The Caboteria / TWiki Web / HeadlinesPlugin (13 Nov 2012, TWikiContributor)

Headlines Plugin

Show headline news in TWiki pages based on RSS and ATOM news feeds from external sites

Description

This plugin displays RSS and ATOM feeds from news sites. Use it to build news portals that show headline news.

Notes:

Syntax Rules

%HEADLINES{"..."}%

Parameter Explanation Default
"..." Source of RSS or ATOM feed; this can be an url (starting with http) or a web.topic location for internal feeds None; is required
href="..." (Alternative to above) N/A
refresh="60" Refresh rate in minutes for caching feed; "0" for no caching Global REFRESH setting
limit="12" Maximum number of items shown Global LIMIT setting
header="..." Header. May include these variables:
- $channeltitle, $title: title of channel (channel.title)
- $channellink, $link: link of channel (channel.link)
- $channeldescription, $description: description (channel.description)
- $channeldate, $date: publication date of the channel (channel.pubDate)
- $rights: copyrights of the channel (channel.copyright)
- $imagetitle: title text for site (image.title)
- $imagelink: link for site (image.link)
- $imageurl: URL of image (image.url)
- $imagedescription: description of image (image.description)
Global HEADER setting
format="..." Format of one item. May include these variables:
- $title: news item title (item.title)
- $link: news item link (item.link)
- $description: news item description (item.description)
- $date: the publication date (item.pubDate, item.date)
- $category: the article category (item.category)
Global FORMAT setting
touch="..." Touch (edit/save) topics if the feed has updates. Specify a comma-space delimited list of TopicNames or Web.TopicNames, such as "%TOPIC%, NewsLetter". Useful to send out newsletter using MailerContrib, showing new feeds since last newsletter. To update feeds, visit topics with feeds in regular intervals (using cron with wget or the like). N/A

The header and format parameters might also use variables rendering the dc, image and content namespace information. Note, that only bits of interest have been implemented so far and those namespaces might not be implemented fully yet.

Rendering the dc namespace

The following variables are extracting the dc namespace info, that could be used in header and format. Note that some of the variables are already used above. This is done by purpose to use different feeds with the same formatting parameters. If there's a conflict the non-dc tags have higher precedence, i.e. a <title> content </title> is preferred over <dc:title> content </dc:title>.

Rendering the image namespace

An image:item is converted into an <img> tag using the following mappings:

Rendering the content namespace

The variable $content is referring to the <content:encoding> content </content:encoding>.

Examples

Slashdot News

Write

%HEADLINES{ "http://slashdot.org/slashdot.rdf" 
  header="*[[$link][$title]]:* $description" 
  format="$t* [[$link][$title]]"
  limit="4"
}%
to get the latest Slashdot news as a bullet list format:

Business Opportunities Weblog

Write

%HEADLINES{ "http://www.business-opportunities.biz/feed" limit="2" }%

to get the latest postings on the "Business Opportunities" weblog:

Thu, 02 May 2024 21:45:53 +0000
The original blog about business opportunities and business ideas for small business entrepreneurs
Thu, 02 May 2024 21:45:51 +0000 Carrol Strain

Regardless of the size of your business, your employees are the driving force that keeps it running and allows it to grow. Employees are more likely to perform efficiently when they are engaged. To ensure the organization’s long-term performance, it is critical to have a thorough grasp of how to boost employee engagement.

Disengaged workers may perform poorly or feel dissatisfied with their jobs, leading them to consider quitting. This may reduce production and profitability. In the worst-case scenario, disgruntled employees may create an unfavorable or unpleasant workplace. This can result in greater disengagement and the decision by other team members to leave the company. If your business is facing any of these challenges, focusing on improving employee engagement may be the boost you need to enhance morale, promote productivity, and aid in staff retention.

This article will focus on the main strategies to increase employee engagement.

Model Your Company’s Values and Mission

Employees are more invested in their jobs when they have a sense of meaning and purpose, in addition to being able to support the company’s goals. Create a summary of the organization’s principles and a mission statement first. Next, make sure that all of your employees are well-versed in these elements. Doing so will make sure that everyone working for the company understands its core values and how they shape the company. Employees will then have a better grasp of their role in upholding those values.

If you want to hold your team members accountable, set a good example for them to follow. If this doesn’t happen, a distrustful atmosphere will flourish. Employees could even stop caring about their jobs.

Provide Opportunities for Employee Engagement and Professional Growth

Millennials and members of Generation Z place a premium on professional growth opportunities. This priority has only increased in importance over the last several years. Workers care about more than just the paycheck. They also want to know that they can grow in their careers and that there is a clear route to success.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

Motivating and demonstrating to your employees that they are valued team members is an indication that a firm is eager to invest in personal development, whether via in-house training programs or sponsored further study.

