how people lived, but progress brought the toolbox. The same is true with coding. Frameworks become our toolbox, and the API gives access to our tools. This makes us more efficient and saves time so we don’t have to re-invent the wheel (or class) every time we embark on a new project. Now we know what and why frameworks, lets get to the how.

For this discussion I’m going to limit it two two examples. The first is a PHP library that goes by the name of Codeigniter. I’m not saying Codeigniter is better than other libraries, that is a personal choice, I’m just using it as an example here. Codeigniter is a MVC framework (we’ll discuss MVC later) it enables the development of robust applications in a fraction of the time it takes to code traditionally. Codeigniter consists of a series of classes, libraries, helpers etc. that together make up a pretty nice toolset for developers. For instance say you need to run a database query, in the past this would require something like this:

$link = mysql_connect(‘localhost’, ‘mysql_user’, ‘mysql_password’);
if (!$link)
{
die(‘Could not connect: ‘ . mysql_error());
}
$query “SELECT Foo FROM Bar WHERE Foo = 1”;
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());

while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result){
echo $row['Foo'];
}

becomes this:

$result = $this->db->query(“SELECT Foo FROM Bar WHERE Foo = 1”);
if($result)
{
foreach($result as $value):
echo $value->Foo;
endforeach;
}

As you can see the code is a lot shorter and more streamlined. This is due to Codeigniter’s database class, one of the many tools you can use to speed up your workflow.

Another example is jQuery. jQuery is a javascript library containing predefined functions that allow you to harness the power of client side scripting without having to write
excessive amounts of code. Just as before I’m not saying jQuery is the best, there are others out there that are just as useful, I’m just using it for this example. jQuery allows us to create animations, load data, submit forms, interact with the DOM, and much more. Without jQuery (or a similar library) this would entail lines of code that may or may not work (in ie6 ). The beauty of jQuery in found not only in it’s simplicity, but in the ability to function in an expected fashion across browsers. This frees up time to focus on presentation as opposed to compatibility. jQuery also offers us the ability to interact with data in real time without having to reload the page creating a more desktop-esque experience within the confines of the browser. This brings us to where.

Now that we’ve discussed the How, what, and why you may be wondering where to learn more about all these wonderful tools, and so I bring to you the resources, a series of links to sites that I think are awesome.

http://codeigniter.com – the name says it all
http://jquery.com – the home of jQuery
http://nettuts.com – great tutorials and information on EVERY web subject
http://www.prototypejs.org/ – javascript framework
http://mootools.net/ – javascript framework
http://cakephp.org/ – PHP framework
http://www.alistapart.com/ for the purist and web standards guru
http://usejquery.com/ – a great resource for tutorials using jquery

This is just a few, if you have any favorites mention them in the comments.

Disaster Relief Account Established for Victims of Haiti Earthquake

At BBVA Compass, we are passionate about our people, and we know that you in turn are passionate about helping those in need.  A special disaster relief account has been established to provide assistance to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  Employees and customers of BBVA Compass may make donations at any branch between now and January 30.  BBVA Compass will match financial contributions up to $100,000 from the BBVA Compass Foundation.

Contributions can be made through any BBVA Compass banking center.  Checks and money orders should be made out to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund with “Haiti earthquake relief effort” written on the memo line.  Fees for money orders used to make a donation will be waived.  Canceled checks or money order receipts can serve as receipts for income tax purposes.

The BBVA Group is also participating in the relief effort.  Through an account established in Spain, BBVA has committed €1 million (more than $1.4 million U.S.) to be used toward rebuilding schools.  Groups in other areas of the BBVA footprint, including Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela, are also accepting donations and contributing to the cause in various ways.

We want to thank employees for the outpouring of concern you have already expressed in the wake of this tragedy.  Due to distribution issues caused by the massive damage to Haiti’s infrastructure, the only aid we are requesting at this time is in the form of monetary contributions.  We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide information about donating supplies and services if and when the Red Cross is ready to accept them.