You can even split your links into categories and have them in many different positions on your web page - so basically a full navigation/menu system - pretty much simulating having multiple notes views on one page.

I have also posted up a new Tip document - Adding manual entries to @DBLookup/@DBColumn Lookups.

Another DX Domino Blog based site to report on: www.motorbiker.org - together with another Domino Blog: BillBuchan.com.

I've been melting my hard disk with the amount of work I have put into this release. Version 2.0.6 looks set to be ready for early next week - that will include comments, archived blogs and the start of the web blogging/administration.

Apart from a lot of bug fixes, you can now select to show x number of latest blogs as well as weekly, monthly. You can import and then link external JavaScript, Stylesheets etc. Rich Text images work properly. There are new DXTags - <$@Today$>, <$BlogQuote$> and <$BlogType$>.

From next week I will have lots of example Templates, blogs etc at www.DominoBlog.com - that will become the home site for the Blog software (so this site can get back to Technical articles!!).

I will catch up on the documentation over the next few days, however any specific questions feel free to email them to me - I will answer as soon as I can.

The template can either be used to refresh the design of your current version (remember to sign the new template first), or can be used from scratch. If you are updating from a previous release - run the 'Refresh Blog' option on the Configuration part of the Navigator after you have refreshed from the new template. Any problems let me know. More tomorrow...

I've finished version 2.0.5 of the Domino Blog Toolkit - however I've ran out of time to package it all up - so will be posted up on tuesday. - There are additional DX Tags in this release - $@Today$, and $BlogQuote$ - many more to come plus interface has been tidied up, javascript/CSS importing added, bugs fixed etc.

I'm then going to add rich text templates (which you can use the DX Tags with), comments plus start providng web based blogging, administration - this will start from next weeks release.

I'm also hoping to get www.DominoBlog.com up and running within the next week - this will be using the blog toolkit as a web site manager - (this site will as well soon - when I get time to import it).

I will over time publish tips and articles from the Domino Blog toolkit and other bits of software I do - today a quick one - a view that displays documents that have been created in the previous week.

Spam email - I have said before - pain in the a*se! - I mentioned 'monkey' was getting fan email the other week when I left him in charge for the day - that meant I mentioned his email address - (monkey at ProjectDX.org) - once, maybe twice - and already he has had three spam emails - no my monkey does not need equipment enlargements!!

Finally - and do not click this link if you feel it may offend - it mentions the 'F' word - I was looking through my referer list and there was a link to a graphic (haven't a clue how that is) - but I had a look - made me smile.

The message is confusing! The Domino family is not perfect and does have its shortcomings - but what software doesn't? I admire Ed Brill's enthusiasm for the product - but not IBM's as a whole.

For the big Enterprises J2EE, Websphere, DB2 - it fits - however for companies that do not have such big infrastructure's I see Domino being stronger than ever as a solution that fits all. How else can you get mail, calendar, and business/browser applications that span networks/ the internet as easily - with such a low development cost because of the off the shelf/open source and Rapid Application Development that comes with the product? Microsoft certainly do not come close in matching this!

When my current contract is finished - I'm hoping by then I will have enough cash to fund this project for another six months. Then I will be back to full time on its efforts -and get some decent articles and software completed.

Anyway the main frustration is I have ran out of time to deliver the next version of the DX Domino Blog this week - too much work on i'm afraid! - and I can assure you it is a big frustration but only six more weeks to go!! I am regretting taking on a contract - I do have enough interest in this site and its ideas to not have to - but contracting pays instant cash whereas 'interest' (although I do have firm orders amounting to 10,000 uk sterling - with a few possibles that could push that to 200,000 uk sterling) takes a little while longer to pay!

Maybe IBM should sponsor me to push their products!!! - Or maybe others can see the potential?

Couple more Domino blog sites - heini.dominodeveloper.net and www.dewalick.com - added to my links page.

I would say thats not bad for a little site like this!

I'm currently building 2.0.5 release of the domino blog toolkit - I hoped to have it done for today - but it will be tomorrow now.

Finally a couple of new Domino Blog links I have found - www.andrewbarker.com and jonvon.net/members/jonvon/blog/freedomblog.nsf. The later one being a good example of the use of the Freedomblog domino blog template. These have been added to my links page as usual.

I'm looking to release an update to the Domino Blog on Monday - mainly tidying up and bug fixes - but hopefully some additional features as well. More articles coming as well. Should you have any questions or want to know how to do something - email me and I will try and help - plus will give me help on what I should be documenting.

I do have a planned feature list that I will be adding over the next few weeks. However, should you have any ideas of your own then let me know.

I noticed a few people must like some of the stuff from this site - noticed on a few occasions recently stuff from this site appearing as tips from other people on searchdomino.com (which in my opinion is less useful than a chocolate teapot!) - tut tut!!! - Next time please credit this site!