Create a Culture of Employee Recognition and Engagement

The single most significant aspect of employee engagement is gratitude. Furthermore, research predicts that companies with highly visible recognition cultures are 2.5 times more likely to have higher levels of employee engagement. Consistent and focused recognition, such as appreciation awards, can help to make your team members feel valued and recognized. You will achieve this by highlighting the positive qualities that employees possess, thereby maintaining their engagement in their work. When employees know their hard work will be appreciated, they are more motivated to keep going, always reaching for their maximum potential.

Create a Workplace Free of Fear

Many companies and organizations prefer to operate in a performance-oriented environment. However, this type of setting can foster the development of fear and uncertainty.

On the other hand, your employees will be more engaged if you allow them more chances for memorable professional experiences and let them make choices on their own without micromanaging them. It is a simple fact that people in performance-based environments learn to be fearful of criticism. They hesitate to take important actions because they’re afraid of repercussions if their decision doesn’t work out. So if you’re in charge of a firm and you punish employees when they make mistakes or make the wrong choice, you’re setting your employees up to become disengaged and afraid to take risks. But remember: Risks are sometimes necessary for success.

Establish Supportive Leadership

Building relationships with employees and asking how you can be of service to them is crucial. If you want your employees to be more invested in your organization, try to be more empathetic and genuine in your interactions with them.

Maintaining regular one-on-one communication with those you manage is critical in every leadership role. In times of stress or difficulty at work, employees often look for a more experienced colleague to guide them.

Being supportive of your employees goes beyond just being available and caring about their welfare. It also involves motivating them to advance in their roles within the company.

Access Tools and Resources to Improve Employee Engagement

To increase employee engagement in the workplace, you need tools for promoting well-being. A structured well-being plan can give you access to creating personalized activities that are tailored to each worker’s needs.

Even if it’s only publishing talking points on your company’s intranet, educate other managers on how they may display crisis leadership via employee engagement and well-being. This ensures that they understand how to address well-being problems during one-on-one discussions.

RELATED ARTICLE: VERTICAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: TOP 5 TRAINING TOPICS

Promote Two-Way Communication for Better Employee Engagement

Companies that conduct business secretively and only provide information to employees on a “need-to-know” basis are extremely likely to have lower levels of employee engagement.

Transparency, on the other hand, is a great tool for creating trust. This is because such an atmosphere allows employees to understand how the company’s decisions will affect them as well as how those decisions will alter the workplace. They will also have a better sense of how they should respond in such situations.

Communication should be two-way, with employees encouraged to express their concerns. The last thing you want is for employees to feel overlooked or undervalued. Top executives widely believe that they should follow the open door principle and avoid utilizing “top-secret” information for personal gain.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO STREAMLINE NEW EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING

Encourage Teamwork

Are you worried about the level of collaboration among your team? If you see a personnel gap, you should have an open and honest conversation with your staff to get to the root of the problem.

Encouraging employees to work as a team is a great way to increase employee engagement. Workers may collaborate on projects that you assign to them, or you may find ways to help them with the tasks for which they are accountable. When it comes to creating a great company culture, workplace cooperation is critical.

Measure Employee Engagement

Measuring employee engagement levels provides a clearer picture of what is working well and what might need improvement.

Asking employees to complete a survey is one approach to assessing employee engagement. In such a survey, there should be no “right” or “wrong” way to answer each question.

It is important to establish measurements from the outset. This will help managers to accurately quantify current levels of employee engagement. Using these measurements, the company will be able to identify its areas of strength as well as opportunities for development.

Final Thoughts

Your company’s success is dependent on your employees, so don’t ignore the importance of employee engagement. It's more than just a buzz word. So even though it may not be your top priority, investing effort and resources to ensure that employees are happy and fulfilled in their work is money well spent.

Employees who are engaged are more productive. That's why your company must handle this issue seriously and not ignore its numerous benefits.

For more ideas to help you keep your business running at its best, be sure to browse our blog often.

The post Guide to Boosting Employee Engagement appeared first on BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

Thu, 02 May 2024 18:28:17 +0000 Carrol Strain

The internet is likely one of humanity's greatest innovations. Digital media is now everywhere, accessible to everybody, and people use it on a wide range of devices.

It is undeniable that digital media powerfully influences the world we live in, both positively and negatively. Let's learn about both the beneficial and harmful effects of digital media in our lives.

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS’S SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

Digital Media 101

Let's start with the definition of digital media so we understand the concept well.

Digital media is a means of expressing thoughts or opinions by using electronic devices. It is a rapid, efficient, and simple way of material distribution and communication.

