Yahoo! Hacks

Yahoo! Hacks

by Paul Bausch
Released October 2005
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596009458

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Book description

Yahoo! took the world by storm in the 1990s as a one-of-a-kind, searchable list of interesting web sites. But ten years later, it has expanded into a department store overflowing with useful and innovative tools and services-from email, blogging, social networking, and instant messaging, to news, financial markets, shopping, movie and TV listings, and much more. Today's Yahoo! keeps you connected with every aspect of your life and every corner of the Web.

Yahoo! Hacks shows you how to use, expand, personalize, and tweak Yahoo! in ways you never dreamed possible. You'll learn how to:

  • Fine-tune search queries with keyword shortcuts and advanced syntax
  • Manage and customize Yahoo! Mail, using it as your universal email client to access all your other accounts
  • Explore your social networks with Yahoo! 360, blogging your life, keeping up with friends, and making new contacts
  • Store, sort, blog, feed, track, and otherwise share photos with Flickr and RSS
  • Make My Yahoo! your Yahoo!, and personalize Yahoo!'s many properties
  • Roll your own Yahoo! applications with Yahoo! new Web Services API and Perl, PHP, Java, Python, Ruby, or the programming language of your choice
  • Visualize search results and topics, mash up images from around the Web, and remix other web content
  • List (or hide) your site with Yahoo!, and integrate Yahoo! Groups, Messenger, contextual search (Y!Q), or other Yahoo! features

Whether you want to become a power searcher, news monger, super shopper, or innovative web developer, Yahoo! Hacks provides the tools to take you further than you ever thought possible.

