What's that you say? You don't have a birthday anytime soon? Not to worry, consider it an early Christmas present. Oh no, you don't celebrate Christmas either? How about Hanukkah? Ok, well just pick your nearest "gift giving" holiday, and that's what we were wrapping you a gift for... Capisce?

First things first...

If you've looked around our Fortress of Solitude lately, you've most likely noticed that we "Super Nerds" have somehow managed to travel back in time... DUN DUN DUN! Yes, that is correct. We have figured out how to manipulate the fabric of the space time continuum in order travel down the highway of time as if we were traveling down I-5 from Tacoma to the City of Angels. Jealous yet?

Ok, you caught us... Before we have the book thrown at us thousands of times over for false advertising, I suppose we should come clean. No, we're not in a tired re-run of Back to the Future. Actually, our database crashed out on us, leaving us with a bitter reminder as to why keeping up-to-date backups is a good idea. Tsk tsk, shame on us.

Next on the agenda...

I think it would be safe to say, that if I had a nickle for every time someone asked me how they can implement SexyBookmarks into a "static html" website... I'd be a fairly rich man. However, since I am not a fairly rich man, I guess that means I didn't get a nickle each time someone asked me that question. Booooo! Ah, sorry... Drifting off-topic again. Anyway, the point is... We've been listening, and now the sexiness doesn't have to be limited to the confines of WordPress.

However, this is just the first stepping stone on the path to World Domination Universal Sexiness. We figured there would be no better way to test out our evil er.. exciting new plans, than to take advantage of the enormous user-base we've already established in the WordPress world... So consider yourself enslaved er.. cordially invited to the beta testing of the greatest Sexy yet.

What you need to know...

Although we've pushed this release out to the public as a stable upgrade, you DO NOT have to use the "BETA" version if you do not wish to. You'll notice in the plugin options page that there is now a nifty little box which allows you to select which version you'd like to use: new or old. If you don't like the new version, or, if it happens to eat your website for brunch (highly unlikely) then you can simply choose to use the "old" version instead.

Also, it does us no good to release a BETA version for you to download and test if you don't give us some feedback! So, we've added a link in the plugin options page which will lead you directly to the feedback form so that you can let us know what you think. Please tell us if you have any problems, or if the plugin kills your website and eats it for brunch. (again, extremely unlikely)

After we gather enough data from this BETA release, we will begin working on a complete change over to use this method/version from now on. (provided nobody's website got eaten for brunch) At which time, we will then begin to work on taking what we've learned from this and applying it to a real-world universal version of SexyBookmarks which would be able to be used on ANY website on ANY server!

Don't forget: Without your feedback, this BETA release is useless!

Ruh Roh...

We're working on fixing the comments... For now, please submit any issues here: http://getsatisfaction.com/shareaholic/topics/new.

Thanks!

Kinda Sorta?

Yep, that's a real word (or words), at least in my dictionary it is! Anyway, the next version of the plugin (v3.1) includes Google Reader, which many of you probably already know is hooked to Google Buzz. So, by simply submitting articles to Google Reader, you'll also been submitting them directly to Google Buzz as well!

So once the next version is released (which is long overdue by the way) you'll be able to kill two birds with one stone by submitting to Google Reader AND Google Buzz with just one click. Hope that's satisfactory to you!

Completely Unrelated Note:

Just in case any of you were wondering... I've been out of state for a couple of weeks now. Came back a few days ago only to realize my computer had been fried by lightning! So I had to order a bunch of new parts from Newegg, and after 2 bad sticks of RAM and a bogus copy of Windows 7... I've finally got everything up and running! w00t!

Please be patient as I try to get to the over 2,120 emails that are still lurking in my inbox!

The root cause of the problem

Though there are several different "types" of errors each of you are getting, they are all in fact caused by one underlying problem. Unfortunately, that problem is your web host. Some of you have hosts which are just plain crappy, while others of you have hosts who are so caught up in "securing the servers" that they've removed and/or disabled most of what makes PHP such an awesome language to work with.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for security. I know I sure as hell wouldn't want a server on my grid getting hacked. However, some of these hosts are going to the far end of the "extreme" in terms of "lockdown". I won't get into too many geeky details, as it would just bore most of you. So I'll just say this... When it comes to web hosts, the cliche "You get what you pay for" is more true than you could possibly imagine.

