Web Developer Available Here...

[Guest]

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[Sherri]

Hi Kiva and Kiva-Friends,

I'm a professional web developer with years of experience using PHP and ASP. I can provide a resume/portfolio if needed. I'm available to volunteer a couple hours each week if you need help with testing, debugging, or development for your website(s).

If any Kiva-fans are working on Kiva related 'stuff' on their own websites and have hit a roadblock- let me know and I'll try and help you out too!

I really love what you guys are doing here, and I'd like to help if needed. Just let me know!

Update: My availability for new projects is severely reduced these days, so I'm going to have to retract this offer for now. Sorry!

~Sherri

[Henry]

Welcome Sherri!    such a wonderful offer!!  thank you!

can you make a page that will php or asp the info we want in the form we want it from kiva's data?   

but seriously, welcome!  and I just might take you up on that offer in regards to the KSC.  www.kivashoppingclub.com

1st of many questions!  anyway to automatically take our lender page data or journal data and make it create a google map of our loans? 

[Sherri]

Hi Henry,

Generally it's not ethical (or wise) to 'scrape' data off a website because it will add extra load to that site (and has copyright issues). But, some sites offer official ways of getting your site to request data from their site. If Kiva provides an API or XML feed of the data you need, then this would definitely be possible.

Your idea of automatically making lender page data into a google map is a good one. I've been doing it for my loans manually on a my own custom google map. I wonder if Kiva is working on something like this for the portfolio pages? It would be cool to have a google map show up on your portfolio with a pip on each location where you've funded a loan. This is something I'm capable of developing.... if Kiva wanted me to.  *wink*

[Sherri]

... actually, maybe I can make a sample map that people can drop into their websites and they can copy/paste a bit of code to add the pips... if I make it simple enough.... it's the second best thing to automatically scraping it from Kiva's site.....

[Henry]

The problem I have experienced making the google map, is that 'KIVA data' doesn't always match up to a reference Google understands.  And even in the Samoas I really had to dig to make a reference point on the map.  But if there is a manual adjustment feature that would be great.

I think if you could create an autoscript that would allow for communication between a members journal to google to accomplish this, (with an edit feature for unfound locations) KIVA would Google all over themselves in appreciation!! 

HMMM, could Joe's "My Profile" section even accomidate such a feature? 

I hope you find time to work on this.  If you need a test subject or website, i'd be happy to volunteer.

[QueenOfHearts]

As keeper of the Kiva Shopping Club map and one for my own loans....I do it all by hand...just ask Henry!!!
I  dont mind doing this but I know Henry would love to have an easier method....and Henry...did you ever figure
out how to link our google map to the web page or are you still changing the code everytime I update?

Queen

[Sherri]

AH HA !!!! I have it working.... will post a link for others to copy in a minute.....

[Sherri]

Well, this is a way to have it manually embedded in your website. Adding points should be nice and easy. You'll have to replace my Google Maps API key for your own.

See sample here:


http://www.source.ofitall.com/devel/google/custom-map.php   NOTICE: THIS LINK HAS BEEN UPDATED


Kiva should be able to very easily modify this to embed it into the profile pages and automatically add the pips.

Hey, Official Kiva People- feel free to copy my code on my sample- just let me know if you used it!

[Christopher]

Hey Sherri, nice code to get the map and a neat way to store the point data.
Up until now I have been updating a kml file and parsing that, but find I keep on slipping up with the kml with unfortunate results - I think I might embed your version which looks much easier.
I have got used to different coloured markers, to show completed loans etc - any way this could be included in your version?
Cheers
Christopher

[Henry]

Queen, don't you worry!  I'm not thinking about the KSC site.  I'm thinking of the loans of my own, that I lost track of, and just always find a reason not to have enough time to go mess with them.  For some odd reason, I can find time for KSC's loans to play with, but not my own.  THERAPY!

 
Sherri, I saw on google where to do pretty much what you did in your example.  Unless I'm missing something, that still requires you to manually insert each point correct?   This is a sample that RichardF posted on KIVAFriends that would be really neat I think it updates from a database.  http://www.change.org/nonprofit_page/nonprofit_community/16338
(In fact, insalling that key is exactly what I was doing when I lost my free webpage at AT&T - the first KSC site that frooze up and wouldn't allow edits)

EDIT!   I see now that i looked at your code. 

Code:

// ******* Add your points BELOW this line ***************

addPoint("Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic", "<b>Anadilia Martinez</b><br />Food Production/Sales", map, "", "");
addPoint("Guayaquil, Ecuador", "<b>Juan Flores</b><br />Food Production/Sales", map, "", "");
addPoint("Malaba, Kenya", "<b>Joseph Ngigi Mwigai</b><br />Transportation", map, 0.601048, 34.265913);

// ******** Add your points ABOVE this line *********

I think I should be able to make a file from my database to resememble this section, and cut and paste it.