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Table of contents

  1. Yahoo! Hacks
  2. A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
  3. Credits
    1. About the Author
    2. Contributors
    3. Acknowledgments
  4. Preface
    1. Why Yahoo! Hacks?
    2. How to Use This Book
    3. How to Run the Hacks
      1. Command-Line Scripts
      2. CGI Scripts
      3. Learning to Code
    4. How This Book Is Organized
    5. Conventions Used in This Book
    6. Using Code Examples
    7. Safari Enabled
    8. How to Contact Us
    9. Got a Hack?
  5. 1. Search
    1. 1.1. Hacks 1–22: Introduction
    2. 1. Fine-Tune Yahoo! Web Search Queries
      1. 1.2.1. Search Basics
      2. 1.2.2. Search Meta Words
    3. 2. Save Time with Search Shortcuts
      1. 1.3.1. Yahoo! Search Shortcuts
      2. 1.3.2. Yahoo! Properties Shortcuts
    4. 3. Create a Yahoo! ID
      1. 1.4.1. Signing Up
      2. 1.4.2. Signing In
      3. 1.4.3. Signing Out
      4. 1.4.4. Removing Your Account
    5. 4. Set Persistent Yahoo! Search Preferences
      1. 1.5.1. New Window
      2. 1.5.2. Number of Results
      3. 1.5.3. Adult Content Filtering
      4. 1.5.4. Language
    6. 5. Assemble Advanced Search Queries
      1. 1.6.1. Anatomy of an Advanced Search URL
    7. 6. Translate Any Page with Yahoo!
      1. 1.7.1. Yahoo! Language Tools
      2. 1.7.2. A Translation Bookmarklet
        1. 1.7.2.1. The code.
        2. 1.7.2.2. Running the hack.
    8. 7. Personalize, Track, and Share the Web
      1. 1.8.1. Using My Web
      2. 1.8.2. Sharing My Web
      3. 1.8.3. Programming My Web
        1. 1.8.3.1. The code.
        2. 1.8.3.2. Running the hack.
    9. 8. Prefetch Yahoo! Search Results
      1. 1.9.1. The Code
      2. 1.9.2. Running the Hack
      3. 1.9.3. Hacking the Hack
    10. 9. Compare Yahoo! and Google Search Results
      1. 1.10.1. Twingine
      2. 1.10.2. Yahoo! Versus Google Diagram
    11. 10. Find Content You Can Reuse Legally
      1. 1.11.1. Understanding CC Licenses
      2. 1.11.2. Finding CC-Licensed Content
    12. 11. Find Video from Across the Web
      1. 1.12.1. Simple Video Searching
      2. 1.12.2. Advanced Video Searching
    13. 12. Streamline Browsing with the Yahoo! Toolbar
      1. 1.13.1. Installation
      2. 1.13.2. Features
        1. 1.13.2.1. Get notification of new email.
        2. 1.13.2.2. Manage bookmarks.
        3. 1.13.2.3. Add content to My Yahoo!.
        4. 1.13.2.4. Block pop-up windows.
        5. 1.13.2.5. Enable quick searches.
      3. 1.13.3. Privacy
    14. 13. Customize the Firefox Quick Search Box
      1. 1.14.1. The Code
      2. 1.14.2. Running the Hack
    15. 14. Spot Trends with Yahoo! Buzz
      1. 1.15.1. Determining Current Leaders and Movers
      2. 1.15.2. Going Back in Time
    16. 15. Find Hot Technologies at the Buzz Game
      1. 1.16.1. Spotting Trends
      2. 1.16.2. Buzz Game API
      3. 1.16.3. Graphing Markets
        1. 1.16.3.1. The code.
        2. 1.16.3.2. Running the hack.
    17. 16. Tame Long Yahoo! URLs
      1. 1.17.1. Trimming Yahoo! URLs
      2. 1.17.2. URL-Trimming Services
    18. 17. Opt Out of Advertiser Cookies
      1. 1.18.1. Cookies at Yahoo!
      2. 1.18.2. Opting Out
      3. 1.18.3. Browser Settings
    19. 18. Track News About Yahoo!
      1. 1.19.1. Yahoo! Sources
      2. 1.19.2. Outside News Sources
      3. 1.19.3. Yahoo! Employee Weblogs
      4. 1.19.4. Grassroots Sources
    20. 19. Spider the Yahoo! Catalog
      1. 1.20.1. The Code
      2. 1.20.2. Running the Hack
      3. 1.20.3. Hacking the Hack
      4. 1.20.4. See Also
    21. 20. Browse the Yahoo! Directory
      1. 1.21.1. Searching Versus Browsing
      2. 1.21.2. Adding a Site
    22. 21. Track Additions to Yahoo!
      1. 1.22.1. The Code
      2. 1.22.2. Running the Hack
      3. 1.22.3. Hacking the Hack
    23. 22. Yahoo! Directory Mindshare in Google
      1. 1.23.1. The Code
      2. 1.23.2. Running the Hack
      3. 1.23.3. Hacking the Hack
  6. 2. Services
    1. 2.1. Hacks 23–50: Introduction
    2. 23. Track Your Investments
      1. 2.2.1. Get Quotes and News
      2. 2.2.2. Build a Portfolio
    3. 24. Build Your Own Stock Update Email
      1. 2.3.1. The Code
      2. 2.3.2. Running the Hack
    4. 25. Download Financial Data Using Excel Web Queries
      1. 2.4.1. Creating an Excel Web Query
      2. 2.4.2. Making a Web Query Work for Any Ticker Symbol
      3. 2.4.3. Hacking the Hack
    5. 26. Convert Currencies with One Click
      1. 2.5.1. The Code
