CMS » desalasworks | Steven de Salas | Full Stack Developer, DevOps, Databases, JavaScript Developer, Interface Designer

WP Simple SpamCheck

PHP Wordpress

This plugin allows WordPress to block over 95% of comments using a time-based hash.

This allows for a minimum sanity check and yet should remove almost all spam comments without the need to sign up to any third party APIs.

You are now welcome to install and use this WordPress Plugin I developed out of frustration of having to sign up and pay for a key to the Akismet API services, and yet knowing that a simple time-based input validation could help get rid of the majority of my spam comments.

This is what the plugin looks like once installed.

So far I have been using this plugin myself for the past 12 months and I am very happy with the results. I normally receive around 400-600 spam comments a week and this has cut that down to an average of 1-2 which is far more manageable.

The solution is pretty low-tech, it only took about 2 days to put it together using some time-validation techniques I’ve successfully used in the past for one of my other websites (www.valuetrader.info).

The plugin is pretty effective given the lack of sophistication employed by the majority of spam bots however it is not very advanced and for that reason some spam comments may still make it through.

To install follow these instructions:

1. Download the file wp-simple-spamcheck.zip to your desktop.
2. Open the ‘Plugins’ section of your site
3. Click on ‘Add New’ and then ‘Upload’
4. Select the ‘wp-simple-spamcheck.zip‘ file you just saved and press ‘Install Now’.
5. Click ‘Apply’ once the installation has completed.
6. Hopefully, the ‘(Spamcheck Enabled)’ message should appear when entering comments.

Please be aware that some templates may not be able to implement this spam check plugin, if the ‘(Spamcheck Enabled)’ message does not appear then just uninstall and search for a different plugin from the other available options.

If you have installed this plugin and you find it useful. Please give it a rating in the WordPress plugin website so that other users can see it.

If you have any other problems just drop me a line here.

ESPA Online Checkout

AJAX C# JavaScript NET Framework SQL Server

E-commerce website featuring relaxation and skincare products by UK Spa design and management company. The project involved client checkout and ordering process embedded in existing Content Management solution.

Development of The Checkout Process

Enabling taxes and currency assignment based on IP address geo-location
Assigning and applying promotional codes,
Ajax-based interaction and shopping cart review
Payment and warehouse integration
Order confirmation email
Integration into existing Sitefinity CMS templating.
As well as several other related features..

The Checkout Process – Part 2

VAT calculations on last minute changes
User Experience – Ajax accordion UI features
Credit card detail verification
Payment integration
Warehouse order forwarding

Developing the Shopping Experience

Integrating the bespoke ASP.NET shopping cart into the existing website
Developing enhanced user-experience components such as wishlist for favourite products
Reviewing and testing complete process

Designing Email Feedback

Creating suitable email layouts based on design specifications
Testing on email clients such Gmail, MSN, Outlook, Yahoo etc
Integrating with existing order system after warehouse confirmation

Tracking and Logging User Access

Desigining object and database model for logging and user/product tracking
Integrating model into existing website infrastructure
Testing high usage volumes
Producing email reports looking at statistics on number of orders, products purchased etc

WordPress Compression Plugin

PHP Wordpress

This plugin allows your WordPress blog to output pages compressed in gzip format if a browser supports compression.

Plugin Homepage

You can now find the plugin listed in WordPress.org.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-http-compression/

Coding the Plugin

I noticed once I installed WordPress and started using it for desalasworks.com that it does not support gzip HTTP compression, apparently this support was removed from version 2.5 onwards.
HTTP Compression is a no-brainer for optimising your blog. HTTP compression generally means a 60-80% reduction in page size (and broadband usage) as well as an increase in download speeds of 3x to 4x.
As of January 2010, more than 99% of browsers support compression. For the less than 1% that do not, WordPress will still send them uncompressed pages.
Having already enabled compression on my own VisualSite (.NET) Content Management System I decided to write a plugin for WordPress to enable this as well.
The key component of the plugin is a call to the zlib PHP compression library as follows
- if(!ob_start(“ob_gzhandler”)) ob_start();
For more information have a look here: PHP ob_gzhandler

Download The Plugin

wp-http-compression.1.0

Installing the Plugin

Download the `wp-http-compression.zip` plugin to your desktop.
Navigate to the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
Click ‘Add New’.
Select ‘Upload’ from the options at top of the page.
Select the file `wp-http-compression.1.0.zip` and press ‘Install Now’.
You should get a message saying ‘Plugin Installed successfully’.
Activate the plugin.
Go to http://ismyblogworking.com/ to test compression
Check “Page GZip” on the right hand size.
Check “Bandwidth saved by compression” on the left hand side.

