Location of the Day Widget!

[beerinator]

This one is a google homepage "Location of the Day" widget.



You can add it with this link (if you are logged into google):
http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=beermapping.com/google/locoftheday.xml
The preview image on the next page is cached (it will probably look like one of our map widgets) and it is not indicative of the widget you are adding.

I added a little search form at the bottom, so those of you with the simple beer mapping search widget can cast those aside, since this will do the same job (plus display the location of the day).

We plan to feature the location of the day in a spot somewhere on the site sometime in the near future.  To be considered to be in the running for "location of the day" a location must have at least one review, at least one image uploaded and a location can not be location of the day multiple times (at the moment).  Sometime next year (or a few hundred days away) I will delete old records and allow a location that has been location of the day to have a repeat honor.

[BahHumBrew]

I added a little search form at the bottom, so those of you with the simple beer mapping search widget can cast those aside, since this will do the same job (plus display the location of the day).

Did that.  I like these google homepage widgets.  I also have a twitter widget but it would be nice to have a small twitter map instead.  Wouldn't have to show more than the last few twitters but it would be helpful if it contained a link to the Twitoordinator page so you could enter a coordinated twit from any address. 

[beerinator]

A twitter map wouldn't be that hard to do.  But I have a lot on my plate right now (not by choice) so I don't think I could even touch that for a few weeks.

[BahHumBrew]

A twitter map wouldn't be that hard to do.  But I have a lot on my plate right now (not by choice) so I don't think I could even touch that for a few weeks.

That's fine.  Just responding to your request for suggestions.

[beerinator]

That's fine.  Just responding to your request for suggestions.

Oh yeah.  I appreciate it.  It really is a good idea for something cool to put on a google homepage.

By the way, I always forget to include this link when I announce a gadget:
http://gmodules.com/ig/creator?synd=open&hl=en&url=http://beermapping.com/google/locoftheday.xml
It's basically the way that google "wraps" our code into their code so you can put this gadget onto any page on the net.

[beerinator]

Today is the first "location of the day" that I have visited!

June 17th 2008

Lucky Labrador Beer Hall

Lucky Labrador Beer Hall

Information provided by Beer Mapping

[unclejedi]

Today is the first "location of the day" that I have visited!

I thought we went to the location on Hawthorne.  Did you visit both locations?

[beerinator]

I thought we went to the location on Hawthorne.  Did you visit both locations?

Yeah.  We hit that Lucky Lab, New Old Lompoc and a Laurelwood location the night before we bumped into you guys.  I'm the one that has credit for that image and the only review for that Lucky Lab.

[beerinator]

There is now a location of the day page:
http://beermapping.com/locoftheday/
That is simply using the google gadget code from the page linked above.

On that page you can see that I have created a twitter account for beermappinglotd that you can follow and there is also a rss feed for that location of the day page (fed through the twitter account).

I just wrote the twitter update code this morning over the page 20 or so minutes, so there could be bugs.  But if there are any, it shouldn't break anything.
https://twitter.com/beermappinglotd

edit: I'm trying to delete my test tweets from that beermappinglotd account, but twitter isn't cooperating.

[BahHumBrew]

There is now a location of the day page:
http://beermapping.com/locoftheday/
That is simply using the google gadget code from the page linked above.

On that page you can see that I have created a twitter account for beermappinglotd that you can follow and there is also a rss feed for that location of the day page (fed through the twitter account).

I just wrote the twitter update code this morning over the page 20 or so minutes, so there could be bugs.  But if there are any, it shouldn't break anything.
https://twitter.com/beermappinglotd

edit: I'm trying to delete my test tweets from that beermappinglotd account, but twitter isn't cooperating.

Good idea.  I'm going to follow beermappinglotd and send the tweets to my phone.  Do you update lotd at a specific time each day? 

Also, I am wondering if international locations are included in lotd.  Probably not too many with a picture and a review but it would be interesting to see one pop up.  Maybe it would be possible to initially use the country flag instead of a picture for international locations. 

[beerinator]

The way the code is written at the moment, the first time after midnight that someone loads the widget is when the code updates and sets that day's location.

The moment when the location of the day is set, is also the moment when the twitter post should be made (if I programmed it properly!).

I could automate the process, but as long as the widget or page is slightly popular, it should load sometime in the morning (I have google.com/ig as my home page so I see it when my work or home browser loads).  If it turns out to be a problem, I will set it to automatically update sometime in the early morning hours.

And any location can be included (no matter the country) as long as it has been reviewed and photographed.  So if you want your favorite place to have a chance, you need to make sure it is reviewed and that there is an image uploaded for it.

[BahHumBrew]

The way the code is written at the moment, the first time after midnight that someone loads the widget is when the code updates and sets that day's location.

I assume that's midnight in the central time zone.  It will be interesting to see how this works out.  If TheBeerNut starts using the widget, I may need to reconsider the phone notifications.

[beerinator]

I assume that's midnight in the central time zone.  It will be interesting to see how this works out.  If TheBeerNut starts using the widget, I may need to reconsider the phone notifications.

You can tell your twitter account which hours you sleep and it will avoid updating you during those hours.  You can also turn "notifications off" for each user you are following when you look at the page displaying the people you are following.

[BahHumBrew]

You can tell your twitter account which hours you sleep and it will avoid updating you during those hours.  You can also turn "notifications off" for each user you are following when you look at the page displaying the people you are following.

Yes.  I knew that.  I've set the sleep hours.  I'm just interested to see how this works out but will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.   

[beerinator]

You can tell your twitter account which hours you sleep and it will avoid updating you during those hours.  You can also turn "notifications off" for each user you are following when you look at the page displaying the people you are following.

Yes.  I knew that.  I've set the sleep hours.  I'm just interested to see how this works out but will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.   

Me too.  Seriously, I haven't really tested the live stuff so it may or may not work!  :crossfingers: