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| Goo.gl |
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Goo.gl - Google URL Shortener
One often needs to send a link URL and those using Google Sites will know how long sub-page URL's can become.
This is Google's version of TinyURL. What is nice is that it shows a list of the shortened URL's that you have created.
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Free design software for students and teachers from Autodesk
Autodesk offers free, fully functional software to teachers and students. At first I could not believe it since all the big CAD software companies make it difficult to use their products because of costs and licencing issues, but I tried it and it true.
You obviously have to register and they obviously keep track of the free licences they hand out, but at least it is possible to use their products without having to struggle with licencing issues. That is if your students have their own laptops. If you rely on institutional computer labs, though!
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Archiving your Google Site
I use Google sites for teaching purposes but when it comes around to accreditation time the Luddites want printed evidence or a CD (at a push)
Here's the steps I follow to have an archived copy of a subject website.
Step 1: Electronic Archive
I don't include the year and semester in the current website, for example:
https://sites.google.com/site/eee400sautomaticcontrol/
To create an electronic archive, I copy the whole subject website (under MORE>Manage Site>General)
and rename it to only the subject code and the year and semester
https://sites.google.com/site/eee400s2012sem2/
The site without the year and semester is then what I use for the new semester and go through the copying process again at the end of the current semester. Any updates and changes is retained and the current website is then also the one that has all the newest stuff.
NOTE: the default settings is for the copied site to be closed, change that to Public on the Web. It makes the next step easier.
That is my electronics archived copy for record keeping purposes. It sits there at Google and you can forget about it. Here is a screen clip of what My Sites look like after copying
NOTE: Keep the browser tab with the copied (in Google) website open, you will need it a little later.
Step 2: Local Copy of complete website
a) Download and install the open source website copier from http://www.httrack.com
b) Create a local directory where you would like to save the local copy of the website. I find it best to make a directory called "Website" . It needs to be in it's own directory (Why, later..) The HTTrack creates subdirectories.
c) Launch HTTrack Website copier and open a new project
Add the information requested, click the BROWSE button next to the Base Path box.
Once you have found the directory, click OK , and then NEXT
Now you need to specify two things,
one, you want to copy the WHOLE website, and
two, the URL of the site that you would like to copy.
To get the URL, go back to the browser tab with the copied (in Google) website and copy the URL from the browser address bar.
Go back to HTTrack and paste that URL in the URL box
Click Next, the next window appears
Here you can click FINISH, and HTTrack with starts doing it's magic, and when it's complete this dialog box appears,
NOTE: If there are serious errors that results in the website not being copied, it takes just as much time as when the website is copied completely, so do not use the time it takes and assume the website has been copied.
NOTE: If you did not make the website public, HTTrack will not be able to copy it and that will result in a serious error.
Now you can go back to Windows Explorer and navigate to the directory where you asked the website to be saved
Mine looked like this
To open the copied website, just double click the index.html file.
NOTE: Not all the website contents are in the sub-folders, some are in the main Website folder, that is why it was necessary to create the Website directory so that these files, like index.html does not get lost in and amongst a bunch of other files.
And there you have it, a local copy of you Google site, that is fully operational with links and all. Even if you have Adsense ads on your subject site, they will also be copied!
Here's the steps I follow to have an archived copy of a subject website.
Step 1: Electronic Archive
I don't include the year and semester in the current website, for example:
https://sites.google.com/site/eee400sautomaticcontrol/
To create an electronic archive, I copy the whole subject website (under MORE>Manage Site>General)
and rename it to only the subject code and the year and semester
https://sites.google.com/site/eee400s2012sem2/
The site without the year and semester is then what I use for the new semester and go through the copying process again at the end of the current semester. Any updates and changes is retained and the current website is then also the one that has all the newest stuff.
NOTE: the default settings is for the copied site to be closed, change that to Public on the Web. It makes the next step easier.
That is my electronics archived copy for record keeping purposes. It sits there at Google and you can forget about it. Here is a screen clip of what My Sites look like after copying
 |
| My Google Sites after copying the site |
Step 2: Local Copy of complete website
a) Download and install the open source website copier from http://www.httrack.com
b) Create a local directory where you would like to save the local copy of the website. I find it best to make a directory called "Website" . It needs to be in it's own directory (Why, later..) The HTTrack creates subdirectories.
c) Launch HTTrack Website copier and open a new project
 |
| New HTTrack project |
 |
| Browse to the directory that you created to save the website to |
Now you need to specify two things,
one, you want to copy the WHOLE website, and
two, the URL of the site that you would like to copy.
