What is it?
How is "The St. Louis Metropolitan Area" defined?
Why would I use this site?
- You may want to use the Front page as your home page! I do. It's a good replacement for the busy, frequently changing and sometimes annoying homepage supplied by my ISP (no need to mention names!). It also loads faster and scrolls better.
Note: There is no law that says that you have to use your I.S.P.'s supplied home page!
- You may want to use the Directory page to quickly locate a website, phone number or other contact information for a post office, city hall, police station, school, fire department or other such municipality.
- For those who are a bit more adventurous or who are looking to get more involved you might want to use the Forum. There you can meet people, read what they have to say and discuss just about anything you can think of as long as it is not definable as abusive, intolerant, vulgar, slanderous, profane or that which includes any copyright infringements or stolen content.
What does it cost and what's the catch?
What about Cookies?
- The time & date feature at top of each page which sets a cookie to keep the time aligned between pages
- The analytics script Piwik which is hosted here on this server and set to anonymize visitor IP addresses (read more here: Piwik Privacy)
- The forum which sets a couple of cookies when you log in for forum usage only
Note: On the forum IP address are recorded on posts for instances when an abuse leads to a post needing moderated. The logged record of these addresses is only a means of blocking spammers and those who attempt to post abusive comments to other users. In which case, as soon as I or any moderator is informed of such a machine and/or person, it/they will be dealt with faster than you can quote James Brown saying "Popcorn!".
If it's free then why are there sponsors links?
No, seriously, the site really is free to use (as stated above), there really are no tracking cookies and no one here wants any of your personal data. It does, however, cost me something to keep it up and running and the need(s) for sponsors can be summed up as follows:
- paying for the site's hosting which does have costs associated with it such as general hardware and bandwidth as well as human resources like administration and maintenance which do require some time, skill, patience, coffee and the occasional phone calls between data centers at 3am to keep it up and running 99.9999% of the time
- funding for any and all future additions and upgrades such as better maps and increased storage space for media uploads
- gas and fees for trips and phone calls to area schools and municipalities in an ongoing effort to collect phone numbers and web links for the Directory page that are official, verified and up to date
- the retaining of legal counsel in the case that any linkee should contact me and say "50,000 people came from stldesktop.com to our pages last week and it crashed our servers! We're suing you buddy!" ... note: jails and poor houses usually do not have the internet access which I would need in order to continue administrating for the site :)
- oh, and ice cream! Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey. Also, pastries, pastries and more pastries and even some more pastries and then some good coffee and maybe a light, crispy Danish to top it off. Mmmm. You know.
Navigation:
Search:
Note: All searches are sent directly from your web browser on your machine to the selected engine. At no time will any of your search queries ever be sent to the stldesktop servers.
DuckDuckGo is for the truly paranoid user. All queries fetched by this engine are first retrieved over a secure connection via TLS at 256bits AES certified by Equifax, then obfuscated by the search engine and finally sent to your browser fully encrypted.
WolframAlfa is ... well ... what I think it is ... is something that God most likely would have confounded our languages over about 5 or 6,000 years ago. Seriously O.o Or maybe he would have just unplugged every computer that didn't run Windows95. Who can say. What it looks like is a means of culminating all human knowledge into a very slick algorithm with a really neat interface. Try it out for yourself and let the rest of us know what you think in the Forum. If, however, after using it you suddenly begin to speak Hungarian and find that you have lost any foreknowledge of English... forget that I asked!
Time and date:
News and Weather:
The Directory:
A little about using the Map links on the Directory...
Note: stldesktop.com has no control over either google or Mapquest maps as these are external links and the properties of google and Mapquest respectively. This site merely links to them, albeit, in a fashion that saves a lot of typing by strategically placing the links on the Directory relative to the associated location.
The Forum:
Page scaling and sizing in various browsers:
Note: Clicking an icon below/left will open the official Help/Support page of the respective browser.
