Help by Hacks/Hackers » Questions http://help.hackshackers.com An interactive forum where journalists and technologists figure out what’s possible in news and media Wed, 02 May 2012 01:26:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4-beta2-20538 Easy way to make nice looking “explainer” videos?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/easy-way-to-make-nice-looking-explainer-videos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=easy-way-to-make-nice-looking-explainer-videos http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/easy-way-to-make-nice-looking-explainer-videos/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:53:02 +0000 Michael Morisy http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/easy-way-to-make-nice-looking-explainer-videos/ Continue reading →]]> Is there any software out there that makes making quick, cute-ish explainer videos, kinda like what Common Craft does, easy? I don’t care so much about the particular style (CC obviously puts a huge amount of effort into them) as a flexible platform that will make something nice looking.

I see them popping up all over the web, but my last forays into web video make me hesitate to go back unless there’s someone out there making it dead simple to do something that looks good.

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/easy-way-to-make-nice-looking-explainer-videos/feed/ 4 yahoo comments section…http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/yahoo-comments-section/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yahoo-comments-section http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/yahoo-comments-section/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:41:51 +0000 averagejoe http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/yahoo-comments-section/ Continue reading →]]> hello, normally I would never go to a “hacker” website for fear some person will just try to sabatoge me just because.. anyway, I thought it was worth the risk…   if you go to yahoo.com, click on politics, click on the photo of the candidate Ron Paul, go to the comments section, there are some people who are seriously there at ALL HOURS posting propaganda about ron paul.  Its the same people / id’s no matter when you get on there. is there anyway you guys could get rid of them or make it so they cant log in there anymore???  I may not get these names exactly right but you will see them when you go there… there names are Watty, Kooky (something), mike,  and anti ron paul girl (or something) she has a pic that looks like annie oakley or some crap. anyways… they are just there to ward off anyone who may want to look into ron paul and its really sad.  America is suffering, and these people have to be hired spammers to help ruin Pauls name…   Please help?   is there anyway you guys can make them not ever be able to log in there anymore?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/yahoo-comments-section/feed/ 0 Steam account hacked? Help!!!http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/steam-account-hacked-help/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=steam-account-hacked-help http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/steam-account-hacked-help/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:04:14 +0000 filip28535 http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/steam-account-hacked-help/ Someone broke into steam and changed the password and email … if someone can help me get back I have the name of the character … I really need help … I can somehow repay

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/steam-account-hacked-help/feed/ 0 Adding a pull down menu switcher to a google map?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/adding-a-pull-down-menu-switcher-to-a-google-map/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=adding-a-pull-down-menu-switcher-to-a-google-map http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/adding-a-pull-down-menu-switcher-to-a-google-map/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:27:10 +0000 trinnaleong http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/adding-a-pull-down-menu-switcher-to-a-google-map/ Continue reading →]]> We’re looking at John Keefe’s writeups on how he creates maps like this census map:

http://johnkeefe.net/47474697

And trying to figure out how to replicate the pulldown menus that allow a user to look at population changes by individual race categories. The tutorial overall is so comprehensive, but there’s not hint as to how to create that little menu switcher.

Any leads?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/adding-a-pull-down-menu-switcher-to-a-google-map/feed/ 0 Controlling the size of icons when creating a google maphttp://help.hackshackers.com/questions/controlling-the-size-of-icons-when-creating-a-google-map/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=controlling-the-size-of-icons-when-creating-a-google-map http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/controlling-the-size-of-icons-when-creating-a-google-map/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:05:11 +0000 katherine http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/controlling-the-size-of-icons-when-creating-a-google-map/ Continue reading →]]> Hi,

Is there any way I can modify the size of the icons (the circle points) on a google map? I’m plotting icons for adresses of nyc facility buildings and want to visibly indicate a bed to population ratio of each building by the size of the icon.

helppp!