To get the URL, go back to the browser tab with the copied (in Google) website and copy the URL from the browser address bar.
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| Copied (in Google) website browser tab with URL |
 |
| Insert the URL of the website you would like to copy |
Click Next, the next window appears
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| HTTrack Finished dialog box |
The error log button will probably be flashing, click on it just to see if there are any serious errors.
NOTE: If there are serious errors that results in the website not being copied, it takes just as much time as when the website is copied completely, so do not use the time it takes and assume the website has been copied.
NOTE: If you did not make the website public, HTTrack will not be able to copy it and that will result in a serious error.
Now you can go back to Windows Explorer and navigate to the directory where you asked the website to be saved
Mine looked like this
To open the copied website, just double click the index.html file.
NOTE: Not all the website contents are in the sub-folders, some are in the main Website folder, that is why it was necessary to create the Website directory so that these files, like index.html does not get lost in and amongst a bunch of other files.
And there you have it, a local copy of you Google site, that is fully operational with links and all. Even if you have Adsense ads on your subject site, they will also be copied!
Google domain ownership verification & Free website hosting
This post is to help those who want to map a custom domain to their Google site and run into problems when Google want to very the domain ownership.
I am not going to go into details on the domain registration process, Google site creation, etc in this blog but concentrate on the custom domain mapping.
I registered a domain, www.epi.org.za
created a CNAME listing using http://freedns.afraid.org
which I then wanted to point toward the Google site that I created for at https://sites.google.com/site/epandicentre/
Seemed simple enough, I had done it before, but Google brought in a new domain verification process and that is where I ran into a dead end, or so it seems. They did promise that the new process is simpler.
The solution was obvious once I realised that a DNS record can have more that one entry.
Therefore two DNS entries for the same domain will be needed:
1. CNAME: ghs.google.com
this entry lets the world find your website
2. TXT: google-site-verification=eST......
This entry is for the Google Site Ownership verification
So for those that want to create a free website with a custom URL, I would recommend:
1. Domain registration: For .ZA domains work direct through the .co.za authorities (http://co.za or http://http://org.za/) The cost involved is R75/year (R171 once off for a .org) and the process is simple. Download a text file, add information and then email that text file. If all goes well it takes about 20min, mostly spent typing details like address, phone numbers, etc) Payment is automated by credit card.
2. DNS Hosting: You don't have to pay a ISP for hosting your DNS, just create an account at http://freedns.afraid.org/ Their website is easy to navigate and purely functional. You will make some mistakes especially if your DNS knowledge is as basic as mine, but they are easy to fix. You can even delete and start again. With a little bit of reading, a couple of missteps, you will get it right.
3. Site hosting: Google sites offer an the best free hosting option. Sure, you can get more slick templates from any of the free hosts, but there is always a catch. Ads and banners, bandwidth charges, limited storage, etc, etc, Google sites also has it's limitations but the support and user forums make up for that.
I am not going to go into details on the domain registration process, Google site creation, etc in this blog but concentrate on the custom domain mapping.
I registered a domain, www.epi.org.za
created a CNAME listing using http://freedns.afraid.org
which I then wanted to point toward the Google site that I created for at https://sites.google.com/site/epandicentre/
Seemed simple enough, I had done it before, but Google brought in a new domain verification process and that is where I ran into a dead end, or so it seems. They did promise that the new process is simpler.
The solution was obvious once I realised that a DNS record can have more that one entry.
Therefore two DNS entries for the same domain will be needed:
1. CNAME: ghs.google.com
this entry lets the world find your website
2. TXT: google-site-verification=eST......
This entry is for the Google Site Ownership verification
So for those that want to create a free website with a custom URL, I would recommend:
1. Domain registration: For .ZA domains work direct through the .co.za authorities (http://co.za or http://http://org.za/) The cost involved is R75/year (R171 once off for a .org) and the process is simple. Download a text file, add information and then email that text file. If all goes well it takes about 20min, mostly spent typing details like address, phone numbers, etc) Payment is automated by credit card.
2. DNS Hosting: You don't have to pay a ISP for hosting your DNS, just create an account at http://freedns.afraid.org/ Their website is easy to navigate and purely functional. You will make some mistakes especially if your DNS knowledge is as basic as mine, but they are easy to fix. You can even delete and start again. With a little bit of reading, a couple of missteps, you will get it right.
3. Site hosting: Google sites offer an the best free hosting option. Sure, you can get more slick templates from any of the free hosts, but there is always a catch. Ads and banners, bandwidth charges, limited storage, etc, etc, Google sites also has it's limitations but the support and user forums make up for that.
Friday, 2 August 2013
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