Before you jump to any conclusions, understand that I am 110% against anyone cheating on their significant other. Pushing obvious Biblical connotations aside for the time being, it should still be considered highly flawed behavior in my opinion.

I realize that the success of marriages has declined drastically in the last few decades, but I don’t think that means we should all stop trying to have a truly happy marriage – a marriage between a man and a woman that are seeing each other exclusively. Always. Exclusively.

You might be thinking — Matt, this is the most random semi-rant you’ve had in a long while.

And you’d be right.

Well, let me explain. What had happened was…

…I’m doing my normal hours of research and studying for a good blog post. I’m watching pointless, time-consuming videos online when I stumble across an advertisement that says, “Have an Affair!” Now, naturally I think this is just a simple play on words — perhaps for a financial company that will help you get your affairs in order. That’s a reasonable assumption, right?

My curiosity got the better of me and I clicked the banner ad. That’s a rare and special occurrence in itself. The last time I clicked an ad was in the hard summer of 1999. And I thought I was gonna win a Playstation because I was MySpace’s 10,000,000 visitor. That was a lie. I’m still bitter about that.

Wait, what was I talking about?

Affairs. Right.

So it takes me to this dating website. FOR MARRIED PEOPLE. I’m not talking about a site to help a married couple with date ideas or anything of that nature. It’s a site to help people have a secret affair. That’s its primary purpose.

Its tagline – “Life is Short, Have an Affair.”

Its membership – 5.4 million registered users.

The link: http://www.AshleyMadison.com

Pretty awful stuff, right? Don’t hold back! Let me know what you think about AshleyMadison.com in the comments.

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If you haven’t learned that I’m in love with Thesis, then you don’t have a clue who I am and you’ve never visited this site. And I’m thinking that’s probably not the best way to start off this post. But my backspace key is broken. (Take that, English 101 professor! I started consecutive sentences with conjunctions. Booyah.)

For the past year or so, this blog has been run on the beautifully designed and coded Thesis Theme. I’ve customized quite a few looks on top of it over that time (including the one you’re currently viewing).

In that timeframe a new market for Thesis Skins (think of them as custom-customized layouts) has developed. I even listed a few back in the day (and even sold one for a while). There have been a few good ones, and a whole bunch of really bad ones. I’ve never been completely lured in by one. That is, until now.

Matt Hodder, one of the leading Thesis Customizer-ers, has completely changed the game with Thesis Play. And I promise, he’s not paying me to say this. (Although, Matt, I won’t stop you if you try.)

It’s one of the cleanest designs I’ve seen yet. Perfect use of whitespace, lines, and that readability/typography stuff we love so much. But it’s more than just a simple skin. (That’s 3 conjunction-started sentences if you’re tracking.) It’s 8 skins. No, seriously, it comes with 8 different color schemes. That’s like a lot.

Additionally, it has its own options panel in the Wordpress admin that makes it very simple to change color schemes, header images, footer links, etc. It’s quite sexy. You can even get the psd from him if you’d like to make more advanced changes.

Take a look at it here, and check out these quality things that you may not notice at first glance: customized search box, awesome nested comments, author-comment-picture borders, scroll-to-top buttom, and nice drop-down menus!

If you want an incredibly designed, easy-to-install, well-documented, fast-loading Thesis skin. Look no further, and Buy Thesis Play right now. Now.Similar Posts:

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As some of my smarter readers may have noticed, the last post on MattFlies.com was not written by me. I have reached out to a couple of brilliant, beautiful, and dynamic women to help take MattFlies.com to the next level. Also, I’m practicing sucking up to people.

In all seriousness, these two ladies will be contributing as often as possible to this blog. Their backgrounds and experience (and personalities) will be a tremendous fit for what we have planned.

That is, as long as they don’t make me eat cheesy meatballs while watching Macedonian movies on a sailboat. That’s multiple kinds of ‘bleh’ right there! I will let them take me to France though. Definitely.

And for the readers who want (Hey Mom!) to know about me:

Favorite Bloggers – Chris Pearson, Chris Brogan
Favorite Food – Crawfish (I’m from Southern Louisiana!)
Favorite TV Show – 24, Friday Night Lights, Big Bang Theory
Favorite Movie – Shawshank Redemption (cliched, I know)
Favorite Place I’ve Been – Vilnius, Lithuania or Minsk, Belarus

Make them feel welcome! Say hello or ask them (or me) anything. Appropriate, that is.

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Note from Matt: As MattFlies.com has taken off in terms of readership and overall internet domination, I decided to be proactive and add some authors. Brittany and Michelle will work together to add to what this site offers. I hope you’ll accept them like you have me! Drop them a line in the comments.

It’s easy to forget that online relationships are much like the relationships you have with friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Even though you’re not face-to-face with one another online, the same in-person social rules do apply.

Here are 3 situations you (hopefully) would never do in person but could, unknowingly, be doing online . . .

The Close Talker

Real-life situation: You’re at a networking event, and you’re enjoying yourself until Bob walks over and starts talking your ear off—literally two inches from your ear. You know those people who get within two inches of your face during a conversation, forcing you to slowly inch back—all the while praying they don’t notice your need for space? Awkward.

Online situation: Even though you can’t physically get in a person’s face online, you can invade their personal space. Everything from posting on an individual’s Facebook wall too often to constantly posting silly games on personal Facebook pages is an invasion of space. So are emailing prospects something about your product every day and uncontrollably direct messaging your twitter followers with your product information. Doing any of the above is a sure way to become the awkward follower.

The Obvious Thief

Real-life situation: You’re sitting at a restaurant, and you have a delicious plate of bruschetta you cannot wait to eat. It just so happens that bruschetta is the waiter’s absolute favorite and he’s starving. He approaches the table and says, “My, that looks delicious,” as he snags one right before you can smack his hand away in horror. Awkward.