      2. 2.5.2. Running the Hack
    6. 27. Do the Math with Yahoo! Calculators
      1. 2.6.1. Anatomy of a Yahoo! Calculator
      2. 2.6.2. Saving and Investing
        1. 2.6.2.1. Banking.
        2. 2.6.2.2. Mutual funds.
        3. 2.6.2.3. Bonds.
      3. 2.6.3. Home, Auto, and Education
        1. 2.6.3.1. Mortgage.
        2. 2.6.3.2. Auto.
        3. 2.6.3.3. School financing.
      4. 2.6.4. Death and Taxes
        1. 2.6.4.1. Life insurance.
        2. 2.6.4.2. Taxes.
      5. 2.6.5. Calculators Beyond Yahoo!
    7. 28. Add a Yahoo! Bookmark with One Click
      1. 2.7.1. The Magic of Bookmarklets
      2. 2.7.2. The Code
      3. 2.7.3. Running the Hack
    8. 29. Import Existing Bookmarks into Yahoo! Bookmarks
      1. 2.8.1. Internet Explorer Bookmarks
      2. 2.8.2. Firefox Bookmarks
      3. 2.8.3. OPML Applications
    9. 30. Open Yahoo! Bookmarks in a Sidebar
      1. 2.9.1. A Firefox Sidebar
      2. 2.9.2. An Internet Explorer Sidebar
        1. 2.9.2.1. The code.
        2. 2.9.2.2. Running the hack.
        3. 2.9.2.3. Hacking the hack.
    10. 31. Publish Your Yahoo! Bookmarks
      1. 2.10.1. The Code
      2. 2.10.2. Running the Hack
    11. 32. Track the Media’s Attention Span over Time
      1. 2.11.1. The Code
      2. 2.11.2. Running the Hack
      3. 2.11.3. Working with the Results
    12. 33. Monitor the News with RSS
    13. 34. Personalize My Yahoo!
      1. 2.13.1. Yahoo! Modules
      2. 2.13.2. Layout
      3. 2.13.3. Colors
    14. 35. Track Your Favorite Sites with RSS
      1. 2.14.1. Finding RSS Feeds
        1. 2.14.1.1. Go to the source.
        2. 2.14.1.2. Look for auto-discovery.
      2. 2.14.2. Adding to My Yahoo!
    15. 36. Add a Feed to My Yahoo! with a Right-Click
      1. 2.15.1. The Code
      2. 2.15.2. Running the Hack
    16. 37. Build Your Own News Crawler
      1. 2.16.1. Installing the Ticker
      2. 2.16.2. Personalizing the Ticker
      3. 2.16.3. Using the Ticker
    17. 38. Replace Your Phone Book with Yahoo!
      1. 2.17.1. Finding Businesses
        1. 2.17.1.1. Mapping and directions.
        2. 2.17.1.2. Sending to cell phone.
        3. 2.17.1.3. Ratings.
      2. 2.17.2. Finding People
    18. 39. Monitor Your Commute
      1. 2.18.1. Scout Your Route
      2. 2.18.2. Add Incidents to Your Dashboard
      3. 2.18.3. Subscribe to Your Commute
    19. 40. Get the Facts at Yahoo! Reference
      1. 2.19.1. The Collection
      2. 2.19.2. Programmatic Access
        1. 2.19.2.1. The code.
        2. 2.19.2.2. Running the hack.
    20. 41. Find and Rate Movies
      1. 2.20.1. Find Movie Showtimes
        1. 2.20.1.1. Showtimes page.
        2. 2.20.1.2. Email newsletter.
        3. 2.20.1.3. Cell phone schedule.
      2. 2.20.2. Connect with Movie Fans
        1. 2.20.2.1. Create your profile.
        2. 2.20.2.2. Get recommendations.
    21. 42. Subscribe to Movie Showtimes
      1. 2.21.1. Finding Your Theaters
      2. 2.21.2. The Code
      3. 2.21.3. Running the Hack
    22. 43. View Movie Lists on Your Cell Phone
      1. 2.22.1. Creating Your List
      2. 2.22.2. The Code
      3. 2.22.3. Running the Hack
    23. 44. Plan Your TV Viewing
      1. 2.23.1. Personalize Your Listings
      2. 2.23.2. Email Your Listings
        1. 2.23.2.1. The code.
        2. 2.23.2.2. Running the hack.
    24. 45. Create a TV Watch List
      1. 2.24.1. The Code
      2. 2.24.2. Running the Hack
    25. 46. Develop and Share a Trip Itinerary
      1. 2.25.1. Create a Trip
      2. 2.25.2. Personalize the Trip
    26. 47. Shop Intelligently
      1. 2.26.1. Find
        1. 2.26.1.1. Searching.
        2. 2.26.1.2. Browsing.
        3. 2.26.1.3. Gift Finder.
        4. 2.26.1.4. SmartSort.
        5. 2.26.1.5. Product feeds.
      2. 2.26.2. Compare
      3. 2.26.3. Save and Share
    27. 48. Visualize Your Music Collection
      1. 2.27.1. Yahoo! Music Engine
      2. 2.27.2. The Code
      3. 2.27.3. Running the Hack
      4. 2.27.4. Hacking the Hack
      5. 2.27.5. TraxStats
    28. 49. Take Yahoo! on the Go
      1. 2.28.1. Yahoo! Lite
      2. 2.28.2. Yahoo! Mobile Features
    29. 50. Stay Connected with Yahoo! Alerts
      1. 2.29.1. Setting up Alert Devices
      2. 2.29.2. Setting Alerts
      3. 2.29.3. Modifying Alerts
  7. 3. Communicating
    1. 3.1. Hacks 51–67: Introduction
    2. 51. Navigate Yahoo! Mail
      1. 3.2.1. Yahoo! Mail Layout
      2. 3.2.2. Keyboard Shortcuts
      3. 3.2.3. Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Firefox
        1. 3.2.3.1. Anatomy of a keyboard shortcut.