Internet Explorer (versions 7+):
- From the "Page" dropdown menu select "Text size" and change between the options of: smallest, small, medium, larger and largest (medium should be default)
- From the "Page" dropdown select "Zoom" and change the page size based upon a %
- Clicking on the "Zoom" button (at the bottom of the browser window toward the right side, if available) should change the page size in increments of 25% (ie: 100% to 125% to 150% and back to 100%)
- Press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and then press either the + key (to increase page size) or the - key (to decrease page size). Pressing the * key (while holding Ctrl) will return the page size to 100%
Firefox:
- From the "View" dropdown mouse down to "Zoom" and make a page size selection from the options there (note that the option for "Zoom text only" may be useful if you have set a non-default text size in Tools > Options > Content > Fonts&Colors)
- Press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and then press either the + key (to increase page size) or the - key (to decrease page size). Pressing the 0 key (while holding Ctrl) will return the page size to 100%
Safari:
- Generally the same as Firefox's functions except that the Zoom settings are in the main View menu instead of having their own flyout sub menu from it (keyboard Ctrl > + / - and 0 work the same as well)
Opera:
- From the "View" dropdown mouse down to "Zoom" and make a page size selection from the options there (note that Opera, unlike other browsers, changes the page size in increments of 10% instead of 25%)
- Simply pressing the + key or the - key increases or decreases the page size. Pressing the * key will return the page size to 100% (there is no need to hold the Ctrl key while pressing +, - or *. Also note that input boxes should not be selected or "have focus" while attempting to change page size with key commands)
Various browser tweaks:
Setting Internet Explorer (versions 7+) to open a new tab upon clicking an external link instead of opening a new window:
- From the "Tools" dropdown menu select "Internet Options". In the window that comes up move to the "Tabs" section and select "Settings". In this window, in the section titled "When a pop-up is encountered:", select "Always open pop-ups in a new tab". Then click "Ok" for both setting windows.
Note: The term "pop-up" is used by Internet Explorer to describe any link which directs the browser to switch focus from the current site's containing element... and NOT the more general meaning of the term "pop-up" which denotes an unwanted new element changing focus for unscrupulous purposes. This site uses target="_blank" on all external links to save you from having to use the "back" button excessively. Setting IE to open new tabs in this way is highly recommended as it averts the stacking of an unnecessary and confusing amount of windowed tabs on your task bar.
Why isn't " ? " linked to on the front page?
Why that choice for BSD and Linux distro's?
Why that choice for browser's and doesn't Opera fall below "de facto" status?
Shouldn't there be links for Konqueror or Epiphany?
Why use the word sponsor instead of advertiser?
Caution: the remainder of this rant includes descriptions of persons and/or corporations which include Elmer Fudd and Buggs Bunny references. Reader discretion is advised!
A true sponsor knows both who it is and what it is that they are supporting.
How do I, my company or my group guarantee that we will never become sponsors of stldesktop.com or any of it's sister sites such as chidesktop.com, ladesktop.com or nycdesktop.com?
You can:
- Put lead into children's toys
- Oppress farmers in 3rd world countries by using political strong arm tactics to force upon them the use of crazily priced, patented, genetically modified seeds
- Manufacture and/or distribute anything with BPA in it
- Be involved in either the manufacture, sales or distribution of products that still include Asbestos and/or be actively involved in the blocking of litigation of the millions of current Asbestos related illness claims around the world
- Screen adult rated content to the young children of desperate and/or impoverished parents year after year after year and then attempt to put on the "family friendly" media enterprise act
- Manufacture, distribute, promote and/or market pornographic material of any kind
- Include on your site(s) any type of pop-ups, redirects or other annoying and/or deceptive web practices that we had all hoped would have died back around circa 1998
- Openly admit to Sweating to the Oldies
- Honestly be able to say that the last one didn't make you laugh... at least a little :)
Becoming a sponsor of stldesktop.com:
- Read through the list above about how to guarantee yourself of never being allowed to become a sponsor and make sure that you a), b) and c) ... just don't do those things!
- Send an email to: bryon @ stldesktop dot com that includes the following: a description of what it is that you do, where you do it and the address to your site
- You should be contacted in a day or two. Meanwhile, please review the sponsorship level chart below and decide upon where you wish to be included on the site
Just Added Special Placement In The Wings! This new option opens up a lot of possibilities for those that qualify. On devices with a resolution over 880px click on any of the first few pictures on either side of a page (forums not yet included) to see how this works. Mail to bryon @ stldesktop dot com or contact Bryon in the forums or on Twitter for more information!