 

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/controlling-the-size-of-icons-when-creating-a-google-map/feed/ 0 Livestream hacker problemhttp://help.hackshackers.com/questions/livestream-hacker-problem/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=livestream-hacker-problem http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/livestream-hacker-problem/#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:30:40 +0000 infinitycircle http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/livestream-hacker-problem/ Continue reading →]]> Not sure if you fine folks can actually help with this, but here we go:

 

I am admin for www.livestream.com/occupyunity as well as a producer for several other livestream channels that have to do with the occupy movement.

 

Here’s the problem.  We have a person that is not a moderator on any of the channels that I admin/produce for.  He/She has found a way to hack into the chat application (flash based) to avoid bans, and creates all sorts of disruption in the various channels.  (Mind you it’s not just our channels, but every channel that has to do with Occupy that he attacks.)  What I need to do is find out what he is using (I suspect a script kiddy) to do this so that I can help the programmers at livestream to close the hole that allows it.

 

Help would be greatly appreciated!

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/livestream-hacker-problem/feed/ 0 Some one at the blog write bad stuff about me is possible to delete that information?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/some-one-at-the-blog-write-bad-stuff-about-me-is-possible-to-delete-that-information/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=some-one-at-the-blog-write-bad-stuff-about-me-is-possible-to-delete-that-information http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/some-one-at-the-blog-write-bad-stuff-about-me-is-possible-to-delete-that-information/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:19:24 +0000 wlodymyr http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/some-one-at-the-blog-write-bad-stuff-about-me-is-possible-to-delete-that-information/ Some one  at the blog write bad stuff about me is possible to delete that information?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/some-one-at-the-blog-write-bad-stuff-about-me-is-possible-to-delete-that-information/feed/ 0 How will learning to code make me a better journalist?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-will-learning-to-code-make-me-a-better-journalist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-will-learning-to-code-make-me-a-better-journalist http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-will-learning-to-code-make-me-a-better-journalist/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:02:33 +0000 Chrys Wu http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-will-learning-to-code-make-me-a-better-journalist/ Continue reading →]]> I’ve meet a lot of journalists, especially ones early in their careers, whose main motivation for becoming a reporter is to get their bylines in a national magazine or their faces on TV.

At the same time, they hear that learning to code is something they should do because “that’s where the industry is going.”

So does “journalism+code = awesome” for everyone? And even if not, how does learning to code make someone a better journalist?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-will-learning-to-code-make-me-a-better-journalist/feed/ 0 geolocating NYC real estate values (or tax evaluations)http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/geolocating-nyc-real-estate-values-or-tax-evaluations/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=geolocating-nyc-real-estate-values-or-tax-evaluations http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/geolocating-nyc-real-estate-values-or-tax-evaluations/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:26:24 +0000 jasonprince http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/geolocating-nyc-real-estate-values-or-tax-evaluations/ Continue reading →]]> thank you, person who can answer this before 9am EST!

I saw a project that geolocated to the unit level the prices (or city evaluation) of real estate in NYC, about 2 years ago. I am looking to find that again… HELP!

 

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/geolocating-nyc-real-estate-values-or-tax-evaluations/feed/ 0 WordPress as a publication CMS: What are your most useful/valuable plugins?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/wordpress-as-a-publication-cms-what-are-your-most-usefulvaluable-plugins/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-as-a-publication-cms-what-are-your-most-usefulvaluable-plugins http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/wordpress-as-a-publication-cms-what-are-your-most-usefulvaluable-plugins/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:03:11 +0000 Rich Gordon http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/wordpress-as-a-publication-cms-what-are-your-most-usefulvaluable-plugins/ Continue reading →]]> I’ve got a student team building a new Web site in WordPress. We anticipate refreshing the site on a regular cycle, each time with a brand new package consisting of multiple related content items (text stories, timelines, photos, videos, etc.). Old packages should be archived and continue to be viewed as a package. We basically want to use a presentation style that isn’t very “bloggy.”

