Wasted Time with the Warcraft

I am reticent about filing this under “site news” because in reality it kinda isn’t. But in some weird tangential way it is. This is also me just trying to keep myself motivated and not let this thing get stale (as I often have a habit of doing), but the sad truth is, I don’t have a lot to report.

Yes, I’ve been doing some work here and there on the various new category functions (like “watch” feature, which is going to be really cool when I figure out how to make it so that any “object” in the site could be “watchable,” because the last thing I want to do is paint myself into a corner of hardcoding functionality like that) and the next big thing will be implementing a content management system for the non-database driven pages.

Our editor is always looking for opportunities to better present content within the site, and currently “static” pages are encapsulated as templates with embedded XHTML (for presentation). Well, this makes it difficult to edit. I decided on OpenCMS as the content management system. OpenCMS is a very mature, enterprise-class content management system more like an Interwoven TeamSite than say something like a Droopal or Joomla (which I didn’t like because if you choose one of those products, you are forced into doing things their way. I don’t like that). With OpenCMS I can define content types and elements using standard XML schema, and then transform XML-based content using JSP (Java Server Pages) into the presentation templates currently used within the site. So publishing is quite simple. There are a few odds and ends I need to finish up (like a batch job to push the managed content into the UAT and production sites).

What else? Oh yeah, development on DiyShare is grindingly slow, which brings me to the title of this entry. Instead of spending all of my waking spare time writing code, I’ve been playing the Warcraft. Actually I’ve been playing this game on and off for about 9 months, and have been sinking enormous amounts of time in leveling my main (a night elf druid, who is currently level 45, nearly 46). So, if you play and happen to play on Gilneas and happen across XBlinder, that’s me. Come tell me to stop with the Warcraft and get back to working on the site!

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