Online situation: Don’t take what isn’t yours online and pass it off for one of your brilliant ideas. Give credit where it is due. Instead of taking content from others online without asking permission, react to their content. What is your opinion about the blog post or article you’ve just read? Share it with your Twitter or Facebook network, and offer your thoughts on the topic. Or write a reaction piece to someone else’s blog post or article.

The Uninvited Partygoer

Real-life situation: You’re in the middle of a conversation with an individual at a cocktail party, and someone magically appears to your right. A little awkward, but nothing that deters you from your conversation. Then, this uninvited partygoer emits a chuckle—despite the fact that no one said anything funny. Awkward.

Online situation: Listen before you interact. You’d be surprised how often people can get annoyed with you if you start acting buddy-buddy with them right off the bat. No matter the social media platform, ease yourself into the conversation. Get a feel for what is being discussed, the opinions of others, and what impact your comments may have on the conversation. If you post comments left and right without taking the time to listen to the conversation, you may be taking the discussion topic out of context and have a reaction to an idea that doesn’t exist in the current conversation.

Once you are familiar and comfortable with the conversation and its participants, you can slowly begin adding your two cents to the conversation. Once you get more and more involved in the conversation, relationships will form naturally.

Brittany Urbach is the Project Manager of Sūmèr, LLC, a company which specializes in web copy writing, SEO copywriting, and the promotion and marketing of websites after they launch. With grace and style, Brittany keeps projects flowing, manages client accounts, and is a social media fanatic.

Michelle Salater is an award-winning writer and president of Sūmèr, LLC, a company which specializes in web copy writing, SEO copywriting, and the promotion and marketing of websites after they launch. In 2009, she won the Charleston Business Journal’s Forty under 40 award for her business and community leadership.

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Recently, I received an invite to a pretty cool service (currently in private beta): Flavors.me.

(I apologize for the bad audio during the first portion of the video.)

It’s a very simple homepage of sorts for all of your social media presences. Display your Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, NetFlix, and other activity in one place.

There are templates for layouts and designs, but it also allows you to make your own adjustments as well.

All-in-all, it’s a solid/simple offering that has potential.

Check out my Flavor.Similar Posts:

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1. I will stay focused and finish the things that I start.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.
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Quite often, I hear social media “experts” make stupid references about certain technologies or services that completely delegitimizes them in my mind. If you really want to be a leader in the social media world, here are a few common sense items that you should absolutely understand inside and out.

If you don’t and you’re calling yourself a leader in the industry, then you’re misleading people. Simple as that. To those of you who truly are innovators in the social media universe, you will probably see this list as borderline adolescent… but I’m sure you can appreciate the motive behind the list.

So are you real or fake? Here goes.

1. Do You Understand the Difference Between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page?

A few months ago a somewhat prominent marketing firm created a Facebook Profile for a product they were backing. Unfortunately for them, users wouldn’t befriend a cup of coffee. Profiles are for living, breathing humans. Pages are for businesses, products, or other marketable entities.

You might think what’s the big deal? Well, if you create a profile for your business, you will max out at 5,000 friends (assuming you can convince people to accept your request). A page, on the other hand, is limitless.

2. Do You Have More Followers Than You are following on Twitter?

If you claim to be a social media power and you’re still following more people on Twitter than are following you… Well, you’re not as great as you think. Twitter power users often times will not follow you if this is the case.

It’s better to have 500 quality followers than 10,000 automated robot followers. Confucius said that I believe.

3. Does Your Blog Have Its Own Domain Name?

Unless you’re one of the VERY FEW exceptions to the rule, having a blog address like “socialmediablog.wordpress.com” will not work for you. Fork over the $10/year and get your own domain name. It’s a highly worthy investment.

4. Have You Heard of Mashable?

If you haven’t heard of or frequently check out Mashable.com, then you’re not a social media leader. Subscribe to it or favorite it. It’s a must for all the latest social media happenings.

5. Do You Use a Twitter Client?

While technically there is nothing wrong with using Twitter’s website to post the majority of your tweets, a real social media king would definitely have a desktop client and a mobile client. Download Tweetdeck, Tweetie, Echofon, Socialite, etc.

6. Do You Understand and Use RSS Feeds?

To stay on top of what’s going on in social media (or any industry for that matter), you need to make good use of RSS feeds. Learn to use them. Learn to explain how they work to a friend. Know what “RSS” stands for.

7. Do You Know Tumblr, Friendfeed, Whrrl, Posterous, Last.fm, etc.?

Even though they may not be of use to you personally, understanding what the ‘other’ social media sites offer is imperative. Facebook and/or Twitter are not the answer for everyone and every niche. Know this.

8. Are You Always Connected?

As annoying as this may be to your in-person friends, you must stay connected to the heartbeat of social media. Get a smartphone (iPhones really do rule at this point). Having that constant access and connection is vital.

9. Are You Available and Responsive?

To be successful, do your best to contribute bidirectionally to your community. Even if you have thousands of followers on Twitter, respond/retweet/mention other users. Give love to be loved.

10. Do You Have a Network?

Quick, name 5 bloggers in your niche. Have you had a conversation with them? Have you guestposted for them? Do you know their strengths and weaknesses?

Don’t be afraid to connect to those with the same goals as you. Don’t see them as competition, but as friends. Creating a network of like-minds will help you tenfold as you create your persona as a social media force.Similar Posts:

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Before you, my loyal denizens, panic — let me say that MattFlies.com is not going anywhere. It will remain right here in all its glory. I will continue to post the blogs posts that I normally post as blog posts on this blog. I just confused myself.

I just want to introduce you to my second endeavor. A slightly (ok, completely) less serious portal for the inner workings of my jedi-ish mind.

