Eric Mann

  • WordPress XML-RPC – MetaWeblog API

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    As odd as it may sound, WordPress’ XML-RPC system is built on others.  This makes sense from a development standpoint – why reinvent the wheel when others have done such a great job?  But it can be incredibly confusing and downright frustrating when you start working with the WordPress API and have to turn to

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  • Investing your Talents

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    On Sunday, we discussed the parable of the talents in church.  It’s one of my favorite passages of scripture, both for the uplifting message about hard work and perseverance and for the convicting way it reminds me not to squander the gifts given me by God.  For those of you keeping track at home, you

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  • WordPress XML-RPC – Using the API

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    The most important thing to know about WordPress’ XML-RPC interface is how to send and receive data through it.  The interface is turned off by default for security purposes, so when you’re ready to start using it, you’ll have to manually turn it on.  Go to Settings » Writing and look for the XML-RPC option

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  • WordPress XML-RPC – An Introduction

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    I’ve seen a lot of conversations over the past two months regarding WordPress’ built-in XML-RPC functionality.  What most of you might not know is that you can write to, read, and administer a WordPress site from anywhere.  There are iPhone applications for creating and revising content.  There are desktop applications for moderating comments.  There are

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  • Motivation

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    Once upon a time, I heard myself utter the phrase, “I’m not paid enough to care about that.”  Years later, a boss explicitly told me not to do something because, “you aren’t paid enough for that.”  The other day, I was told to excuse a volunteer’s lack of enthusiasm and follow-through because, “he’s doing this

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  • A Manly Occupation

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    I was listening to a radio show the other day that claimed there wasn’t enough adventure left in modern society.  The broad claim was that men needed some kind of battle to fight and some kind of adventure to pursue in order to feel like men.  Unfortunately, modern civilization leaves us struggling to find a

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  • The Dangerous Allure of the GPL

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    I am a huge fan of open source development.  From the developer side of things, it means there are limitless tools at my disposal for creating the next knock-your-socks off application.  I can build just about anything with insanely powerful libraries of code that the big guys like Microsoft can’t touch.  It’s an amazing power,

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  • What Bought You to Slavery?

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    Word of advice: Never borrow money to purchase a consumable item. Debt can essentially be lumped into two categories – rented debt and slave debt.  Rented debt is what you incur when you borrow money to purchase a lasting good.  When you borrow money for a house or a car.  What you’re really doing is convincing someone

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  • Reflecting on the Boundless Summer Challenge

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    Over the past month, I’ve participated in daily challenges sponsored by Boundless, a fantastic ministry for young adults. The challenges have helped me re-evaluate certain aspects of my life and reapply myself to certain standards and commitments to which I hold myself accountable. This essay is my reflection on the month-long challenge and a personal…

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  • Boundless Summer Challenge – Task 9

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    Task number 9 out of 20-something was to perform a random act of kindness either for someone you know or a complete stranger.  This could be anything from mowing someone’s lawn for free to paying for someone’s coffee at Starbucks or just baking something for someone else.  It was a great task, and something that

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