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Google today will finally remove the long-standing beta tag from some of its most popular web applications, most notably its wildly popular email application, Gmail.
In addition to the beta-less Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs, and Talk (i.e., the rest of the Google Apps suite) will also shed the beta moniker. Gmail has notoriously worn the beta badge since its initial invite-only launch back in April of 2004.
If for some reason you’ve grown fond of the beta tags. No fear, you can add the Beta tag by doing the following:
Just go to Settings, click on Labs, turn on “Back to Beta,” and it’ll be like Gmail never left beta at all.
If you live in email, you’ll know how important it is to use the following rules to keep your email recipients happy and productive. Feel free to call me out if I ever email you and don’t follow these rules =]
Change the subject line every time you start a new conversation.
The email subject line should tell the reader what the message is about. So if an email strand about “next Tuesday’s meeting” suddenly morphs into a discussion about “Joe’s retirement party,” consider changing the subject line. Having descriptive subject lines helps people quickly scan their inbox to decide which messages to read first and also helps when searching for a message after a conversation has ended.
Don’t use email when another medium makes more sense.
Use email only when it’s the best method. In many work cultures (like at Yahoo!), instant messaging is popular for quick conversations and sending links back and forth. If you know a colleague is on the road a lot and more likely to see a text message than an email, then use text messaging. If you know someone is at her desk and might not check an email about a meeting change in half an hour, the old-fashioned land line might be the best choice.
Answer questions inline.
This one is huge for me.
When someone sends an email asking several questions, train yourself to reply inline, inserting your answers directly beneath each question.
Don’t get the last word in.
There is usually no reason to cap off a long exchange with “thank you” (and certainly, “you’re welcome”). An email conversation has to end at some point. Be the brave one to let it end.
Use the cc function sparingly.
Try to cc only those who need to know and avoid cc-ing long lists of people unless it is important that everyone know who else received a message. Certainly don’t use the cc function if you don’t want people on the list to know the names of the other people receiving the same message. Even removing cc recipients isn’t bad as long as you KNOW they don’t need to be involved in a conversation. *Approach this last tip cautiously though. Some corporate cultures shun streamlining productivity at the cost of removing recipients.
Keep it brief.
When was the last time you read a work-related email and wished it was longer? That doesn’t mean you can’t be detailed if the situation requires it though.
Ask whether people prefer attachments or links to files.
Many people dislike receiving attachments, but it’s good to ask someone’s preference if you’re going to be sending documents back and forth. Consider tools that allow two people to share and work on a document together rather than attachments. I’m a big fan of Google Docs for this purpose. It’s also a good idea to link to documents to keep inboxes nice and light. Nothing like 15MB emails all over the place..
Give up cutesy handles.
Try to stay as close to your name or a shorthand for your name as possible. “Hot_to_trot” might be just fine for your online dating life, but give it up when you’re corresponding about work matters.
Say no to chain letters and jokes.
While the rare forwarded email evokes a smile or a warm feeling, they are mostly irritating. And while you expect those emails from your batty aunt, you don’t want to be getting them from professional contacts.
Avoid shared email addresses.
Do not share an email with a spouse or partner (either the personal or the business kind.) Grown-ups should have their own email addresses.
A software development kit (SDK) released by Apple allows people to write applications for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch. The iPhone SDK includes the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iPhone simulator, frameworks and samples, compilers, Shark analysis tool, and more. To download the iPhone SDK you must have an Apple ID. Developers have long insisted required ID’s.
FireFox 3.5 includes support for the multi-touch features, but leaves out a “twist” motion that moves forward and back through browser tabs. All you have to do is make some simple edits using the configuration editor.
So launch FireFox and type the following into the address bar.
1 | about:config |
Then type “twist” into the filter bar. The two items you want to double-click are
1 2 3 | browser.gesture.twist.left and browser.gesture.twist.right |
Set change them to
1 2 3 | Browser:NextTab and Browser:PrevTab |
respectively, and you’re on your way.
Courtesy via CrunchGear.
If you use htaccess for password protection, then the location containing all of your password information is plainly available through the htaccess file. If you have set incorrect permissions or if your server is not as secure as it could be, a browser has the potential to view an htaccess file through a standard web interface and thus compromise your site/server. However, it is possible to prevent an htaccess file from being viewed in this manner:
1 2 3 4 | <Files .htaccess> order allow,deny deny from all </Files> |
The first line specifies that the file named .htaccess is having this rule applied to it. You could use this for other purposes if you were so inclined…
If you use this in your htaccess file, a person trying to see that file would get returned (under most server configurations) a 403 error code.