Segresco.com

A company brochure website template built on a bespoke ASP.NET content management system: VisualSite CMS which I have built and continue to maintain for a small client base.

Designing the Front Page Template

Black/Yellow design following client branding
Construction “Blueprint” features indicating nature of the website
Simple and striking looks.

Designing the Sub-Page template

Sub-menu uses the yellow band directly below 1st level
Notice the “VisualSite CMS” button used to log into admin area

In-Context Editing

Apply in-context editing for changing content directly on the page
Notice “Administration” area and “Log out” button to revert to normal format

Managing Image Library

Image Uploads and File Management
Integration into rich HTML editor tool

Species Finder Tasmania

University of Tasmania professor Peter McQuillan and former student Javier de Salas came up with an idea to enable the public to contribute to the worthy cause of cataloguing Tasmania’s fantastic biodiversity.

This is an example of how a simple wordpress site can turn a big idea into workable website.

Species finder helps the public catalog new species

The site enables anybody in the public to ‘Upload’ any photos they have taken of potential new species, where a few selected ‘Specialists’ can review them. Once a new species, or example or a rare species has been found, it is catalogued and added the site including the location where the particular specimen was found.

Rare species can be catalogued by specialists and located on a map for future reference.

If you would like to contribute to this worthy cause please follow this link for instructions.

Sdesalas.com

The 6th incarnation of my travel blog. This time using a template over a bespoke Content Management System (VisualSite CMS) that I wrote myself using ASP.NET C# and CSS / Javascript.

Designing the Front Page Template

Blue/White “Where in the World is Steven de Salas?” design borrowed and enhanced from previous offering.
Accessible CSS Menu Navigation
XHTML and W3C standards compliant
Featuring new Search Box and RSS subscription

Designing the Sub-Page Template

Mostly based on Home page with a few exceptions
Page heading as white on dark blue.
Two-stage menu layout, featuring top level and side-level menus

Designing the Search Results Page Template

Search result listing using CSS and W3C standards
Support for Pagination (Page 1, 2, 3 etc).

Menu Administration

Using Drag-and-Drop tree interface for easy menu changes.
Support hidden pages and redirects

Nandos’ Intranet

JavaScript NET Framework SQL Server XML

A central point of contact for all Nandos’ stores. From the central login page each user has a set of applications which they can launch automatically by just clicking on the icon.

Designing the Front Page Layout

3-Column template using highly-colourful branding as per Nandos’ image.
Content is based on user profile with 3 types of users: Store Login, Area Manager Login, IT Login
Icon-Based navigation used for launching applications.
“Pass-though” authentication, user login parameters are forwarded to each application using HTTP POST
Login information and Noticeboard.

Designing Application Layout for a Store

Sample screen for a Nandos Store Login
Menu contains customised options
Key item is “End Of Day” button that stands sepparate from the rest

Putting it all together with a Content Management System

Site integrated into ActiveWeb CMS writte in ASP.NET
ASP.NET C# and XML/XSLT based templates to provide flexibility
CMS can add new application for users to launch as needed.

desalasworks presents:

a portfolio of work by steven de salas

WP Simple SpamCheck

ESPA Online Checkout

Development of The Checkout Process

The Checkout Process – Part 2

Developing the Shopping Experience

Designing Email Feedback

Tracking and Logging User Access

WordPress Compression Plugin

Plugin Homepage

Coding the Plugin

Download The Plugin

Installing the Plugin

Segresco.com

Designing the Front Page Template

Designing the Sub-Page template

In-Context Editing

Managing Image Library

Species Finder Tasmania

Sdesalas.com

Designing the Front Page Template

Designing the Sub-Page Template

Designing the Search Results Page Template

Menu Administration

Nandos’ Intranet

Designing the Front Page Layout

Designing Application Layout for a Store

Putting it all together with a Content Management System

Steven de Salas

Full Stack Developer

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