Still in its infant stage is my new tumblr blog: http://onlyforhumans.tumblr.com/

Make a note of it, subscribe to it, favorite it, or forget about it. Do what you will. But you can’t say I didn’t tell you about it.

Alright, you may now return to your abnormally scheduled programming. Peace.Similar Posts:

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I am one of the few people in this world who actually understands the need for 2-year contracts, upgrade pricing, and subsidized handsets in the mobile phone market. As frustrating as they can be to many customers, they are necessary for the companies to operate successfully and efficiently. I get that.

Many of the U.S. mobile carriers, however, offer some flexibility when it comes to upgrade pricing. T-Mobile, for instance, allows you to upgrade at a full discount 2 months earlier than your contract expiration date. Additionally, they offer partial upgrades as your contract nears its end. With both options, you are required to extend your 2-year contract. Once again, I get it.

With both Verizon and T-Mobile, a determined customer can convince a Customer Care representative to allow an early upgrade under extenuating circumstances (e.g. lost or broken phone, loyal customer).

But then we get to AT&T. Oh, AT&T. Already in a public relations nightmare due to delaying MMS on the iPhone, disabling tethering on an iPhone, blocking Google Voice, and having subpar 3G coverage (there’s a map for that, video below)… AT&T absolutely refuses to work with their customers on upgrades.

For example, I am less than 2 weeks away from my upgrade eligibility. 2 Weeks! I have been with AT&T since before they sold out to Cingular (then repurchased themselves). I have every possible feature on my 4-line family plan. Simply put, I’m their ideal customer. Loyal, willing to buy everything, supportive. And I’ve even referred countless individuals to them!

That is… until today.

To upgrade a mere 2 weeks early, I would be required to pay a $200 fee! To upgrade a day early, you guessed it — $200! There are no prorated options. There are no customer loyalty options. There are NO options.

So, you’re probably asking, “Why can’t you just wait 14 days, Matt?”

That’s a wonderful question. I’m Glad you asked. Well, I will be leaving town in 12 days. That’s right. I have the willingness to pay a prorated portion of the early upgrade fee, a logical reason to make the request, a good standing long-term account, and a natural understanding of the mobile market. All of which means nothing, apparently.

AT&T, you have failed me. You’ve turned your back on one of your biggest and most vocal supporters.

∞ Updated 11/12/09 at 11:15 PM: After writing this post, I received a speedy response from AT&T via Twitter (@attjohnathon). He called me, politely apologized, and offered alternative solutions. Unfortunately, none of the alternatives were ideal for my situation.

Still, I appreciate the effort. While the problem has still not been resolved, and I don’t foresee that it will, AT&T did slightly redeem itself through their response. Slightly. Their default response to my situation seems to be to blame Apple’s system. Even if Apple is at fault, I find it odd that AT&T would blame it’s largest cash cow.

At this point, I still believe that the only reason to have mobile service with AT&T centers around your desire for an iPhone. And that is a pretty big reason. You can get cheaper plans, better service (apologies to Johnathon and his excellent help), and better coverage from a multitude of other providers.

∞ Updated 11/27/09 at 3:55 PM: I finally got my iPhone 3GS! And to prove it, watch the video below which explains the hassle!

Agree with this rant? Please spread the word about this post via Twitter and Facebook by clicking the links below.

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I am sure that many of you have seen a few of these commercials from time to time, but they are still quite impressive. They started airing a few years ago to promote fantasy football (in which I am a huge believer).

The videos appear to be recorded with a cheap handheld camera, but the effects are very realistic. Misdirection and creative editing allow for many of the tricks (or talents), but others are hard to fathom.

Watch the video below, then tell me your thoughts — How were they made? Effective advertising?

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About an hour ago, Tweetie 2 (iTunes link) for iPhone was approved by Apple for the App Store. It’s already the leading trending topic on Twitter, and I thought I’d show you why.

First, let me begin by saying that I believe the original Tweetie was already the best Twitter iPhone App available — now it has completely separated itself from the competition. The game isn’t even close!

If you want to know all the details about the update, you can read the feature list or head on over to Loren Brichter’s (the developer) site, which I’m sure will be updated very soon. I’m just going to show you a couple of the winning features that I already love.

1. Search the Timeline

You can easily search through your Twitter network for an individual Tweet or Topic. It really is that simple. It works exactly like you’d think an iPhone search should work.

2. Find Nearby Users

Using the new “Nearby” feature, you can easily locate other Twitter users in your region. While other apps have already included a version of this feature, none have integrated it entirely with Google Maps. Very cool!

3. Very Clean New Tweet Interface

If you’re typing a new tweet, the interface couldn’t be sexier or more simplistic. Inserting photos, mentioning users, shrinking urls, geotagging your tweets, and using hashtags are only a single touch away.

4. More User Services

You can now, directly in Tweetie 2, use services such as Tweet Blocker, Follow Cost, Favstar.fm, and Favrd. Additionally, all popular image and video hosting (TwitPic, yFrog, Posterous, etc) sites can be used. Of course, TextExpander and InstaPaper are also included.

5. A Few Other Winning Features

• Multiple Twitter Accounts
• Extremely FAST Loading
• Offline Reading
• Landscape Support (option to turn off)
• Link Twitter Contacts to Address Book
• Syncs with Tweetie 2 for Mac
• & Much More (iTunes link)

Do you use Tweetie? Are you going to buy Tweetie 2? Or do you prefer Twitterific, EchoFon, etc? Let me know in the comments!

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So, how exactly does one kill a social media expert?

You can’t. There is no such thing as a social media expert.

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If you have enabled the Thesis Feature Box in your Theme, then it is probably the first thing to show up when a reader reaches your blog. So why don’t you use it for things like introducing the reader to your blog, pre-selling, marketing or promoting content. In this post you will learn exactly that – How to style the Feature Box and put in relevant content.

What will we Create?

Enabling Thesis Feature Box

Enabling the Feature Box with Thesis is pretty simple – it doesn’t test your programming skills! From your Wordpress Admin Dashboard, navigate to Appearance => Design Options and the “Feature Box” appears right at the center, near the bottom. For our tutorial, we will use the following options:

• In your Content Column
• On Home Page Only (if you wish it everywhere, select Sitewide option)
• Above all Posts

Creating 2 Styled Columns in the Feature Box

Next, we will create 2 columns in the feature box with custom styles. Then we will worry about what content to place within them.

Copy the following into the custom.css CSS File.  You can locate this file under the following path – <your thesis theme path>/custom/custom.css

/* Feature Box Styling */
.custom #feature_box {
	background:#DDDDDD;
	border-bottom:1px dotted #800000;
	border-top:1px dotted #800000;
	height:125px;
	border-left:6px solid #800000;
	border-right:6px solid #800000;
}
#my-feature-box {
	width:100%;
	height:125px;
	color:#800000;
	font-size:14px;
}
#my-feature-box h2 {
	color:#800000;
	font-size:20px;
	letter-spacing:1px;
	margin-bottom:3px;
}
#feature-box-column-left {
	width:45%;
	float:left;
	height:125px;
	margin-left:1px;
}
#feature-box-column-right {
	width:45%;
	float:right;
	height:125px;
}

Copy the following into the custom_functions.php File.  You can locate this file under the following path – <your thesis theme path>/custom/custom_functions.php

/* Feature Box */
function featurecontent() { ?>
	<div id="my-feature-box">
			<div id="feature-box-column-left">
				<h2>Welcome to <?php bloginfo('name'); ?></h2>
				I am <a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/**About Page Name**">Ashwin</a> and this Blog is about Web Design, Blogging Tips and Thesis Customization Ideas.  Check out more about me <a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/** About Page Name**">here</a>.
			</div>
			<div id="feature-box-column-right">
				<h2>Free Thesis Tips</h2>
				<!-- Change the Image Name to the Thumbnail you wish to use -->
				<a href="**Your Thesis affiliate Link**"><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/custom/images/thesis7575.jpg" border="0" align="right"/></a>
				Check out some Cool and Free Thesis Customization Tips available <a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/** Thesis Tips if you are providing **">here</a>.  They are absolutely FREE!
			</div>
	</div>
<?php
}
add_action('thesis_hook_feature_box', 'featurecontent');

A Few Things to Change in the PHP Code:

• Change the name in the first box to your name and change the link for the “About” page to the correct location.
• Change the Description of your blog in the first box.
• Feel free to change the header, content and images in the second box to something that you wish to promote.

How to Change Colors to Fit Your Theme?

I have tried to use colors that go well with most of color schemes. However, if you wish to change the design, use this as a guide.

/*
  Change background: hex value to change the background color
  Change border-bottom,border-top: hex values to change Top and Border line colors
  Change border-left,border-right: hex values to change Left and Right thick border colors
*/
.custom #feature_box {
	background:#DDDDDD;
	border-bottom:1px dotted #800000;
	border-top:1px dotted #800000;
	height:125px;
	border-left:6px solid #800000;
	border-right:6px solid #800000;
	margin-top:5px;
}

/*
  Change color: hex value to change the Text colors
*/
#my-feature-box {
	width:100%;
	height:125px;
	color:#800000;
	font-size:14px;
}
#my-feature-box h2 {
	color:#800000;
	font-size:20px;
	letter-spacing:1px;
	margin-bottom:3px;
}

How to Change This Into a 3 Column Layout?

If you wish to change this into a 3 column layout, then use the following CSS and Custom functions code.

/* Feature Box Styling */
.custom #feature_box {
	background:#DDDDDD;
	border-bottom:1px dotted #800000;
	border-top:1px dotted #800000;
	height:170px;
	border-left:6px solid #800000;
	border-right:6px solid #800000;
	margin-top:5px;
}
#my-feature-box {
	width:100%;
	height:170px;
	color:#800000;
	font-size:14px;
}
#my-feature-box h2 {
	color:#800000;
	font-size:20px;
	letter-spacing:1px;
	margin-bottom:3px;
}
#feature-box-column-left {
	width:33%;
	float:left;
	height:170px;
	margin-left:1px;
}
#feature-box-column-middle {
	width:33%;
	float:left;
	height:170px;
}
#feature-box-column-right {
	width:33%;
	float:left;
	height:170px;
	margin-left:3px;
}

And here is the PHP Code to be added into the custom_functions.php file.

/* Feature Box */
function featurecontent() { ?>
	<div id="my-feature-box">
			<div id="feature-box-column-left">
				<h2>Welcome to <?php bloginfo('name'); ?></h2>
				I am <a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/**About Page Name**">Ashwin</a> and this Blog is about Web Design, Blogging Tips and Thesis Customization Ideas.  Check out more about me <a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/** About Page Name**">here</a>.
			</div>
			<div id="feature-box-column-middle">
				<h2>Subscribe to Newsletter</h2>
				To get interesting and useful updates, consider subscribing to the Weekly newsletter.  We will reach you in your Inbox.
			</div>
			<div id="feature-box-column-right">
				<h2>Free Thesis Tips</h2>
				<!-- Change the Image Name to the Thumbnail you wish to use -->
				<a href="**Your Thesis affiliate Link**"><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/custom/images/thesis7575.jpg" border="0" align="right"/></a>
				Check out some Cool and Free Thesis Customization Tips available <a href="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/** Thesis Tips if you are providing **">here</a>.  They are absolutely FREE!
			</div>
	</div>
<?php
}
add_action('thesis_hook_feature_box', 'featurecontent');

Conclusion

The options are endless, if you plan to start using the Thesis Feature Box. This is definitely just the beginning. Contact me @thotsunlimited or ashwin.chandrasekaran@gmail.com if you need more help with the Thesis Feature Box

Guest Post by Ashwin, who blogs about Blogging, Web Design, Wordpress and the Thesis Theme at Thoughts Unlimited.