I have accepted an offer to work for a UK Government department in central London - for about 8 weeks - just to raise some money to fund this project. So temporarily I am back to being a 'scum bag' IT prostitute (contractor). From next week I shall be staying in London - the commute is ok - but loses me valuable work time. Incidently should any 'Domino' types in London wish to meet for coffee/beer - I would be glad of the 'conversation' and alcohol - just email me. I'm working in Westminister. I must have one of the biggest and well known clock's in the world to check the time in Big Ben!!

More articles today - accessible via the DX Domino Blog Resource page. The first one is on adding images to your blog, and the second is on creating standard web pages for use in your blog.

The DX Domino Blog toolkit is really a very basic content management system with a few features added to make blogging easier. With the images,web page and publishing management that is built in, it could also be used as a web site manager with the 'blogging' aspect being used as perhaps a news part of your site.

Ed Brill has been blogging about the available Domino blog tools available at the moment on his blog at Lotus.com. Today was the turn of the DX Domino Blog - you can read more here.

I have an additional article today which can be accessed via the blog's resource page - or can be read directly here. It is entitled 'Templates Explained'. Templates together with 'DX Tags' create a means of making a unique blog without the need to change the actual design of the database - therefore opening it up to the non Domino developers out there (and even non Domino people all together).

I've been asked about RSS/XML feeds, discussion, FTP, referers, links etc - these are all coming - basically there will be components you can embed into your templates using DX tags.

Its a million miles away from where I want it - but its a start - it will not be long before it has all the features you need 'to blog' without needing to be a developer.

Its probably a bit buggy, non user friendly right now - but what I need is feedback - good and most importantly bad - I need to know all the niggles - all the bits that don't work - feature requests - everything!! - aim them direct at me or at blogkit@projectdx.org.

There will be regular template updates - so the more feedback I get the better a bit of software it will be for you. Going to bed now!!! - If there are any bugs - apologies - let me know and I will get them fixed tomorrow!!

I'm away again today - London this time - so monkey is in charge for the day!   Just got time to mention - RIP the floppy disk. Apparantely the death knell for the humble floppy drive may have been sounded, following Dell's decision to stop installing them on all new PCs.   Notably it has been almost five years since Apple Computer Inc stopped including floppy disk drives in Macintosh computers.

Thats why I tend to work with a monkey these days (he says very little - and hes a better developer than I am - plus he accepts equal pay to me - marmite on toast). He is also the office manager when I am not here - he did a great job when I was away yesterday - in fact he had fan email - I'm gutted.

The Monkey Looking after 'The Office'	Me hard at work developing

Anyway - FTP - a feature of the domino blog template to be released on monday is that if you do not have access to Domino hosting - no problem - there will be an inbuilt function to convert and FTP to the web server of your choice!

Have you ever fancied doing your Domino Web development using Dreamweaver or any other excellent WYSIWYG web design tool? Well soon you can (and not the one time upload you do with the Dreamweaver Connector).

The ProjectDX Blog Toolkit - Personal Edition (which is free and out next monday) will allow you to design your web pages and templates using Dreamweaver etc and the toolkit will automatically upload the design (even after you have changed it). You will then be able to make changes to your design using your HTML editor and the Toolkit will make the changes to your blog automatically.

For those who just want to type their blog - there will be built in templates - and new ones will be designed all the time (and downloadable from this site).

This ability will not just be available for the blog toolkit - the same functionality will be available in the forthcoming ProjectDX Domino Web Site and Content manager and of course the actual DXFramework Web Development Toolkit.

Should you require more information on any of the above, then mail me at steve.castledine@projectdx.org.

Finally - I played football on what must have ended up being sheet ice last night - boy do my leg muscles hurt this morning - surprised I didn't damage myself!

I'm working on client projects at the moment - hopefully will get a chance to finish the blog toolkit on Friday, ready for release on Monday - for those who want a Lotus Notes Client 'Blogger' I'm sure it will answer your prayers - plus no html required (unless you want to) - you can use the Notes client rich text formatting.

I discovered a good use for a couple of spare books I had sitting around!   I woke up to 'real' snow today - at least 3 centimeters - wow! If only I had less work to do - I could go and build a snowman. I'm supposed to be playing football tonight - so I hope it melts quick - don't fancy breaking my neck on it.

Another Domino link to mention today - Justin at the theknols.net - as always added to my links page.

An apology today - the release of the ProjectDX blog 'toolkit' is a week behind - so the rescheduled date is 10th February 2003 - I hope it will be worth the wait!

Finally, my thoughts go to those affected by the Shuttle disaster at the weekend - one of those things that affects the 'world'.