If you create a custom field in GraffitiCMS – can can use chalk to check if the field is turned on or not with the following chalk code snippet

   1:  #if($post.Custom("fieldNameCheckBox") == "on")

   2:  <div style="padding-top:10px;">

   3:     Write something here when checkbox is clicked

   4:  </div>

   5:  #end

Thank you Sara Ford for Starting VSTOD back in 2007. The tips were not easy to come up with, and you have spent many many hours/days/weeks/(more than a year in-fact) putting them together.

My hope is not only to enhance your original Tip Of the Day posts by adding video samples, but also continue to create new posts for tips and tricks from the Visual Studio team.

Sara Ford Blog

Sara also has a Visual Studio Tips and Tricks (251 Tips) book that is available here on Amazon. Sara is honored to send all proceeds of the book directly to a charity that helps send Hurricane Katrina survivors to college.

OK. I have a gripe! You guys know I’m not one usually to complain. This isn’t because I’m afraid to engage, it’s because I try to understand the other side. So I (sometimes too often) try to justify a reason that something I know is wrong, is still happening.

Everything has a reason, even when it’s not apparent.

We’ve all been there. Super frustrated and trash talking about “That is so crappy” or “I can’t believe this even exists” or “This coder should be shot” and on, and on. BUT … then something happens. You dig deeper and find the actually reason, and then it makes sense; and justifies what you originally thought was so wrong. Maybe you didn’t see or understand a minor detail that dictated the scenario.

Already this morning, (not exaggerating [this prompted the post]) I have logged into four different Microsoft web sites, that don’t support LiveID. The four sites I used today are not individually important, because I know there are dozens of sites that manage their own username/password data. I assume that most of them are built/managed by third parties, BUT … that is no longer a valid excuse. I’ve been hearing that for years. It’s a crappy excuse.

I’m not mud slinging, but this just needs to get fixed.

Maybe a little Community Heat will light a fire somewhere, and over the next year we’ll simplify log ins across Microsoft Properties.

Here is a suggestion list that will make it happen …

• New Properties with user/password needs. No Excuses. Support LiveID or don’t get approved.
• Existing Properties. Support LiveID by {Insert Month Here} 1, 2009, or get shut off.

Stop making excuses for your own sites, or your vendors, and get LiveID integrated system wide.

Thank you! 🙂

PS. People will undoubtedly mention OpenID in this conversation. While I’m a fan of OpenID, I don’t want to muddy the waters here. I think that LiveID will eventually support OpenID, and I’ll take that win when I get it. For now, all I want is Microsoft to force the LiveID options on vendors.

PPS. I’m sure people will also mention my lack of LiveID support. I own several very large properties that don’t support LiveID or OpenID. This is on our short list to add, BUT … I’m not Microsoft. My sites are not representing Microsoft to Microsoft Customers, who are logging in to do business with Microsoft.