WordPress mavens: What are your favorite, most useful and/or most valuable plugins for a site like the one I’m describing – more like a publication than a blog?

More specifically, how about plugins useful in the following scenarios:
– multiple authors, multiple editors
– desirability of archiving photos for future re-use
– desirability, after some period of time, of archiving these packages in categories and subcategories (and having navigation that adjusts to categorization changes)

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/wordpress-as-a-publication-cms-what-are-your-most-usefulvaluable-plugins/feed/ 1 What do developers get out of learning about journalism?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-developers-get-out-of-learning-about-journalism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-do-developers-get-out-of-learning-about-journalism http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-developers-get-out-of-learning-about-journalism/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:04:51 +0000 Chrys Wu http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-developers-get-out-of-learning-about-journalism/ For a lot of the Hacks/Hackers community, the benefits of learning to code are obvious. But for those who know how to code already, what are the benefits of learning about journalism?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-developers-get-out-of-learning-about-journalism/feed/ 0 How to Create Big Photo Blog Like the Chicago Tribunehttp://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-to-create-big-photo-blog-like-the-chicago-tribune/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-create-big-photo-blog-like-the-chicago-tribune http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-to-create-big-photo-blog-like-the-chicago-tribune/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:25:03 +0000 greggmorris http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/how-to-create-big-photo-blog-like-the-chicago-tribune/ Is there a WordPress theme for a big pic blog like that? I ask because I haven’t been able to find a theme and can’t find info.

Thanks for any help

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-to-create-big-photo-blog-like-the-chicago-tribune/feed/ 1 How does your team keep track of passwords?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-does-your-team-keep-track-of-passwords/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-does-your-team-keep-track-of-passwords http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-does-your-team-keep-track-of-passwords/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:27:22 +0000 Joe Murphy http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/how-does-your-team-keep-track-of-passwords/ Continue reading →]]> If you work on a team, there will be shared resources (read: vendors) that require a password. From my experience, not all those vendors provide individual accounts for all who access them.

So, you’ve got a group password. How do you, the real-world you, store and share this information?

(I’ve got my own answer, and I’m curious how others do it)

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/how-does-your-team-keep-track-of-passwords/feed/ 1 Does your newsroom have a policy on GPL tools?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-your-newsroom-have-a-policy-on-gpl-tools/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-your-newsroom-have-a-policy-on-gpl-tools http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-your-newsroom-have-a-policy-on-gpl-tools/#comments Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:19:57 +0000 Amanda Hickman http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/does-your-newsroom-have-a-policy-on-gpl-tools/ I’m genuinely curious about whether there are newsrooms with a firm policy that you can’t build on GPL code. I’ve heard stories, I know it is NY Times policy. Anyone else working in such an environment?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-your-newsroom-have-a-policy-on-gpl-tools/feed/ 2 Is your site optimized for iPad?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/is-your-site-optimized-for-ipad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-your-site-optimized-for-ipad http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/is-your-site-optimized-for-ipad/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:30:24 +0000 Robb Montgomery http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/is-your-site-optimized-for-ipad/ Continue reading →]]> What steps are you taking to serve the iPad/tablet media consumer?
After implementing ‘user-agent’ detection and branching iPad users off, what kind of tailored experiences are you providing or plan to provide these new mobile, touch-media consumers?

(BTW, this new site is not at all optimized for iPad – it is murder to enter text in this WIKI section, for example.)

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/is-your-site-optimized-for-ipad/feed/ 0 Tying a slideshow and a map together?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/tying-a-slideshow-and-a-map-together/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tying-a-slideshow-and-a-map-together http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/tying-a-slideshow-and-a-map-together/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 18:32:00 +0000 Michael Morisy http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/tying-a-slideshow-and-a-map-together/ Continue reading →]]> I have some geographically-tied data, and I’d like to be able to do a slideshow (text and/or images) with a map that highlights the current slide’s location along side it. Anyone seen this sort of thing out in the wild? Any tips on how to make it happen? I’ve seen a lot of examples of maps and texts embedded in the map, but I’d like to have the map below the text/images.