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If you have “Share This Post” links on your Wordpress blog posts, you probably need to automatically display shortened urls. While there are a few different techniques out there, I’ve found this particular one to be the easiest and most effective.

We will make use of the wonderful bit.ly service to accomplish this task. Before you start with the tutorial, you must first register and activate your account on bit.ly. Remember your username and copy your API Key from the account page. Now let’s get started.

1. Set It Up

Place the following code in functions.php (for Thesis users: custom_functions.php).

function getBitlyUrl($url) {
$bitlylogin = 'YOUR LOGIN NAME';
$bitlyapikey= 'YOUR API KEY';
$bitlyurl = file_get_contents("http://api.bit.ly/shorten?version=2.0.1&longUrl=".$url."&login=".$bitlylogin."&apiKey=".$bitlyapikey);
$bitlycontent = json_decode($bitlyurl,true);
$bitlyerror = $bitlycontent["errorCode"];
if ($bitlyerror == 0) {
$bitlyurl = $bitlycontent["results"][$url]["shortUrl"];
}
else $bitlyurl = "error";
return $bitlyurl;
}

With that in place, you must now locate the function that houses your social media links. If you haven’t already created a social media sharing box, I have two different tutorials (here & here) that can help you do just that.

2. Make It Work

Within that function, place this code near the top.

$burl = getBitlyUrl(get_permalink($post->ID));

Next, place this wherever you would like the link to display or activate.

<?php echo $burl; ?>

For example, to create a single link that will automatically (1) post to Twitter using the (2) bit.ly url at the (3) bottom of single posts, you would use the following code (for Thesis Users only, but easily adaptable for other themes).

function twitter_share() {
$burl = getBitlyUrl(get_permalink($post->ID)); ?>
<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Check This Out: <?php echo $burl; ?>">Share on Twitter</a>
<?php }
add_action('thesis_hook_after_post', 'twitter_share');

If you don’t understand php, this tutorial might seem a little advanced. I encourage you to try it yourself, but only if you backup custom_functions.php and have easy access to your site’s ftp.

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Acorn — the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now — has diminished any credibility it had remaining. In the last 48 hours, there have been some truly horrible revelations about this group that is supposedly an advocate for the poor.

Before I get to what has been revealed in the last couple of days, let me give you a recap of their past. President Barack Obama worked for Acorn as a community organizer, represented them in court, and trained their employees. Additionally, his campaign donated $800,000 to them to aid in voter registration efforts. Of course, Acorn supported Obama’s campaign as well.

Reports surfaced that The New York Times squashed a story that would have been detrimental to Obama’s campaign. They were also accused of voter fraud when their employees registered fictitious people such as Mickey Mouse to vote.

Despite all of that, our trusty government included Acorn in the whole bailout debacle. Seriously.

So, let’s get to the current stuff.

Now if you think what you’ve read so far is shocking, prepare to be horrified (assuming that you haven’t heard these details yet). This is not only embarrassing, but it decidedly corrupt. No doubt about it.

Two young investigative reporters, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, went into an Acorn office in Baltimore, Maryland. Hannah posed as a prostitute, James as a potential politician. They asked how they could start a highly illegal prostitution ring with underage illegals from El Salvador, all the while avoiding arrest and taxes. Acorn helped them out. Watch these two videos.

Pretty horrific, right? This should make HUGE news, right? Wrong! While Fox News and blogs spread the word about this tragedy, the other major networks completely ignored it. When they eventually broadcast it, they prefaced it by accusing the reporters of behaving unethically and irresponsibly. Basically, they offered excuses for an organization that was helping to coverup tax evasion, prostitution, and child trafficking.

Acorn responded by firing the two employees and accusing the reporters of simply attacking via a political “smear” campaign. Well, if that’s the case, then this must be an isolated incident, correct? No other offices would dare do similar (or exactly the same) things. That’s just good common sense, eh?

Well, our two favorite reporters, James and Hannah, hit up a Washington D.C. Acorn office. And look what happened.

I’m sensing a trend. You remember that joke Sarah Palin made at the Republican National Convention about the light workload of a community organizer? Man, did she have that wrong! These videos prove that they do ALL kinds of things!

Whew, that’s a lot of stuff in 48 hours from one organization. That has to be all of it! Of course it is — except for this one last bit. 11 Acorn workers were just arrested for voter fraud in Florida.

Read More About These Events & Acorn:

• Acorn Cries Racism
• Connection to Obama
• Census Bureau fires Acorn
• La Representative Calls for Investigation

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I have been asked many times, “What plugin did you use to get your social media sharing icons on your site?” Well, I didn’t use a single plugin to do it! Because of that, I decided to make a tutorial showing exactly how you can achieve the same thing.

Watch this short video for an overview of what we’re going to do.

1. Understanding the Design

Using css, we’re basically going to create a container that holds 3 different elements: (1) RSS/Email Links, (2) Social Media Sharing, (3) Ads. Everything within the container (including the 4 images) will be styled exclusively within custom.css.

We will be using a css 3.0 feature called opacity to create the hover effects. This will work flawlessly in Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and other trendsetting browsers; however, it will NOT be visible in Internet Explorer (the icons will show, the hover effect will not).

2. Understanding the Functionality

We will edit custom_functions.php to create the actual content within the box, including placing the images, links, and other features. Additionally, we will command the box to only show on single posts (not your home page or other pages).

3. Placing the Style

Open custom.css in your favorite editing application. Paste the following code into that file.

/*Stay-Connected and Share-This-Post Box*/
.box { margin: 0; padding: 0.7em; background: #e5f6fc; border: 1px solid #0262A5;}
.box h3 { margin-top: 0; }
.box p { margin-bottom: 0; }
.box .stayintheloop {float:left; width:58%;}
.box .social_icons {float:right; width:38%; }
.box .social_icons a, .box .social_icons a:hover {border:none;}
.box .social_icons img {filter:alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity: 1.0; opacity: 1.0;-khtml-opacity: 1.0; }
.box .social_icons img:hover {filter:alpha(opacity=50);-moz-opacity: 0.5; opacity: 0.5;-khtml-opacity: 0.5;}
.advert {background-color:#FFFFA0; color:#000; border: 1px solid #0262A5; border-top: 0; padding: 0.3em; text-align: center; font-size:12px;}

Of course, you can edit much of the above to fit your theme and preferences, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

4. Placing the Content

Next, open custom_functions.php and paste the following.

function post_footer () {
if (is_single()) {
?>
<div class="box">
<div class="stayintheloop">
<h3>Stay In The Loop!</h3>
<p>Insert RSS/Email Links Here</p>
</div>
<div class="social_icons">
<h3>Share This Post:</h3>
<p>Insert Social Media Links Here</p>
</div>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>
<div class="advert">
Advertisement: Created by <a href="http://MattFlies.com">MattFlies.com</a>
</div>
<?php
   }
}
add_action('thesis_hook_after_post', 'post_footer');

Tip: Automatically shorten urls before posting.

5. Edit to your liking

The box should now be visible on your single post pages. Take a look at it, and start to input the appropriate links and content. Use FeedBurner to get links to RSS and Email. Links and icons for social media are provided by the respective service (e.g. Twitter, Delicious). You can also view a list of the most popular links, complete with the correct functions for your Wordpress blog.

Replace your information in the necessary spots as indicated in Step 4. Any images that you insert within the social_icons div will automatically have the hover effect applied to them.

Edit the css from Step 3 to fit within the parameters of your color scheme, theme size, and more. Just have fun with it!

If you have any questions about this tutorial or you successfully incorporated the box into your blog, let me know in the comments. Don’t be afraid to drop a link to your site!

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The Thesis Theme for Wordpress is by far the most powerful and most flexible available. It has a very large and helpful support community that most Thesis Users have taken advantage of at least once or twice.

Despite that, there are a few things that I get asked all the time that are rather simple. This is not to say that those asking are unintelligent. Quite the opposite, actually. In most cases, they are simply trying to optimize their use of the powerful theme. That shows intelligence right there!

I’ve put together a few short video tutorials for those just getting started with Thesis. Instead of creating a new post for each video, I’ve decided to list them here. If requested, I will add new videos — so be sure to bookmark this page (On Delicious, perhaps).

1. How to Use Newspaper Style Blockquotes
2. How to Use Magazine Style Drop Caps
3. Image Placement and Justification
4. Inserting a Frame Around an Image
5. Inserting Code into a Post
6. Using Teasers on the Front Page (Added 8/26/09)
7. Using Different Paragraph Styles (Added 8/29/09)

If you feel you’re ready to dive into some more advanced activites with Thesis, I recommend starting with my 100 Thesis Resources list. Or maybe, 10 Ways to Customize Thesis. And who could forget 3 Easy Way to Customize Thesis. You could always insert an Animated Tabbed Widget too! Ok, that’s the end of my self-promotion segment of this post.

If you’d like additional help or would like to request another video tutorial, please let me know in the comments below. I promise to respond!

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The world of blogging has been flooded with resources over the past few years. There are many self-proclaimed ‘experts’ that have no portfolio, limited experience, and horrible blogs.

Part of becoming successful in the blogging world is being able to filter through the mess to find the gems that do exist. No matter how successful your blog is or eventually will become, there is no doubt that you’ll have to learn from others on a daily basis. Whether you choose to lean on Darren Rowse or take a more creative approach, you WILL have problems arise.

The following is a list of 10 Mostly New Things that will help you speed up the learning process and ultimately Make Your Blog Rock! Check out this mixture of tools, reading material, design and seo themes, and other resources.

1. 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by Darren Rowse

31 Days to Build a Better Blog takes you through the day-to-day process of maintaining a successful, growing blog. Not only does it offer advice and suggestions, but it shows you how to implement them into your web presence.

At less than $20, this 188-page book is not simply a means for income for Darren, but it is truly a phenomenal resource for today’s bloggers. Don’t be afraid to take the plunge, and do it knowing that it will increase your productivity and your readership!

Here’s what Darren has to say about it:

If you have big dreams for your blog but have been putting improving it in the ‘one day’ basket – you’re not alone.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog is a downloadable e-book designed to help you revitalize your blog by giving you 31 tasks that will all help to turn it into the page view powerhouse you’ve always dreamed of.

2. The Thesis Theme for Wordpress by Chris Pearson

The Thesis Theme is hands-down the best theme available for the powerful Wordpress Platform. Despite attempts by others, it really has no competitors in the premium theme world. Not only is it highly customizable, but it is an absolute SEO powerhouse.

It’s so popular, that I can guarantee that you’ve stumbled across it at some point. The Thesis Theme, developed by the amazing Chris Pearson, can be seen on popular blogs such as: Chris Brogan, CopyBlogger, Matt Cutts. Yes, it looks different in every case. Yes, it’s that customizable!

And just in case you were wondering, MattFlies is built on Thesis as well!