Duration / Commitment | Front Page | Forum Index | Forum Posts |
6 mo | $40 mo / $1.33 day | $35 mo / $1.17 day | $30 mo / $1.00 day |
1 Year | $35 mo / $1.17 day | $30 mo / $1.00 day | $25 mo / $0.83 day |
2 Years | $30 mo / $1.00 day | $25 mo / $0.83 day | $20 mo / $0.67 day |
NOTE: The above numbers are not CPM. They are SIAFI. In a CPM scheme once you have reached 1,000 views your fee's basically roll over. For example with a $15 CPM: 10,000 views = $150. Our sponsor levels have no such glass ceiling or tricky calculations. The sponsor level that you decide upon is a static amount whether you get 1,000 or 1,000,000 views. You will not be "billed" extra for going over any pre-determined number of views. Once your sponsorship duration has expired you either chose to renew or you do not. It's just that simple.
Also: See the Do The Math page for a little more information about why sponsoring stldesktop is a good idea and a great alternative to many others
File Sizes, Limitations & Placement: In order to keep page load times quick and responsive for most users the allowable sizes for sponsor graphics are limited per section. Front page: 80kb max each. Forum Index page: 40kb max each. Forum Posts pages: 20kb max each. Also note that animated .gif files are limited to the Front and Forum Index pages respectively. Please have a .png or .gif available that is 250px wide x 50px high or that is capable of being resized to those dimensions such as 300w x 60h or 450w x 90h. If you are unable to do this we can make a graphic that will work with the site based upon your branding.
About the links and icons on the front page...
These are all links which are readily accessible from every major search engine. Proper attempts were made in order to ascertain whether or not each linkee had a restrictive linking policy before they were linked to. None which were found to have restrictive policies were included.
If you are a representative of a linkee included on the front page of stldesktop.com and would prefer for any reason that your link not to be there please email admin @ stldesktop dot com and request to be removed. If possible do include your reasoning and a link to a publicly accessible and timestamped notice on your site(s) predating it's inclusion on this site that states such a preference (if such does exist). Either way, your link will be promptly removed upon receipt of your request to do so.
In most cases icons for linkee's on the front page were simply re-sized in order to better fit the layout and dimensions of the page and include any notices (no matter how small) of branding ownership which they are commonly displayed with. In a few cases, where there simply did not exist a reasonable icon that would size properly or give justice to the inherent artwork or that would not be recognizable when scaled, icons were altered just enough to retain their attributes and still look as good as possible (even when page size is greatly increased!).
If you are a representative of a linkee included on the front page of stldesktop.com and are ok with that but would prefer that your icon appear differently than it does currently please email admin @ stldesktop dot com and explain any changes that you would like to be made (or supply a working example). It should be noted that requests for alternative placement and/or size increases can not be granted due to keeping with the logic and structure of the page layout.
Who owns what?
In no way does stldesktop.com mean to imply any ownership of rights to 2nd party holdings nor do their presentation here imply any use other than those which fall under constructs of fair use (emphasis, see: relative case citations). Owners of, or any official representatives of, any 2nd party material displayed on stldesktop.com who wish that their content be removed need only to send an email to admin @ stldesktop dot com requesting that said material be removed and it will be, promptly.
I didn't do it! You can't prove it!
This is not McDonalds! We don't serve coffee!
Still here?
Lastly, your content is your content. No one at stldesktop.com will ever administer for the rights to your work(s) nor do they wish to be involved in any publishing agreements, the receiving of your checks, the dealing with your attorneys or the stealing of your mojo in any way conceivable. If you are the owner of rights in a digital image, or file/medium of any kind, make sure that all notices concerning such and/or licenses you wish to be made known are displayed along with it at the initial time of your posting them. Stldesktop will take no responsibility for claims of infringement, misuse or theft concerning original content. Artists, photographers, musicians or other similar creative individuals and/or groups are to use all cautions in presenting their materials including the use of watermarks, posting of all pertinent license mechanisms, keeping backups of everything! (never posting a "one of a kind") and the referencing of pre-existing use of said work(s) (links to a pre-existing gallery of your work, band website etc).
By using this site to display any personal content or work(s) you agree to hold everyone at stldesktop.com harmless and agree that they are in no way liable for any content rights issues nor are they to be included in any legal dispute which could ever arise concerning your or other's use of your or other's intellectual rights as pertaining to any media or medium. The policy here is that if you find that someone else has abused your rights by posting a work of yours without your permission or in a manner that you, by rights, wish to be changed... simply contact admin @ stldesktop dot com or a moderator in the forum and explain the situation and all efforts will be made to correct the situation. That is as far as anyone at stldesktop should ever be expected to become involved in the management of other's original content ... ie: the policing of to the point of removal, the arresting of the issue and absolutely nothing more.