Embedding a Google Doc in HTML

Someone asked about collaboration tools and the ability to embed them on an HTML page.

My immediate thought was, “Sure, this is possible…right?”

I did not know it would be as easy as to embed an editable Google Document in an iframe. Never thought about doing that before.

So something like this:

Screen Shot 2014-08-15 at 3.11.00 PM

So just treat an iframe like a photo. You can just add a link, size it to the width and height you want. And finally, place it where you want on the page.

It might not work for every situation. But this person wanted a webpage that people in different locations can edit.

Admittedly, there are downsides to this approach. It is not secure, for starters. But the client loved it.

This page walks you through how to set up an editable google document.

The 5 Things That I Need to Know from a Restaurant’s website

When we go to lunch at a place I don’t know, the first thing I do it look for their website. (Also because I am building a new website for a restaurant) Here are things I want to know:

1. Hours – When are you open or closed

2. Menu – What can I eat. I would take PDFs but would prefer a menu webpage

3. Takeout – Do you have takeout? Is there a minimum or max cost? If online ordering is available, let me know

4. Wifi – Do you have it? Is it free for customers?

5. Map – Where is the location?

 

Great pictures and smiling owners and backstory of the restaurant is great. But you have to get me to come in to spend my money. Am I completely off base?

Force move to top of browser with jQuery

I have a website where I needed the user when they clicked a button to go back to the top of the page.

For some reason, scrollTop() in jquery did not work and window.scroll in native javascript could not get to work either.

So I added this oneliner suggested by Nizam at:

$('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: 0 }, 0);

It forced the browser to go back to the top when a user clicked a specific button on the page. For my page, I wanted the user to go to the top of a form. The page had a fixed button and I placed the oneliner in the same jQuery function.

They even gave a second oneliner for smooth scrolling:

$('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: 0 }, 'slow');

Very cool solution that solved my issue.

Watermarking photos: Yes or No

Someone in my Twitter feed asked about adding watermarks to photos. I told her a couple of ways to watermark photos ( which I will tell you at the end).

But let me take a moment to make an argument and a plea. First, an argument against certain types of watermarks.

Try not having watermarks

Watermarks tend to be overhanded and ruin photos. When I see a watermarked photo, I believe that most of the time, it ruins or make a lesser photo. I know some people say that adding a watermark at the corner of a photo ruins it. I don’t believe that. I believe it is the same as a photo credit that you would see in a magazine or a newspaper.

 

If you are going to plaster your website or Twitter handle over each photo you upload, why bother.

Now, I am not saying that you should make your photos Creative Commons. But if you are worried about theft, there are ways to prevent that. You don’t even have to write your name in green or purple over the photo.

My plea: Rethink how you watermark your photos

I have a photoshop file that I made as a template for my Twitter friend I have it here for you to download as well. It’s small, but also let’s people know that you own the photo.

Now my friend is more model than photo editor. But I can walk her through how to add this layer to her photo. We could also do the batch watermark process, but I don’t think she is ready for that yet.

Some people would want it larger and that’s fine. You can adjust to what makes you happy.

My friend will probably have a logo because she releases a weekly photo of herself on Twitter and the watermark would be for those photos. That sounds great (in more ways than one). But the same rules should apply.

Um, what about free

No Photoshop, no problem. Make Use Of has an article for free software that can do the same thing.

There are also online services that they review in this article.

The takeaway: You spend time planning, editing, and selecting your shots. Also think about the how you want to mark your shots.