At first glance, the way the Apache mod_rewrite module handles query strings can be a little intimidating. mod_rewrite works by sitting on your server in a file called htaccess, and “catching” requests for URL‘s. It then checks these URL request against a series of rules and conditions you have set. If the request meets any of the rules and conditions, it applies then necessary changes to the URL, then reprocesses the request with the changes you have directed. Read more – ‘Apache RewriteRule and query strings’.
The Semantic Web is a web of data. There is lots of data we all use every day, and most of it is not part of the web. I can see my bank statements on the web, and my photographs, and I can see my appointments in a calendar. But can I see my photos in a calendar to see what I was doing when I took them and on a map so I know where I took them? Can I see bank statement lines in a calendar? The answer, right now, is no. Read more – ‘An Introduction to the Semantic Web’.
Carpe diem on any duplicate content worries: Google, Yahoo and Microsoft now support a format that allows you to publicly specify your preferred version of a URL. If your site has identical or vastly similar content that’s accessible through multiple URLs, this format provides you with more control over the URL returned in search results. It also helps to make sure that properties such as link popularity are consolidated to your preferred version. Read more – ‘Canonical URLs – What Are They All About?’.
Some time ago, well almost a year ago actually, I posted an article called Parsing Twitter Usernames, Hashtags and URLs with JavaScript. From that article, it became immediately apparent that this was an issue many people were confronting and one that required an answer. Now, belatedly, it is the turn of ColdFusion to get the Twitter love. Read more – ‘Parsing Twitter Usernames, Hashtags and URLs with ColdFusion’.
An increasingly popular technique among websites and in particular, blogs, is the idea of making URLs search engine friendly, or safe, on the premise that doing so will help search engine optimisation. By removing the obscure query string element of a URL and replacing it with keyword rich alternatives, not only makes it more readable for a human being, but also the venerable robots that allow our page content to be found in the first place. Read more – ‘Enabling Search Engine Safe URLs with Apache and htaccess’.
With the advent Google Chrome there has been a lot of media coverage regarding the browser’s uptake and how it will compete with Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. This is where the User Agent becomes most valuable. Read more – ‘What's In Google Chrome's User-Agent String’.
Every seasoned developer will know that protecting your website from a hacker is a top priority, whether for your own reputation or for maintaining your company's reputation and log-term revenue prospects. Read more – ‘How to Protect Your Website from a Malicious Attack’.
Over the past few weeks, subversive elements in the international arena have decided that attacking websites is a fun thing to do! The online world has become the new battle ground between nations vying to de-stabilise rivals. This may seem all very Jack Bauer, but we are increasingly seening ‘SQL injection attacks’ eminating from countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. Of course, that doesn’t mean our countries aren’t doing the same in return, but we only see the results from foreign-based attacks. Read more – ‘What is a SQL Injection Attack’.
