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28 July 2008 113 Comments

WordPress Plugin: WP-Brightkite

Some of you have noticed that I’ve been doing some experimentation in recent months with geolocation. Geolocation is a very powerful aspect of the next generation web. Particularly in the mobile space.

Boulder, CO-based Brightkite stormed on the scene a few months back as a location based micro blogging network. Members could take photos from the cellphones, send short messages to be posted to the service, and follow their friends. Based on the concept of location, Brightkite users could “check in” to a location. I am currently checked in at “Woodlawn, Maryland”, a fairly generic location since I value my privacy in my home. However, people can check-in down to specific addresses, cafés, places of employment, etc.

Though my fascination with Brightkite as a mobile microcontent network has faded, their is one aspect to it that I find extremely valuable in the absence of GPS on my Blackberry and the lack of ownership of an iPhone 3G. That is their KML file.

I set about creating a plugin that would parse the KML file of the most recent Brightkite check in location. Thus, WP-Brightkite was born.

Notably, for those folks interested in the geotagging content, the Brightkite plugin will parse latitude and longitude of the most recent checkin and geotag feeds using the ICBM RSS namespace. For a little extra bling, I’ve provided a template tag which drops a little Google Map next to the subject line of posts with geotagging (see this post, for instance).

  1. Upload the
    1
    wp-brightkite/

    directory to

    1
    /wp-content/plugins/
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
  3. Fill out Brightkite user data on your profile page. Note: Standard WP permissions apply.
  4. Use the
    1
    <?php post_gmap() ?>

    within your template to print a mini 10×10 map icon, clickable for Google Maps location.

There’s quite a bit more I want to do with this, but since I’ve been using it here on Technosailor.com for a few months, I wanted to get it into the wild and fix any bugs (thus the beta tag) before exploring more functionality.

Let me know what you think, and consider a donation.

Update: Please log a ticket here if you are having difficulties. You must login with your WordPress Support Forums username and password (here) to get new ticket creation options. The comment system I have here does not seem to be sending people notices of followups on support requests.

When logging a ticket, please tell me what version of PHP you are using and what version of WordPress you are using. Thanks.

Pick up your copy of the WordPress Bible, a wildly popular resource for beginners and experts alike.

Written by Aaron Brazell on July 28, 2008

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tags: , , , , ,

113 Responses to “WordPress Plugin: WP-Brightkite”

  1. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:33 pm #

    Interesting.

    Couple things…

    1) Is the post a post that has been published before or after the plugin was
    installed
    2) PHP 4 or 5? Drop a

    1
    &lt;?php phpinfo() ?&gt;

    somewhere in your site
    and look at it on the web if you are not sure

    Thanks, trying to nuke these bugs before releasing as stable and starting on
    new functionality so any info you can provide will help.

  2. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:33 pm #

    Interesting.

    Couple things…

    1) Is the post a post that has been published before or after the plugin was
    installed
    2) PHP 4 or 5? Drop a

    1
    &lt;?php phpinfo() ?&gt;

    somewhere in your site
    and look at it on the web if you are not sure

    Thanks, trying to nuke these bugs before releasing as stable and starting on
    new functionality so any info you can provide will help.

  3. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:33 pm #

    Interesting.

    Couple things…

    1) Is the post a post that has been published before or after the plugin was
    installed
    2) PHP 4 or 5? Drop a

    1
    &lt;?php phpinfo() ?&gt;

    somewhere in your site
    and look at it on the web if you are not sure

    Thanks, trying to nuke these bugs before releasing as stable and starting on
    new functionality so any info you can provide will help.

  4. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:33 pm #

    Interesting.

    Couple things…

    1) Is the post a post that has been published before or after the plugin was
    installed
    2) PHP 4 or 5? Drop a

    1
    &lt;?php phpinfo() ?&gt;

    somewhere in your site
    and look at it on the web if you are not sure

    Thanks, trying to nuke these bugs before releasing as stable and starting on
    new functionality so any info you can provide will help.

  5. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:33 pm #

    Interesting.

    Couple things…

    1) Is the post a post that has been published before or after the plugin was
    installed
    2) PHP 4 or 5? Drop a

    1
    &lt;?php phpinfo() ?&gt;

    somewhere in your site
    and look at it on the web if you are not sure

    Thanks, trying to nuke these bugs before releasing as stable and starting on
    new functionality so any info you can provide will help.

  6. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:33 pm #

    Interesting.

    Couple things…

    1) Is the post a post that has been published before or after the plugin was
    installed
    2) PHP 4 or 5? Drop a

    1
    &lt;?php phpinfo() ?&gt;

    somewhere in your site
    and look at it on the web if you are not sure

    Thanks, trying to nuke these bugs before releasing as stable and starting on
    new functionality so any info you can provide will help.

  7. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  8. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  9. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  10. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  11. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  12. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  13. Aaron Brazell 30 July 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    Clarification… drop that tag in a NEW file. Like phpinfo.php. Don’t use it in your template. :)

  14. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  15. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  16. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  17. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  18. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  19. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  20. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 12:19 am #

    Man, I’m trying to get this to work and following the instructions, but when I do get it to show up on my blog and click on it, it just goes to a gmap page with a comma in the search bar. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it would be neat if I could get it to work.

  21. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  22. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  23. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  24. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  25. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  26. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  27. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 12:36 am #

    You’re not the first person to report this. Can you tell me your PHP version
    and version of WordPress please? Thanks…

  28. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  29. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  30. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  31. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  32. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  33. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  34. portorikan 31 July 2008 at 10:02 pm #

    PHP Version 4.3.11 and Wordpress 2.6.

    Thanks. Sorry for the delay. I hope this helps.

  35. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  36. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  37. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  38. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  39. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  40. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  41. Aaron Brazell 31 July 2008 at 11:18 pm #

    No problem. I’ve cleaned up some PHP 5 dependencies and standardized some
    naming routines. The plugin now in RC-2. I’ve tested with your configuration
    and it works, so lemme know ho you fare.

  42. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  43. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  44. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  45. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  46. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  47. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  48. portorikan 1 August 2008 at 8:27 am #

    Doesn’t seem to work for me still. Sending me here http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&...

  49. Aaron Brazell 1 August 2008 at 9:27 am #

    Send me an email – aaron@technosailor.com

  50. Aaron Brazell 1 August 2008 at 9:27 am #

    Send me an email – aaron@technosailor.com

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