AskUbuntu Add-on: an extension to track questions and profile info at askubuntu.com

[lovinglinux]

Dear fellow members, it's me again releasing a new extension for Firefox, Opera and Chrome. This one, called AskUbuntu Add-on (http://www.webgapps.org/addons/askubuntu), is to track user info and questions at askubuntu.com (http://askubuntu.com).

The extension that displays user reputation/badges, monitor activity and provides an easy access to unanswered questions, user questions, user favorites and user tags from an askubuntu.com account.

Home page: http://www.webgapps.org/addons/askubuntu
Mozilla gallery: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/242568/
Opera gallery: https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/askubuntu-add-on... (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/askubuntu-add-on/?display=en)
Google gallery: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/... (https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/hamgohmiimamjpabgncmklojoibjknon)

Please let me know what you think about it.


Note: some Gnome users may experience diminished functionality if their Firefox does not show icons in menus, since the icons are indicators of new activity. To solve this problem visit:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/8586/... (http://askubuntu.com/questions/8586/where-is-the-gnome-option-to-display-icons-in-menus)


Enjoy!

Firefox
http://goo.gl/x3Pu

Opera
http://goo.gl/XMQ6e

Chrome
http://goo.gl/muqxF

[lovinglinux]

I just received an e-mail stating that the extension has been approved by Mozilla, so no more account required to download and updates will be served with extensions updates :)

[NightwishFan]

Nice! Count me in.

Edit: I get this error message.

[lovinglinux]

Nice! Count me in.

Edit: I get this error message.

Disable ipv6. See the fifth item on this list (http://firefox-tutorials.blogspot.com/2010/05/common-issues-solutions.html).

[NightwishFan]

That worked great. You know your stuff. :)

[lovinglinux]

That worked great. You know your stuff. :)

:)

[lovinglinux]

I have just released a version for Opera 11.

http://goo.gl/XMQ6e

[Oxwivi]

How about an addon for tracking Ubuntu Forums support threads too? Could be divided along with the sections in UF, and also as 'supporting' (user is helping), and 'supported'. It'd be a great alternative to email inbox being clogged with thread updates, specially when active in a number of threads. Cheers, it's a great addon!

[lovinglinux]

How about an addon for tracking Ubuntu Forums support threads too? Could be divided along with the sections in UF, and also as 'supporting' (user is helping), and 'supported'. It'd be a great alternative to email inbox being clogged with thread updates, specially when active in a number of threads. Cheers, it's a great addon!

Thanks for the suggestion, but the forums does not have an API that allows to easily get the user data from the server, like askubuntu has.

[Oxwivi]

Well, that's a downer. Speaking of which is vBulletin open-source to begin with? Shouldn't forums related to Linux be open-source as well? :D I think I'll make a thread about it.

[NightwishFan]

Well, that's a downer. Speaking of which is vBulletin open-source to begin with? Shouldn't forums related to Linux be open-source as well? :D I think I'll make a thread about it.

Probably been done. You will likely get something along the lines of "We use what tools we want" and it will be recurring or locked. :)

No, vbulletin is not open source, though Canonical did not start these forums originally.

[Oxwivi]

OP, forgive me for going ever more off-track, but if it isn't open-source can we not suggest them in a new thread? :P (I feel determined.) With a quick Googling I found more than 3 (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=open-source+forum+software).

[lovinglinux]

OP, forgive me for going ever more off-track, but if it isn't open-source can we not suggest them in a new thread? :P (I feel determined.) With a quick Googling I found more than 3 (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=open-source+forum+software).

Don't waste your time. This has been suggested many times and as NightwishFan said, it will either be locked or moved to recurring.

Back on topic, the Google Chrome version of the extension is under way. I just need to make some adjustments, but it is working already.

[lovinglinux]

The Opera version has been approved by Opera and is available for download at https://addons.labs.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/askubuntu-add-on/1.0.0/?display=en

[Oxwivi]

How do we register our account to the addon. And for some reason, I was getting a constant flurry of notifications, disabling didn't work, so I uninstalled it.

[lovinglinux]

How do we register our account to the addon. And for some reason, I was getting a constant flurry of notifications, disabling didn't work, so I uninstalled it.

Which browser?

You need to enter the user ID in the extension settings. Your ID can be obtained from your profile address at askubunut.com. For example, my profile address is http://askubuntu.com/users/2950/lovinglinux, so my user ID is 2950.

The extension preferences in Firefox is available from the main extension menu. In Opera, the settings page is displayed automatically after installing it, but you can also reach it from the main page icons, below the user reputation display.

You should be able to disable notifications or reduce the update frequency as soon as you configure your ID.

Let me know if you need further assistance.

[Oxwivi]

Oops, yeah, sorry I forgot to mention. Anyway, it's Firefox. I get it now, thanks. I'll get back at you if there's anything else.

By the way, the update frequency was at default settings and without any account assigned, so I'm really confused about what it was actually notifying me about.

[lovinglinux]

Oops, yeah, sorry I forgot to mention. Anyway, it's Firefox. I get it now, thanks. I'll get back at you if there's anything else.

By the way, the update frequency was at default settings and without any account assigned, so I'm really confused about what it was actually notifying me about.

The alerts you received are relative to Unanswered Questions, that are not tied to any user account, so you can use the extension even if you are not registered.

[lovinglinux]

The first version for Chrome has been released and is available for download.

http://goo.gl/muqxF

[karthick87]

Favourite questions is disabled.I am using Firefox..Any help?

[czr114]

edit: nevermind

[lovinglinux]

Favourite questions is disabled.I am using Firefox..Any help?

Is because your User ID is not configured properly or because you don't have any favorite questions. To see questions in that menu you need to mark them as favorite while visiting the question at askubunut.com and your User ID must be set in the extension preferences.

[karthick87]

http://imgur.com/evdfX.pnghttp:/

Reputation and Badges are not updated automatically.Everytime i have to reload it to update reputation and badges..Is there any other way?

[lovinglinux]

http://imgur.com/evdfX.pnghttp:/

Reputation and Badges are not updated automatically.Everytime i have to reload it to update reputation and badges..Is there any other way?

When the extension checks for new updates, it should update your reputation and badges as well. The automatic update uses the same code as the manual update, except that it runs the update check on a regular interval, specified in the extension preferences. So if your reputation updates when you click the "Reload" button in the extension menu, then it should also be updated automatically, according to your update frequency in the extension preferences.

[karthick87]

I want alerts when my questions are answered..Any way?

[lovinglinux]

I want alerts when my questions are answered..Any way?

That is included.

Just look the color of the icons next to your questions when you receive an alert of new activity. If there is new activity (answers or comments), the icon becomes red.

[karthick87]

Is it possible to reduce the update frequency to 1 minute?And i want alerts only when new questions are posted and not for comments...It's anoying to see the pop up for every few seconds..

[lovinglinux]

Is it possible to reduce the update frequency to 1 minute?

This should be introduced in the next version. Chrome and Opera versions already allow to do that.


And i want alerts only when new questions are posted and not for comments...

Nope. The extension checks for timestamp differences in the questions xml file, which doesn't specify if the change is because of comments or new answers. So can't be implemented, at least not easily. I think could probably implement a second routine to check if there are new answers for each question, but this would introduce a lot of overhead. Probably not going to be implemented.


It's anoying to see the pop up for every few seconds..

You can disable the alerts in the extension preferences. It will still auto-update and change the color of the icons when there is new activity, but won't trigger the popup alert.

[karthick87]

Good work...Keep going :)

[lovinglinux]

Good work...Keep going :)

Thank you.