Aren’t going to make it to the inauguration? No worries. This is a Web World. Follow this guide to catch all the action online.
Jan 192009
How many times have you learned Greek? There is something enormously discouraging about spending all that time taking a year’s worth of Greek only to forget it in the course of a summer. Con Campbell has been instructing us how to avoid the forgetfullness that sets in as soon as Greek is over (start here). His latest post contains some wise advice regarding the use of Greek Bible software:
Be slow to move that cursor. The risk of using software is that you can short-cut the learning process, just as you will with an interlinear (see my second post). You need to struggle to remember words and grammar, rather than just get a quick answer (By the way, this need only apply to your ‘Greek reading time’, not every time you use the software). So, if you’re disciplined, go ahead and use the software for your Greek reading. But if you can’t be trusted not to cheat, then close your laptop, and get out a paper Greek New Testament. If you can find one.
Jan 162009
Here is some more sound advice from Con Campbell regarding how to keep up your Greek:
Burn your interlinear
‘nough said in my opinion, but he explains his reasons, with a promise to unpack the relationship between this advice and software tools.
So you’ve installed a bunch of new searches for Firefox, like this one for the Westminster Bookstore, but don’t want to always be switching back and forth between Google and your other favorite searches. Well there is an easy way to automatically switch between searches: Firefox Keywords.
Setting things up is easy. First drop down your search bar dialog (just like you do to install new searches). Click on “Manage Search Engines.” A new dialog pops up. Select the search that you would like to be able to access more quickly, then click “Edit Keyword.” 
Type in something short and memorable. I typed “wts” for the Westminster Bookstore search and “g” for Google. You can add keywords to as many search engines as you want, they just have to be unique.
Now you’re all set. To activate your desired search, based on these keywords, go to your address bar (that big long bar you type web addresses into). Alt+D is the default shortcut for easily accessing your address bar. Now type in your keyword, space, and your query. Hit return, and watch Firefox do the rest! Neat!
Ever wanted to turn you Zotero database, or a portion thereof, into a web page? I have. It would come in very handy for publishing bibliographies for class or even a simple blog post. Well now you can, with a pretty simple plugin called Zotz. Check it out, and don’t miss the screencast.
Jan 152009
Who needs Google when you’ve got the Westminster Bookstore, right? Well now you can add that famed repository of Reformed Christian resources right into your Browser search bar.
It's now easier than ever to search your favorite Reformed bookstore!
How? Easy. If you are viewing this page (and my guess is you are), just click on the search engine toolbar in your browser and select “Add the Westminster Bookstore.” Still confused? Just check the picture to the right. This plugin works in Firefox, Internet Explorer 7, and several other popular browsers.
Consider this the official page of this little plugin. Updates will be posted here, so you may want to bookmark this post. Please post any comments, suggestions, or problems in the comments section and I will respond as soon as possible.
If you like what you see, you may be interested in my ubquity command for the Westminster Bookstore.
This blog exists to promote and describe tools and technologies that might be of interest to Christians. If you are interested in such things, why not subscribe to my blog.
If you love the Westminster Bookstore, then you’re going to want to read this post. I have created a command for Firefox‘s Ubiquity that allows you to search the Westminster Bookstore without ever leaving your web page. You can even highlight text on any web page and automatically search WTS Books using that text.
The ubiquity notification bar appears on pages with Ubiquity commands
If you know all about Ubiquity, and already have it installed, then simply add the wtsbooks command by clicking “Subscribe” in the drop down notice on this page. Once you’ve subscribed to the command, activate Ubiquity and type in “wtsbooks”, then your search. To highlight and search, just select text on any web page (try it now on the word bavinck), activate ubiquity, and then type “wtsbooks” and return. So easy (and you may also be interested in this post)!
New to Ubiquity? Keep reading!
What is Ubiquity?
Ubiquity is a plugin for Firefox (an excellent web browser) that allows you to interact with the web in a whole new way. It is a way of talking to the internet, telling it what kind of information you want and what you want to do with it. Bottom line: it’s the future of interacting with the web because it lets you do things more naturally and with less effort.
All this may sound like a lot of fluff. Why not see Ubiquity in action? The video below is an amazing demonstration of Ubiquity’s power and promise.
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
Want more information? Check out this description.
How do I get it? How do I use it?
Easy. If you are using Firefox just go here and click the “Download Latest Version Ubiquity” link (or alternatively, just click here). Restart Firefox. You should see a page that tells you how to use Ubiquity and offers you a few options.