3. Screenr.com

One of the most impressive resources of 2009 has to be Screenr.com. If you haven’t heard, it allows you to take short screencasts of anything (Mac or PC) in High Definition and instantly upload them for public viewing. In addition, you can cross post the video to youtube, embed it on your site, post it to Twitter, and watch it on your iPhone!

And did I fail to mention — It’s free, requires only your browser, and is quite fun too!

Here’s a short screencast that I just created:

4. Authority Rules by Brian Clark

Authority Rules, a free ebook by Brian Clark, takes a look at the importance of authority in online marketing. It’s a short read, but uses real-life examples that will open your eyes to the importance of being a leader and innovator in your niche.

Let’s look at Brian’s simple introduction to the book:

Authority is powerful stuff.

Authority can be abused and it can definitely corrupt…

But it can also build trust, admiration, and respect.

And when it comes to online marketing…

Authority is what works.

Direct and Powerful. Read it Today.

5. TweetMeMe.com and ReTweet.com

While I was tempted to list Twitter as a “New Thing,” I couldn’t bring myself to refer to something so widely used already. However, these complementary (and complimentary) services made the cut.

TweetMeMe and Retweet both allow bloggers to keep track of how often their posts have been posted to Twitter. Additionally, they provide readers with an easy method of twittering about a particular article.

TweetMeMe is the clear leader in the market, and they have continuously enhanced their service. ReTweet is very new, but no one should ever complain about healthy competition! For now use TweetMeMe, but keep an eye on ReTweet.

6. LinkWithin

LinkWithin is a free service that simply provides a sleek looking “Related Posts” widget to your blog. It works like most other related posts plugins, but with some very cool added functionality. If your posts has an image, it will grab it, resize it, and display it as a thumbnail – all formatted perfectly! It loads quickly, looks stylish, and works as advertised.

Currently customization is limited, but in an email from Liliya, I was assured that new features would be added soon. They do provide a simple-to-use, lightweight plugin for Wordpress. LinkWithin is visible at the bottom of every post on MattFlies.

7. ProBlogger Secrets for Blogging by Darren Rowse

Darren Rowse (with Chris Garrett) makes the list twice! ProBlogger Secrets for Blogging focuses on creating and maintaining a successful Money Making blog. It details the journey they took and tells you how to do the same thing.

While the details of blogging success are ever changing and evolutionary at best, this book is a terrific starting point if you are looking to monetize your blog. It’s an excellent cross-niche book that looks at creating income online.

8. Posterous.com

Posterous, a very simple and potentially robust blogging client has recently burst onto the scene. While you can use it as a replacement for your current blog, I highly suggest using it as a complementary device. It can effectively save you a great amount of time by doing some heavy lifting for you.

For instance, send an email to post@posterous.com with 20 photos attached and watch as they are automatically uploaded to Posterous and Flickr, all the while being posted on Twitter and Facebook. Oh, and they offer a (still growing) list of about 20 other services as well.

9. Pretty Link Pro (Wordpress Plugin

Still in beta, Pretty Link Pro offers some amazing features for your Wordpress hosted blog. URL shortening and tracking, managing pay-per-click campaigns, tracking affiliate activity, beautifying PHP, and adding a tweet this badge and counter are just a few of its features.

Unfortunately, the full version will cost you $150 ($100 until Sep 1, 2009).

Buy It Now | Grab the Free Version

10. Trust Agents by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith

Perhaps the most current book on influence and the internet, Trust Agents is shooting up the best-selling charts. It’s definitely a worthwhile read, but I’ll let you read the official description below. Also, a sample of the book.

In Trust Agents, two social media veterans show you how to tap into the power of social networks to build your brand’s influence, reputation, and, of course, profits. Today’s online influencers are web natives who trade in trust, reputation, and relationships, using social media to accrue the influence that builds up or brings down businesses online.

The book shows how people use online social tools to build networks of influence and how you can use those networks to positively impact your business. Because trust is key to building online reputations,, those who traffic in it are “trust agents,” the key people your business needs on its side.

• Delivers actionable steps and case studies that show how social media can positively impact your business
• Written by authors with over ten years of online media experience
• Shows you how to build and wield influence online to benefit your brand
• Combines high-level theory with practical step-by-step guidance

If you want your business to succeed, don’t sit on the sidelines. Instead, use the Web to build trust with your consumers using Trust Agents.

Have you used any of the above? If so, what did you think of them? Are there any others you’d suggest? Let me know in the comments below!

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We all have those annoying friends imbeciles on Facebook that seem to strive to ruin the experience for everyone. They flood your NewsFeed while trying to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for most applications ever added to one profile.

Due to the prevalence of this uneducated and obviously moronic race of people, I’ve decided to take it upon myself to inform the masses of proper Facebook etiquette. I had to reread that sentence 4 times to understand it, and I wrote it. In simple terms (for you crazies), I will teach you how to NOT be annoying.

If you follow these 10 simple rules of Facebook, I will guarantee you that your social media friendships will not only last longer, but also increase in quality. Mainly, because I won’t block you. That’s quality right there.

Here goes nothing.

1. NEVER tag photos of people who aren’t actually IN the photo.

Too often, I find myself tagged in a photo that someone just wants me to see. If you just want me to look at the stupid picture, send me a link! I don’t want a picture of your newborn beagle, no matter how cute, to have my name on it along with 74 of your other friends.

Chances are, if you’re a close enough friend to me that I would actually care about a picture of your dog, I’ll find it on my own anyway. Don’t force your photos on anyone!

I am not the Naked Cowboy. I promise. Do NOT tag me in this picture.

2. NEVER type an entire message or comment in ALL CAPS.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you should know that typing in all caps communicates SCREAMING! And no person should ever need to scream something like this: “EATIN A BAKON LETTUCE TOMATO SAMWICH AT JULIENS THEN GOIN 2 WORK TILL 5 YAY.”