What we intend to do

The examples mentioned above don't cover everyone, but those are the primary issues at hand. So, we're working extra hard to implement EVEN MORE pre-checks, pre-pre-checks, and pre-pre-pre-checks to ensure that if ANYTHING is unavailable in your hosting environment, the plugin will simply abandon the idea of using our fancy new sprite generator feature and use the premade sprite that's included with the plugin instead.

Another thing that we've come to realize is that we're failing in part due to the fact that we're trying to make this plugin as "dummy proof" as possible. I'm not calling anyone names, just making reference to the fact that aside from clicking a few checkboxes, radio buttons, or icons... There's not much to "setting up" the plugin.

This however, may be about to change. Unfortunately for the vast majority of you who enjoy the plugin and who it works for just fine, there are others out there who can't get it to work due to lousy server setups and poorly thought out site structures. Therefore, we're debating whether or not to add several text boxes which will allow for a 100% guarantee that the plugin will work on your server setup.

These boxes would be for you manually defining absolute server paths, relative server paths, and other such things which are somewhat hard to "automatically guess" due to the fact that some people love installing wordpress in crazy directories and renaming wp-content to something weird...

Now before any of you who are code savvy say, "but what about using content_url() to grab the wp-content location no matter where it is or what it's named?". Let me first say thanks for mentioning it... However, content_url() only gets the URL of wp-content folder... It doesn't get the absolute path, nor does it get the relative path, which are two things we desperately need for this to work properly.

There are things called "constants" that are defined by WordPress that we could use, but they aren't 100% accurate either as they won't know if the folder has been renamed. At any rate, please be patient and rest assured that we are most definitely busting our butts trying to get this thing back up and running 100% for all of you.

Those of you who did not get a chance to download v3.0 should consider yourselves lucky, as I seemed to have "jumped the gun" a bit and released it before I tested thoroughly. At any rate, v3.0.1 addresses each of the issues that arose in v3.0 and also adds a couple small finishing touches as well.

Lessons learned...

Considering the level of mayhem associated with the v3.0 release, I would say that the biggest lesson I've learned from it would simply be this:

QUIT USING THE HOME ROW TO CODE!

The reason so many of you got fatal errors when upgrading was because my pinky finger apparently pressed the semicolon key inadvertently while coding. May not sound too terrible if you're not a coder, but trust me... PHP didn't like it one bit! Anyway, here's a list of what was fixed/added in this release:

1. Fix for fatal error upon upgrading to v3.0

2. Fix for Google Bookmarks image not displaying correctly

3. Fix for spritegen not working if wordpress installed in subdirectory

4. Spritegen now outputs minified CSS as well

5. Added activation hook to generate sprite automatically upon activating the plugin

Don't forget v3.0 features!

Since most of you will be upgrading to v3.0.1 directly from v2.6.1.3, you may want to go see what features were added in v3.0 as well!

UPDATE:

There are currently 4 primary types of bugs being tracked with this release:

1. Upon installing/upgrading, all icons disappear and are replaced by text links
2. Upon installing/upgrading, a list of "Uncaught exception" errors is displayed
3. Upon installing/upgrading, a list of "filesize()" errors are displayed
4. Upon installing/upgrading, "Invalid argument supplied" errors are displayed

Please be patient as we are working frantically to find the common link between each of the errors so that we can get it fixed as soon as possible. I guess it's a bit ironic that this was a "bug patch" release, and yet it's still apparently full of bugs, eh?

Completely gutted and revamped

After working with Gautam on this release, I kinda feel like an aircraft designer... Always looking for ways to reduce weight and increase speed! That has certainly been the case with this version anyway. We completely gutted the plugin of anything unnecessary in terms of PHP, CSS, JS, and images, so now the overall filesize should be much more manageable.

We also reduced "weights" by minifying JS/CSS and by running all public images through Smush.it in order to save on image file sizes as well. Overall, I have to say that I'm extremely pleased with the outcome of the "gutting" process, but the BIG savings weren't made there... They came in the form of cSprites, which enabled us to dynamically create an image sprite based SOLELY on the networks you select in the plugin options page!