This covers data broadcast in the form of audio, video, text, and graphics. It is possible to transmit over the internet and other electronic channels as well, including television, radio, and so on.

Studying the Effects of Digital Media

Digital media is sometimes beneficial, but sometimes very harmful for users. It can be said that digital media has both positive and negative impacts.

Let's scrutinize the most outstanding effects of digital media on culture and society.

Positive Effects of Digital Media

There are lots of positive effects of digital media. Here are three common outcomes:

Having Fun

What would we have done without social media platforms? Today's most entertaining digital spaces are definitely social media platforms. There are lots of networks for artistic expression, allowing users to share amusing videos.

For example, many people enjoy TikTok. You can find various videos which are fun and creative. You can take part in challenges and make friends and followers. In this context, you want to reach a wider audience so you search for ways to expand your fan base. This is also the case if you plan to use this platform to attract new customers to your small business.

To reach and engage more followers, you can look for providers such as Views4You that sell TikTok followers. Give them a chance and you'll be glad you did.

Other ways to interact on social media include following the latest dance trends on TikTok or creating memes on Instagram. Thanks to these platforms, we can relax, laugh, and build relationships around our interests.

There is always time for enjoyment, even in the midst of life's sometimes hectic pace.

Fresh Information

Digital media is a really important source of real-time information. Mass communication and journalism abound on digital platforms. News agencies and broadcasting channels vie for your attention, as they want to gain as much coverage as possible.

Therefore, you can use your phone or computer to catch up on all the live updates. You can also get the latest news about your country, town, favorite team, or people.

To catch up with the latest developments on your favorite sports team, for example, you can choose to follow their official website or social media channels. In this way, you can get real-time scores and instant game analysis.

Communication

Thanks to the internet and digital media, anyone may share their expertise, opinions, and experiences with anyone anywhere in the world. Individuals can gather on one social media platform to communicate with each other. It doesn't matter where you are if your interests are similar, you can engage with lots of different people. For example, you can establish a community with your TikTok followers just by communicating with them.

Plus, with social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you can find your voice to speak with influential figures and large organizations about the issues that affect yours and others' lives.

For instance, you could write a post about environmental issues on Twitter to attract attention to this topic. When you do, don't forget to use hashtags and related keywords to enhance the visibility of your post.

Negative Aspects of Digital Spaces

Unfortunately, social media has negative effects as well as good ones. Here are two of the more common negative consequences.

Misinformation and Disinformation

The internet gives us access to an almost limitless quantity of information. It is estimated that the four major corporations-Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Facebook-dominate a minimum of 1,200 petabytes. This is equal to 1.2 million terabytes, a mind-blowing quantity of digital flow!

However, if you're discerning, you'll notice that there is both beneficial and worthless information. Therefore, it's important to use your best critical thinking skills with digital media. Double-check the information you find on the internet to ensure the truthfulness of what you're seeing.

Addiction

Unfortunately, addiction to digital media has become problematic for many. This is especially the case with social media platforms. Addiction to networks such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, as well as to the mobile devices we view them on, is becoming more and more common in our world.

If this is happening with you, you many notice that you're more tense and melancholy. You may feel anxious or angry when you have no access to the internet. Look for these symptoms, especially if you have been using these platforms excessively. If you feel you may have become addicted to the internet, please seek help.

FAQ

Can I preserve traditional cultural activities via digital media platforms?

Yes, you can. It is possible to save memories of traditional cultural activities with digital platforms. Use them for digitizing and preserving cultural expressions. For example, you could record traditional dance performances and virtual museum tours. These platforms also give us opportunities to preserve cultural events such as online music festivals and holiday celebrations.

How does digital media affect consumer behavior?

The internet holds a massive amount of information. People can access services and products easily via online sales pages. With targeted advertising and social media marketing, businesses can shape consumer preferences effortlessly. One way to address this is to feature user ratings and reviews. These can influence consumers' purchasing decisions.

RELATED ARTICLE: THE ART OF DIGITAL MARKETING: 3 TIPS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

How can people manage the influence of digital media on their lives?

This is not easy but there are ways to handle this situation. You can set personal boundaries by limiting your screen time. Also, try to engage in offline activities such as working a puzzle or reading a book.

RELATED ARTICLE: 3 TIPS FOR REDUCING MISCOMMUNICATION

The post How Does Digital Media Influence Our Lives? appeared first on BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

Plugin Settings

Plugin settings are stored as preferences settings. Do not change the settings here, they are here only for illustration purposes showing the default values. Define the settings in Main.TWikiPreferences. For example, to customize the HEADLINESPLUGIN_USERAGENTNAME setting, add a * Set HEADLINESPLUGIN_USERAGENTNAME = ... bullet in Main.TWikiPreferences.