And that leads me to my #3 (and also to #4).

3. Use punctuation. The grammar gods made it for a reason!

While you do encounter the occasional grammar over-user, they are vastly outnumbered by the punctuation-less. I mean, did someone distribute keyboards without these keys or something? Add a period. Use a comma. And while you’re at it, learn what possessive means and how it applies to apostrophes.

4. Shorthand typing is so 2003. Leave it there.

I wudnt type lk dis if my lfe dpnded on it.

Basically, shorthand typing (OMG, I wnt 2 da restrnt 2 by sum fud but 4 sum rezn they cudn’t undrstnd wut I sed) was created for one of two reasons: (a) To fit more words into a text message because phones had a limit or (b) to hide the true message from inquiring minds, such as parents.

Since phones can now send crazy long text messages (another rant for another day) and since hiding stuff on Facebook through shorthand will help no one, STP USNG IT! Even the most popular service in today’s world that limits the length of a message frowns upon this shorthand (Twitter).

5. Don’t start an unrelated conversation on a status update!

A Map for You

For the love of Pete (Who is Pete anyway? And why do people say that?), If you dreamt about me last night in a pirate’s outfit, write it on my wall where everyone can see! Not in an unrelated conversation thread. Thank you.

6. Limit the length of your novel, errr… status update.

If I need an audiobook version of your status update to know what it says while I’m driving, then it’s probably too long. If I have to scroll down on my 24″ monitor to read the whole thing, then it’s probably too long. If it rivals War and Peace in length, then it’s probably too long. And you might be a redneck too.

If you want to tell a story, put it in a Facebook Note. If you need practice, join Twitter so you can learn brevity alongside me.

7. Put YOUR picture as your profile picture.

So not you.

I guess I’ll forgive you if you choose to put a picture of your child/children, but even when I see that I think — Does this person seriously not have a single photo WITH their kids they could use? Hmmmm.

8. Either chat or don’t chat! There’s no in-between.

If you initiate a chat with me, then doggone it, at least participate in the conversation! And if you’re going to abruptly sign off, at least have the courtesy to say, “Later Dude.” I think nothing more needs to be said here. Next.

9. Don’t leave disclaimers for your sarcasm.

I’m so sorry. I was just being sarcastic if you didn’t know.

If you are witty enough to post a creative and sarcastic comment, then take ownership of it and don’t be ashamed! Believe it or not, most of us can read your intentions into your comment. If someone cannot, then it’s a character flaw on their part.

Too often, I see someone leave a terrificly facetious comment, only to see a followup post 10 seconds later that says, “I was just being sarcastic.” The mark of a true talent in the cynicism arena is the ability to not crack a smile and not have a tell! Believe it.

10. Stop. Taking. Those. Stupid. Quizzes.

In case you missed my rant on this, you can watch it now.

There are many more things that annoy people on Facebook, I’m sure. Let me know your pet peeves in the comments! And what do you think of mine? Be honest!

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If you’re a Thesis User, then you should definitely be on Twitter! Not only is Twitter great for your blog from a marketing standpoint, but it also boasts a large and active Thesis community, always willing to help.

By following and using the Thesis Hashtag (#thesiswp), you can take part in discussions about new skins, tutorials, problems, and anything else Thesis related.

While there are many who actively use the hashtag and are always willing to help, there are a few that stand above the rest. Not only are the following people Thesis Experts, but they are active on Twitter, active with the #thesiswp hashtag, and not-to-mention — Really Cool!

1. @pearsonified

Who he is: If you’re a Thesis user, you owe it all to Chris Pearson. He is the ultimate Wordpress Theme designer (he created neoclassical, copyblogger, cutline, and pressrow). And he also created Thesis. Apparently, he’s a pretty mean scrabble player too.

2. @diythemes

What it is: The official Twitter account of DiyThemes. You know, the place where you purchased Thesis.

3. @godhammer

Who he is: Sarcastic, witty, and a little offensive (and very interesting) — but a great Thesis resource! One of the most active on this list and constantly helping users on Twitter and in the Thesis forum.

4. @girliegeek

Who she is: Working with DIYthemes, Shelley Kauffman is always spreading the word about resources and tutorials on the web. Follow her for the best links to the best Thesis content around.

5. @kristarella

Who she is: A web designer and author of some of the best Thesis tutorials around. Her site, Kristarella.com is one of the best Thesis mods you’ll find! She’s one of the nicest Thesis users out there and since she’s from Australia, she’s your best bet once America goes to bed. Wait, she’s also one of the best when America’s awake!

6. @kingdomgeek

Who he is: He created Thesis OpenHook. Yeah, nothing else really needs to be said about him. He’s that good.

7. @doublemule

Who he is: Self-proclaimed as “Half as smart, twice as stubborn,” doublemule is a Thesis master. His website has lots of tutorials and he links to the best Thesis designers around! He’s not too bad himself, either.

8. @matthodder

Who he is: Matt Hodder is an excellent Thesis Skin Designer, responsible for many of the best skins available for purchase or download. You can see his work at ThesisThemes.com.

9. @jamievaron

Who she is: Jamie has one of the most elegant Thesis-designed blogs around. She’s also the founder of Shatterboxx Media, which has a terrific reputation. Also, she likes you if you’re funny.

10. @mattonomics

Who he is: He’s the author of ThesisTutor.com and a defender of #thesiswp. Another good Thesis guy named Matt. Good stuff!

Oh, Don’t Forget Me: @Matt425

Who I am: You can’t really write an article without some sort of self-promotion, right? While I’m not exactly Chris Pearson, I do know my way around Thesis. Not only that, I compiled the much bookmarked and used List of 100 Thesis Resources as well as a few tutorials. Follow Me. And Rock On.
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