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/tying-a-slideshow-and-a-map-together/feed/ 0 Pay rates for a Freelance Hack/Hackerhttp://help.hackshackers.com/questions/pay-rates-for-a-freelance-hackhacker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pay-rates-for-a-freelance-hackhacker http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/pay-rates-for-a-freelance-hackhacker/#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:17:23 +0000 Michael Morisy http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/pay-rates-for-a-freelance-hackhacker/ Continue reading →]]> Any thoughts on hourly rates for various levels of freelance hack/hackers?

I was in a discussion with a colleague today, and was surprised to hear him suggest that “web producers” get paid $15/hour, with more advanced developers getting $30/hour for full, interactive multimedia projects. My impression was that the going rate for the latter, for someone developing a project from start-to-finish with both the necessary news judgement, design skills and programming ability, would be closer to $50 for starters.

I know this varies quite widely, but would appreciate what rates you’ve seen or any resources on Hack/Hacker payscales on an hourly or project basis.

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/pay-rates-for-a-freelance-hackhacker/feed/ 1 Playing around with the iPad: Have you seen anything exciting?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/playing-around-with-the-ipad-have-you-seen-anything-exciting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=playing-around-with-the-ipad-have-you-seen-anything-exciting http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/playing-around-with-the-ipad-have-you-seen-anything-exciting/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:27:58 +0000 Rich Gordon http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/playing-around-with-the-ipad-have-you-seen-anything-exciting/ Continue reading →]]> Just got my iPad – held off til my wife could buy me one for my birthday. Thanks, dear! Anyway, I’m looking forward to playing with it. If you’ve spent some time with one, what apps got you excited? Perhaps interesting interfaces, utility, interaction design, functionality, storytelling, content, presentation, datacentricity, value to you as a citizen or consumer or resident of a neighborhood?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/playing-around-with-the-ipad-have-you-seen-anything-exciting/feed/ 0 Semi-comprehensive list of newsrooms doing news applicationshttp://help.hackshackers.com/questions/semi-comprehensive-list-of-newsrooms-doing-news-applications/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=semi-comprehensive-list-of-newsrooms-doing-news-applications http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/semi-comprehensive-list-of-newsrooms-doing-news-applications/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:22:10 +0000 Michael Corey http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/semi-comprehensive-list-of-newsrooms-doing-news-applications/ Continue reading →]]> News App Teams

  • Associated Press: Jonathan Stray, John Balestrieri, Bob Weston, Sean McDade, Feilding Cage, Troy Thibodeaux, Julian Burgess

  • Chicago Tribune: The News Applications Team (Christopher Groskopf, Brian Boyer, Ryan Mark, Joe Germuska)

  • Cincinnati Enquirer

  • CQ-Roll Call Group

  • Dallas Morning News

  • LA Times: The Data Desk

  • New York Times (Aron Pilhofer, Brian Hamman, Ben Koski, Derek Willis, Jacob Harris, Jacqui Maher, Alan McLean, David Nolen, Tyson Evans, Andrei Scheinkman)

  • ProPublica

  • St. Petersburg Times

  • The Texas Tribune: Data Library

  • Washington Post

  • MSNBC.com

Several Journalist-Developers, Not Formally in a Team

  • Arizona Republic

  • Des Moines Register

  • PBS NewsHour

  • The (Eugene, Ore.) Register-Guard

  • Seattle Times

  • Spokane Spokesman-Review

  • USA Today

  • WSJ.com

Solo Journalist-Developers

  • Talking Points Memo (Al Shaw)

  • The Oregonian

  • Scripps Howard News Service

  • Palm Beach Post (Adam Playford)

  • Southern California Public Radio / KPCC (Jeffrey Long)

  • The San Diego Union-Tribune (Yuri Victor)

  • PBSNews.org (Michelle Minkoff)