With speed comes risk...

There are a few drawbacks to the Dynamic Sprite Generator feature though. Mainly, just that many users may have server setups which have folder permissions NOT set to writeable by default. Since we're generating images/css based on your selections, the css/images folders associated with the plugin will need to be writeable in order for the feature to work.

If you notice that the plugin gives you a warning message after saving your changes in v3.0, then you'll need to set your css/images folders to 755 before you can use the feature. See here for more info: http://sexybookmarks.net/documentation/usage-installation#chmodinfo

Not sure if I'd classify this as a "drawback" per se, but upon upgrading to v3.0 you'll need to login and go to the Plugin Options page (Settings -> SexyBookmarks) to save changes in order to generate your new custom sprite. This will ensure that the sprite is created from ONLY the icons you've chosen to be displayed, and must be done in order to use this feature.

Another drawback is that the PHP features which allow us to save you some page load time and server resources are only available in servers which are running PHP5+ with the PHPGD library installed. We've done our best to ensure that there are enough automated checks in place which will simply revert you back to using the "old" static sprite if you do not have both of those things available in your server setup.

Lastly, the Dynamic Sprite Generator feature won't work if you're using the "Custom Mods" option... This should be obvious, as we can't be sure of file names of your custom icons and stylesheets. Just wanted to make sure everyone knows this though, so I shouldn't be expecting any bug reports about it.

Last, but certainly not least...

Reducing file sizes and adding a Dynamic Sprite Generator feature wasn't the ONLY thing we did in this upgrade... Check out the full list of fancy schmancy stuff below!

1. New Sprite Image is generated when you save options

2. Also reduced the size of the images with Smush It

3. Separated Background Images

4. Fixed Translation Strings

5. Added option to load javascript in blog's footer

6. Added compatibility with YOURLS plugin

7. Added Settings link in plugin's information section

8. Many improvements in the coding efficiency

9. Minified public JS

10. Added DZone

11. Added Kaevur (Estonian)

12. Added Virb

13. Added Box.net

14. Removed Devmarks as it no longer exists

15. Added Google Reader

16. Updated the old Google Bookmarks icon

17. Added Bonzobox

18. Added Zabox

19. Added OkNotizie (Italian)

20. Added Springpad

21. Added Plaxo

22. Added Viadeo

23. Added option to allow you to NOT use a URL shortener if you so choose

24. Added new feature to Mister-Wong so that now the ".com" extension is replaced dynamically based on your locale

25. Minified stylesheet to save a couple KB

Now the plugin offers over 80 sites to choose from (current development version) which creates an image sprite that is nearly 6,000px wide and a whopping 237kb in weight! Most people aren't going to choose anywhere near 80 sites to go in their bookmarking menu, and as such, they'll be loading up those additional icons for no reason. Hence the sluggishness in load times.

The sad truth

We've known about this issue for a while, but just weren't sure how to go about finding a solution. However, Jan over at Trick77 recently wrote an article warning users to be wary of SexyBookmarks due to the slow load times and massive image sizes... This really lit a fire under our butts and got us brainstorming, and I do believe we've found a solution... (we hope)

The good news!

We'll be making use of PHP5 and the PHPGD library to take individual icons and merge them into a sprite based on what you select from now on. This means that only the icons you choose will be placed in the sprite, thus reducing the file size while also reducing HTTP requests because it's still a single image sprite.

We've also realized that it was just plain stupid to merge all of the custom background images (eg. "Sharing is caring", "Sharing is sexy", etc) into a sprite! Nobody is going to display more than one background image at a time, so there's no need to load them all when the page loads. So we'll also be separating each of the background images so that you only load the one you need.

We're also talking over ways to ensure that the plugin only loads the CSS associated with the icons you select to be in the menu. This will help to reduce the file size of the stylesheet that comes with the plugin. Also, we plan to "minify" the css/js that comes with the plugin, which will reduce the file sizes as well. On top of that, we'll be loading the JS in the footer now rather than in the header.

Last but not least...