      * Set HEADLINESPLUGIN_HEADER = <div class="headlinesChannel"><div class="headlinesLogo"><img src="$imageurl" alt="$imagetitle" border="0" />%BR%</div><div class="headlinesTitle">$n---+!! <a href="$link">$title</a></div><div class="headlinesDate">$date</div><div class="headlinesDescription">$description</div><div class="headlinesRight">$rights</div></div>

      * Set HEADLINESPLUGIN_FORMAT = <div class="headlinesArticle"><div class="headlinesTitle"><a href="$link">$title</a></div>$n<span class="headlinesDate">$date</span> <span class="headlinesCreator"> $creator</span> <span class="headlinesSubject"> $subject </span>$n<div class="headlinesText"> $description</div></div>

Style Sheets

The default HEADER and FORMAT settings use the following styles. See the style.css file defining the default CSS properties (indentation illustrates enclosure).

Plugin Installation Instructions

Note: You do not need to install anything on the browser to use this plugin. The following instructions are for the administrator who installs the plugin on the TWiki server.

Plugin Info

Plugin Author: TWiki:Main.PeterThoeny, TWiki:Main.MichaelDaum
Copyright: © 2002-2012 Peter Thoeny, TWiki.org
© 2005-2007 Michael Daum http://wikiring.de
License: GPL (GNU General Public License)
Plugin Version: 2012-11-13
Change History:  
2012-11-13: TWikibug:Item7016: Restore changes for earlier versions with LWP
2012-11-13: TWikibug:Item7020: Categorize TWiki Variable
2012-10-31: TWikibug:Item7016: Utilize <guid> value when it is available
2012-09-05: TWikibug:Item6837: Doc fixes
2011-07-17: TWikibug:Item6764: Add VarHEADLINES variable documentation; doc improvements; setting NO_PREFS_IN_TOPIC
2011-07-08: TWikibug:Item6725: Change global package variables from "use vars" to "our"
2010-05-16: TWikibug:Item6433: More doc improvements
2010-04-25: TWikibug:Item6433: Doc fix: Changing TWIKIWEB to SYSTEMWEB
2010-02-27: TWikibug:Item6313: Fixed bug in ATOM feed with <link ...></link> instead of <link ... /> -- Peter Thoeny
2009-09-30: fixed bug in lastBuildDate of feeds affecting touch parameter functionality -- Peter Thoeny
2009-08-29: added touch parameter -- Peter Thoeny
12 Feb 2009: {PROXY}{HOST} supports domain with and without protocol -- Peter Thoeny
06 Feb 2009: added {PROXY}{SkipProxyForDomains} configure setting, added USERAGENTNAME plugin setting -- Peter Thoeny
11 Dec 2008: added {PROXY}{HOST} and {PROXY}{PORT} configure settings -- Peter Thoeny
13 Sep 2007: fixed parsing of content:encoded
23 Jul 2006: improved atom parser; if a posting has no title default to 'Untitled'
26 Apr 2006: added lazy compilation
10 Feb 2006: packaged using the TWiki:Plugins/BuildContrib; minor fixes
03 Feb 2006: off-by-one: limit="n" returned n+1 articles; make FORMAT and HEADER format strings more robust
23 Jan 2006: released v2.00
05 Dec 2005: internal feed urls must be absolute
02 Dec 2005: added web.topic shorthand for internal feeds
29 Nov 2005: fixed CDATA handling
21 Nov 2005: added ATOM support; extended RSS support; added dublin core support; added content support; optionally using LWP to fetch feeds to follow redirections; corrected CPAN dependencies ; recoding special chars from html integer to entity encoding to increase browser compatibility; added css support; use getWorkArea() if available
11 May 2005: TWiki:Main.WillNorris: added DevelopBranch compatability
31 Oct 2004: Fixed taint issue by TWiki:Main.AdrianWeiler; small performance improvement
29 Oct 2004: Fixed issue of external caching if mod_perl or SpeedyCGI is used
02 Aug 2002: Implemented caching of feeds, thanks to TWiki:Main/RobDuarte
11 Jun 2002: Initial version (V1.000)
Perl Version: 5.8
TWiki:Plugins/Benchmark: GoodStyle 100%, FormattedSearch 99.5%, HeadlinesPlugin 94%
Plugin Home: http://TWiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Plugins/HeadlinesPlugin
Feedback: http://TWiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Plugins/HeadlinesPluginDev
Appraisal: http://TWiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Plugins/HeadlinesPluginAppraisal

Related Topics: VarHEADLINES, TWikiPlugins, AdminDocumentationCategory, TWikiPreferences

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