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/semi-comprehensive-list-of-newsrooms-doing-news-applications/feed/ 4 What do folks think about the new Columbia program?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-folks-think-about-the-new-columbia-program/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-do-folks-think-about-the-new-columbia-program http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-folks-think-about-the-new-columbia-program/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:07:08 +0000 chanders http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-folks-think-about-the-new-columbia-program/ I’d be curious to hear what working journo-hackers think of the new Columbia joint Journalism / Comp-Sci degree?

http://www.cjr.org/the_news_frontier/robot_journalism_and_the_futur.php

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-do-folks-think-about-the-new-columbia-program/feed/ 0 Does anyone know the best program to convert acrobat reader files like documents into a word document?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-anyone-know-the-best-program-to-convert-acrobat-reader-files-like-documents-into-a-word-document/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-anyone-know-the-best-program-to-convert-acrobat-reader-files-like-documents-into-a-word-document http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-anyone-know-the-best-program-to-convert-acrobat-reader-files-like-documents-into-a-word-document/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:49:00 +0000 nina http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/does-anyone-know-the-best-program-to-convert-acrobat-reader-files-like-documents-into-a-word-document/ Continue reading →]]> Does anyone know the best program to convert acrobat reader files like documents into a word document so someone could edit or fill the document. I have found several but none have worked very well or were way too complex to bother.

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-anyone-know-the-best-program-to-convert-acrobat-reader-files-like-documents-into-a-word-document/feed/ 2 What should we call hackathon-like events run by Hacks/Hackers?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-should-we-call-hackathon-like-events-run-by-hackshackers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-should-we-call-hackathon-like-events-run-by-hackshackers http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-should-we-call-hackathon-like-events-run-by-hackshackers/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:40:14 +0000 Burt Herman http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/what-should-we-call-hackathon-like-events-run-by-hackshackers/ We’re looking to do more events like the one we had with KQED/NPR in May 2010 (see http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=184232).

The last one was called Hacks/Hackers Unite — we’re wondering if you like that name or have any other ideas?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/what-should-we-call-hackathon-like-events-run-by-hackshackers/feed/ 0 What’s your best SEO trick?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/whats-your-best-seo-trick/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-your-best-seo-trick http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/whats-your-best-seo-trick/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:00:55 +0000 Burt Herman http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/whats-your-best-seo-trick/ Is there anything you’ve found that works really well for your sites, some undiscovered tag that helps you stand out?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/whats-your-best-seo-trick/feed/ 0 Does PC have software similar to Aperture (for multimedia purposes)?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-pc-have-software-similar-to-aperture-for-multimedia-purposes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-pc-have-software-similar-to-aperture-for-multimedia-purposes http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-pc-have-software-similar-to-aperture-for-multimedia-purposes/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:03:59 +0000 Liz Hargreaves http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/does-pc-have-software-similar-to-aperture-for-multimedia-purposes/ Continue reading →]]> Just discovered Apple’s Aperture, looks like an easy way to make multimedia slideshows. The only problem is, I am the only person at the office using Mac, so I need to find similar software for PC – is there such a thing?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/does-pc-have-software-similar-to-aperture-for-multimedia-purposes/feed/ 0 Ideas or Examples of NoSQL for News?http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/ideas-or-examples-of-nosql-for-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ideas-or-examples-of-nosql-for-news http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/ideas-or-examples-of-nosql-for-news/#comments Sat, 29 May 2010 04:58:43 +0000 Chris Amico http://help-test.hackshackers.com/questions/ideas-or-examples-of-nosql-for-news/ Continue reading →]]> Normally, I like my data structured, and that tends to mean some flavor of SQL. But I’ve been seeing glimpses of NoSQL popping up lately and I’m wondering if anyone here can share a few good uses of NoSQL in the newsroom. A few I’ve seen:

What else is out there? And what code can you share?

]]> http://help.hackshackers.com/questions/ideas-or-examples-of-nosql-for-news/feed/ 1