Build a ‘WordBurner’ Email Newsletter Manager using WordPress and FeedBurner

by Paul Burgess

There are lots of different ways to communicate with your users these days. RSS feeds, SMS, & sites like Twitter have changed how we speak to our audience. But for my money, you can’t beat the personal touch of a good ol’ email newsletter.

Of course keeping up a newsletter can take effort, but in this tutorial I’ll show you how to use your regular Wordpress website combined with Feedburner to make a simple email newsletter manager.

There are many dedicated and great email newsletter solutions on the market. This is not intended to replace them, but rather to offer an easy way to email visitors of your personal site or blog a round up of updates and news without having to install new software or set up new systems.

— (Via NETTUTS - Web development tutorials and links - » Build a ‘WordBurner’ Email Newsletter Manager using WordPress and FeedBurner).

Before I never worried and my needs never outlived the hardware, often I was able to sell the equipment when I upgraded to the latest gadget. But this Power Book was different. I had it in for repair several times, mainly problems with the DVD player which was repaired and twice the logic board was replaced and once the whole top of the laptop because the screen died.

As I do not use the CD/DVD player that often, I only recently noticed again a major problem. I was no longer able to either read or correctly access data on a CD/DVD, either it would not even show up or crash my machine when trying to install software from it. Wednesday a week ago I made the trip to the Apple Store and they sent it in for repair, only a few days later, yesterday, I received it back via FedEx.

Happy was I when I receive the package, but no longer so when I stuck the first DVD into the (replaced) drive: screeching sound, rumbling and an eternity and a little bit more until a file would open. Not usable at all. Tried an other CD and then another DVD - all with the same result.

Of course I needed to return the unit, so I logged into the Genius bar and made an appointment but definitely felt disappointed that I would have to again drive down to the Apple Store and lose a major part of Wednesday morning, my day off for this.

Just before going to bed my husband suggested to call Apple instead and have them send FedEx to pickup the package.

So here I was this morning and thinking that he is right. At 9:30 AM I then decided to call Apple, settled in with the headphones hocked up to my iPhone, expecting a long wait but was hoping to get ahead of too many people, knowing that Los Angeles is 2 hours behind us. I was so wrong: no long wait and a person who perfectly spoke English, no oversea person, but a friendly guy - let’s call him Paul - answered after less than a minute on hold.

Our conversation went something like this:

• ME : I just received my PowerBook back from repair but it’s not repaired.
• HE : So this is the same issue?
• ME : Yes, well not really…
• HE : So this is a new issue?
• ME : No, well yes. (this starts off really well).
• HE : Huh?!
• ME : First it didn’t read CD/DVD’s at all, now it sees it but it makes horrible noises and takes for ever when trying to access a file on it.
• HE : Which disk did you try, the original install disk?
• ME : No, I tried the “Tech Tool Pro” which comes with the Extended Warranty and 2 others and they ALL had the same problem, TRUST me, the original install disk will make it too (trying to avoid the run of the mill, especially as I did not have the computer NOR the disk at work).
• HE : So let me get this straight. You just had it in repair and they replaced the logic board AND the DVD drive and you are still having problems?
• ME : Yes.
• HE : Okay, so do I get this right, you first had problems in 2005 when the logic board was replaced the first time, and then the DVD unit was replaced and then… (listing all the repairs).
• ME : Yes.
• HE : Okay, I think at this point we need to replace the laptop itself.
• ME : Okay (expecting to get it replaced with some refurbished item, same model).
• HE : Which kinda software do you use it with?
• ME : Oh, EVERYTHING.
• HE : Well, what exactly?
• ME : The whole ADOBE suite, then 3D programs, video and web programs, movies, music… (exasperation in my tone because of course I am drawing a blank while thinking WHAT THE HECK is this question for?)… just the whole slew of it.. .
• HE : (never missed a second to be professional and friendly) : I just need to know that the computer we are exchanging with will be able to run the stuff.
• ME : Oh, I understand.
• HE : How much RAM?
• ME : 2 gig
• HE : Okay, the computer I am thinking of would be a 17-inch 2.5 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo processor and have 2 GB of RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, also have a DVD Super Drive… would that work as a replacement?
• ME : Uhm, yeah! (while thinking to myself, “would that WORK? … is he KIDDING me? This is like exponential better than my current machine, I am sure he will realize this in a second… or it’s just plain an April’s Fool joke).
• HE : Very good, then let me get this process started for the replacement.
• ME : (still thinking it’s some kind of refurbish or a joke) So, WHAT kinda computer is this then?
• HE : … (repeats the specification data) and then adds, “this is a Mac Book Pro, we can do this because you are still under warranty”.
• HE : (goes on setting the replacement process up and explaining how it works and who will contact me during the process and guide me through it all) … and when we have tracking of your return package with FedEx, the order for your replacement goes out - as it is a computer with no additions but right out of the box they will ship it overnight and you possibly will have it by the end of the week”.
• ME : (studdering) … this is good, I need to finish my taxes (finally realizing that this might not be a joke and that I am about to receive a new laptop - much better than my current one, but still not sure which model).
• HE : chuckles.
• HE : Your case number is …, if you have any questions you can reach me at … (direct phone number) or email me at (direct email address).
• … usual ending of a conversation.

Ever since I am unable to swipe that idiotic grin off my face.

It got worse once I hit Apples website and realized that I am receiving the latest model, top of the crop (not additionally decked out, but top notch). This means I am receiving a $3,000 computer (this price includes taxes) as a replacement of my April 2005 model which at this point I could possibly still sell for a couple of hundred dollars… maximum. When my warranty expires? In 7 days.

No, this is not an April’s Fool Joke.

It’s a great “bounce back” after my back injury incident. And once again I feel this chuckle and grin to myself as this is my “usual” - things like this DO happen to me - I am a Sunday child after all.

UPDATE : everything went so smooth and fast that I received my new computer already on Thursday. This beauty is so fast, it even leaves my current desktop computer in the dust. PLUS I can now natively run Windows too.

Timeline is a DHTML-based AJAXy widget for visualizing time-based events. It is like Google Maps for time-based information. Below is a live example that you can play with. Pan the timeline by dragging it horizontally.

This looks really awesome and something I want to implement… somehow. It is something I have in mind already quite awhile now, so finding this brings these ideas again to the foreground.

WordPress.com February 2008 Wrap-up

It feels like it has been a long time since I have looked at a WordPress.com wrap-up, but every time I do, I am blown away by the hugeness of the numbers Matt lays down.

• 245,329 blogs were created.
• 432,478 new users joined.
• 1,920,593 file uploads.
• 2,814,893 posts and 996 thousand new pages.
• 4,961,330 comments.

At Northern Voice, Matt mention that they get two times more content added to WordPress.com than Wikipedia does.

For more stats on the increasingly popular WordPress.com.

— (Via Blogging Pro - Blogging News, Tools and Hacks » WordPress.com February 2008 Wrap-up).

StoryMill introduces aspiring authors to multi-level writing methods of tracking characters, scenes, and locations, while professional writers will appreciate StoryMill’s time-saving ability to oversee and manage the full creative process with Smart Views.

— (Via » Mariner Software - Storymill).