If..Else Log

Well, I've finally taken the plunge and signed up to Google's AdSense program. Don't worry, this isn't the first step on a slippery slope to pop-up ads and flash banners. The only reason I considered Google Ads is that:

1. They're unobtrusive, and do not detract from the ambience or feel of a site.
   There's nothing I hate more than the blatently misleading and insulting "You're the 1 millionth viewer. Click for your prize" or the annoying "take over your desktop" flash ads. The ads are pure and generally, subtle text. They're not perfect and do still stand out slightly but compared with other ads, they're downright invisible.
2. They actually provide a service.
   Ads are not inherently bad. Strangely enough, TV commercials can be compulsive viewing in and of themselves. Similarly, Ads in magazines are helpful when you're looking for products. The same applies to the web. Google Ads are refreshingly beneficial in the way the system works. The ads are pay-per-click. Since Google promotes a 'Do No Evil' policy, the only way it would generate income is where the ads are actually relevent or useful.

Because of these points, I'm only going to display the ads on the individual posts. Hopefully, they'll help the site by providing a bit of support without the usual negative influences.

Update (20-Feb-05): I've updated the plugin for WP 1.5 users. You can read more about it here.

I've updated the time of day WP plugin. Instead of passing in the post_ID, the code now looks for a timestamp. This should mean that it will work for comments (and indeed, any date value) as well.

Usage Instructions:: To install the plugin in WP 1.2, save the plugin code into your wp-content/plugins directory. Then, activate/deactivate it via Admin Options-> Plugin Mangagement page.

Then place the following piece of code within The Loop:
<?php time_of_day(abs(strtotime($post->post_date)));?>