Note the keyboard shortcut listed in the top left corner of the page. It’s set to <CTRL>+Space by default (for Windows). You will use this shortcut to invoke Ubiquity and type your commands. Try it out now. Press the shortcut key, then type in “weather”. Wait for it…. Pretty cool, huh?
You may want to customize your shortcut key (especially if it doesn’t work, which is probably because that key combination is mapped to some other command on your system). I have mine set to WINDOWS+U.
How do I install more Ubiquity commands?
Ubiquity just provides the interface—the language by which your browser can communicate with you. For Ubiquity to be useful, you need to install commands. Ubiquity comes with a whole set of default commands, and installing new ones couldn’t be easier.
The ubiquity notification bar appears on pages with Ubiquity commands
If you go to a web page (like this one!) that contains a Ubiquity command, a little drop-down notice will appear asking if you want to subscribe. If you do, click “Subscribe” and follow the instructions on the next page. That page will look unnecessarily scary. It’s asking you if you trust the source. If you do, scroll down to the bottom and click “I know what I’m doing”. You might also want to check the “auto-update the feed” box, which means that anytime the author of the command makes a change, you will automatically have the latest version.
Why not get started by following my guide on setting up Ubiquity to browse and listen to the ESV Bible? It’s really easy! C’mon, give it a whirl!
How does the wtsbooks command work?
You can subscribe to the “wtsbooks” command by browsing to this page with Ubiquity installed and clicking “Subscribe” when the notification window drops down.
To use the command, activate Ubiquity (your shortcut key) and start typing “wtsbooks”. Then type in your search and press “enter”. You can also select text on a web page, activate Ubiquity, type “wtsbooks,” and the text you selected will be automatically entered as your search.
Future prospects
For future updates to this command, bookmark this page or subscribe to my site. I hope to add more functionality in the future, like search previews (type “amazon” into Ubiquity to see what I mean) and other goodies. If you have suggestions or questions, please post them in the comments!
Jan 132009
There is nothing worse than learning Greek again. Learn it once! Constantine Campbell has some sage advice on how to keep up with your Greek so you can spend time improving your Greek, rather than learning it over again each time you need it. Here is an excerpt:
From my background in music, I’m absolutely convinced that a little time practicing every day is much more beneficial than large chunks of practice interspersed by large chunks of inactivity. A little bit every day keeps it all ticking along. And it really only has to be a little. Half an hour a day reading Greek would be terrific, but even 10 minutes would be good. I know some guys who just aim to read one sentence of Greek a day. It doesn’t have to involve a big time commitment, just do a little every day.
So how can you do just a little per day? I have found the UBS Reader’s Greek NT to be very helpful in this regard. It defines uncommon words for you, and even parses difficult verbs, which keeps you reading Greek and not flipping through a lexicon.
For those counting, yes, this is my 10th (or so) plug for this book.
In addition to a whole host of great features, you can use Zotero to annotate Web pages that you have saved as snapshots.
Now you can annotate you favorite web pages
Zotero allows you to take a snapshot of any web page for later viewing. If I then view that snapshot (all the files for which are stored on your hard drive, and therefore are in principle modifiable), a little toolbar pops up. The options are primitive, but helpful. I can highlight text or add little sticky-style notes to the page. The toolbar pops up for stored PDFs as well, but the functionality does not seem to work here yet–just web pages for now. Perhaps later releases will add PDF support.
You can download Zotero Sync preview here. Though this is the version I recommend, be careful, it is still pre-Beta. If you want the stable release, go here.
If you have not yet set up Zotero, follow this guide.
Update: Apparently this functionality has been available for awhile now, and I just failed to notice. Ooops. This post has been modified to take that into account.
Jan 122009
The UBS Reader's Greek NT
For those trying to decide which Greek Bible they should purchase, Mounce has posted a helpful rundown of your options.
If you’re serious about learning and using Greek, I recommend you get two Bibles. (1) First, you need a Greek NT with a critical apparatus, either the UBS 4 or the NA 27 (both editions optionally include a Greek glossary). (2) Second, I heartily recommend the UBS Reader’s Greek NT. It will make actually reading the NT in Greek all that much more enjoyable.
Mounce also mentions a black-leather “stealth” NA that he uses. I was not able to find this. Anyone know where to get one? I always do feel a little self-conscious using my GNT in church…
Update: Phil Gons additionally recommends (see the comments) this post, which in turn links to this article describing the differences between the NA27 and the UBS4. The article will be of particular interest to those using Logos’s Bible Software.