Even after I separated all of the icons individually, each icon was about 5.2kb in size. This isn't terrible, but when you multiply that by 80 icons it adds up to a little over 400kb! This is a problem! So, I took the time to run each individual icon through Smush.it and saw a savings of around 50% on each icon! I also ran each of the background images through the program as well, and saw similar savings. So, now all of the background images AND icons all together only come to around 212kb, which is a HUGE savings in file sizes!

Now couple that with the features mentioned above, and v3.0 of SexyBookmarks should load like the web's equivalent of a Ferrari.

But alas, there can only be ONE winner...

So everybody give a big congratulations to Stacy Liles from the "Beaver State" (Oregon). Oddly enough, Stacy declined to share her site URL with us since it's still under construction. Hmm, why is everyone so shy about sites that aren't completed yet? haha

Anyway, congratulations Stacy... Enjoy your $100 and don't spend it all in one place! (or do, it's totally up to you) You earned it for straining your poor eyes and noticing a tiny little box that not many other people saw!

So in keeping with tradition here, I feel the uncontrollable urge to blurt out some sort of random cliche, and luckily enough I know one that would fit just perfectly!

Luck be a lady!

Also, I feel as though it would be downright mean not to at least mention the other 6 of you who managed to find that tiny little thing... So here's your 15 seconds of fame as well!

The runners up...

1. Debiprasad Sahoo - 2nd to find it
2. Michael Stuvall - 3rd to find it
3. Alexis Kincaid - 4th to find it
4. Craig Gibbons - 5th to find it
5. Martin Stocks - 6th to find it
6. Monica Nevarez - 7th to find it

As for the rest of you...

I know you're probably still scratching your heads and trying to figure out where exactly it was... So I'll throw you a bone. It was in the footer. However, not just on every page. It was only visible on all pages/posts OTHER than the post that told you about the easter egg hunt. Moreover, it wasn't visible on the main page of the site either... Just to add a bit more difficulty to the task! haha

I figure some of you won't believe me, and you'll say that you clicked every inch of the site and never found it... So below you'll find a screenshot of a page that had the Easter Egg in the footer with the browser zoomed in to maximum zoom... You'll notice a faint box around the smallest heart in the logo. Yup, that was it.

I know it's a bit cold outside (depending on where you are) to be hunting Easter Eggs... However, I thought that it was high time I gave something back (aside from the super awesome plugin called SexyBookmarks) to my wicked awesome family of Sexy people!

So what's the catch?

I thought you'd never ask... There is no "catch" per se, only a simple rule: Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers! I know, I know... That's a little on the kindergarten side of the maturity scale, but it's true. The first to find the "Easter Egg" on this site and email me the correct location is gonna be $100 richer!

Quick Note: It doesn't actually look like an easter egg... I figured I'd just throw that out there in case anyone starting looking for eggs. Easter Egg is just a term used to describe something on a site that's hidden.

Only the first person to find the hidden egg will win... So look closely and carefully, but don't take too much time in doing so! Also, to add a bit of haste to the process... The egg will be removed from the site next Friday, January 15th. So if it hasn't been found before next Friday... Well, I guess you'd be out of luck until the next time. :(

How do I know I've found it?

Excellent question young grasshoppa... To tell the truth, there is absolutely NO WAY that you could not know that you've found it! The site will disappear and a big huge message will appear that says something to the effect of "Hey, good job!", and no it's not a popup, so anyone with popup blockers on will still be able to participate.

Where should I look?

Well if I told you that, I'd just be ruining the whole "search" thing, now wouldn't I? It could be anywhere! It might be on the front page... It might be on a contact form... It may possibly even be in an old post that nobody has looked at in nearly 8 months! It's really anyone's guess as to it's location... Just browse the site and click random places... You just might find it!

What do I do when I find it?

Well, you'll notice that the comments are closed on this post... This is so that I don't get a FLOOD of "it's not here..." or "don't try this page, cuz it's not on this page..." comments. I figure the simplest and easiest way to handle this is going to be that the first person to email me the correct location of the "Easter Egg" at josh[at]sexybookmarks[dot]net is going to walk away with $100 in their pocket. (well, actually in their paypal account)

Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation?

YOU'RE INVITED! NOW GET GOING!