        2. 3.2.3.2. The code.
        3. 3.2.3.3. Running the hack.
    3. 52. Manage Yahoo! Mail
      1. 3.3.1. Sorting with Filters
      2. 3.3.2. Managing Spam
        1. 3.3.2.1. Use SpamGuard.
        2. 3.3.2.2. Block specific addresses or domains.
        3. 3.3.2.3. Use temporary addresses.
    4. 53. Create Yahoo! Mail Macros
      1. 3.4.1. Drafts
      2. 3.4.2. Yahoo! Mail Bookmarks
      3. 3.4.3. Yahoo! Mail Bookmarklet
        1. 3.4.3.1. The code.
        2. 3.4.3.2. Running the hack.
    5. 54. Read All Your Email in One Place
      1. 3.5.1. Adding External Mail Accounts
      2. 3.5.2. Editing External Mail Accounts
      3. 3.5.3. Checking Mail on Your Phone
    6. 55. Read Yahoo! Mail in Your Preferred Email Client
      1. 3.6.1. Installing YPOPs!
      2. 3.6.2. Configuring Your Client
    7. 56. Manage and Share Your Schedule
      1. 3.7.1. Adding Events
        1. 3.7.1.1. Event options.
        2. 3.7.1.2. Invitations.
        3. 3.7.1.3. Quick Add Event form.
        4. 3.7.1.4. Tasks.
        5. 3.7.1.5. Time Guides.
      2. 3.7.2. Sharing Your Calendar
    8. 57. Add Contacts to Your Yahoo! Address Book
      1. 3.8.1. Entering Contacts Manually
      2. 3.8.2. Importing Contacts
        1. 3.8.2.1. Using QuickBuilder.
        2. 3.8.2.2. Importing from applications.
        3. 3.8.2.3. Staying in sync.
    9. 58. Map Yahoo! Address Book Contacts
      1. 3.9.1. Preparing Your Address Book
      2. 3.9.2. The Code
      3. 3.9.3. Running the Hack
      4. 3.9.4. Plotting the Addresses
    10. 59. Discuss, Share, and Collaborate with Others
      1. 3.10.1. Group Features
      2. 3.10.2. Joining a Group
      3. 3.10.3. Creating a Group
    11. 60. Archive Yahoo! Groups Messages with yahoo2mbox
      1. 3.11.1. The Code
      2. 3.11.2. Running the Hack
      3. 3.11.3. Hacking the Hack
    12. 61. Explore Your Social Networks
      1. 3.12.1. Create a Profile
      2. 3.12.2. Start Blogging
      3. 3.12.3. Connect with Friends
    13. 62. Import an Existing Blogroll to Yahoo! 360
      1. 3.13.1. The Code
      2. 3.13.2. Running the Hack
    14. 63. Add an API to Your Yahoo! 360 Blog
      1. 3.14.1. What You Need
      2. 3.14.2. The Code
      3. 3.14.3. Running the Hack
    15. 64. Create a Yahoo! Avatar
      1. 3.15.1. Your Digital Double
      2. 3.15.2. Getting Moody
    16. 65. Add a Content Tab to Yahoo! Messenger
      1. 3.16.1. Inside Your Registry
      2. 3.16.2. The Code
      3. 3.16.3. Running the Hack
      4. 3.16.4. Hacking the Hack
    17. 66. Send Instant Messages Beyond Yahoo!
      1. 3.17.1. Installation and Setup
      2. 3.17.2. What You’ll Miss
    18. 67. Store, Sort, and Share Your Photos
      1. 3.18.1. Store
        1. 3.18.1.1. From your browser.
        2. 3.18.1.2. From your desktop.
        3. 3.18.1.3. From an email address.
      2. 3.18.2. Sort
        1. 3.18.2.1. Tagging.
        2. 3.18.2.2. Organizing.
      3. 3.18.3. Share
        1. 3.18.3.1. Free to the public.
        2. 3.18.3.2. Flickr community.
  8. 4. Web Services
    1. 4.1. Hacks 68–76: Introduction
    2. 4.2.
      1. 4.2.1. What Are Web Services?
      2. 4.2.2. Yahoo! Web Services
        1. 4.2.2.1. What’s Available
        2. 4.2.2.2. Yahoo!’s Terms
          1. 4.2.2.2.1. Request limits.
          2. 4.2.2.2.2. Application IDs.
        3. 4.2.2.3. Making Requests
          1. 4.2.2.3.1. Search and Text.
          2. 4.2.2.3.2. Maps.
          3. 4.2.2.3.3. Flickr.
          4. 4.2.2.3.4. RSS.
        4. 4.2.2.4. Working with Responses
    3. 68. Program Yahoo! with Perl
      1. 4.3.1.
        1. 4.3.1.1. What You Need
        2. 4.3.1.2. The Code
        3. 4.3.1.3. Running the Hack
    4. 69. Program Yahoo! with PHP 5
      1. 4.4.1. The Code
      2. 4.4.2. Running the Hack
    5. 70. Program Yahoo! with Python
      1. 4.5.1. The Code
      2. 4.5.2. Running the Hack
    6. 71. Program Yahoo! with VBScript
      1. 4.6.1. What You Need
      2. 4.6.2. The Code
      3. 4.6.3. Running the Hack
    7. 72. Program Yahoo! with ColdFusion
      1. 4.7.1. The Code
      2. 4.7.2. Running the Hack
    8. 73. Program Yahoo! with XSLT
      1. 4.8.1. The Code
      2. 4.8.2. Running the Hack
      3. 4.8.3. Hacking the Hack
    9. 74. Program Yahoo! with Java
      1. 4.9.1. What You Need
      2. 4.9.2. The Code
      3. 4.9.3. Running the Hack
    10. 75. Program Yahoo! with Ruby
      1. 4.10.1. The Code
      2. 4.10.2. Running the Hack
    11. 76. Program Yahoo! with REBOL
      1. 4.11.1. The Code
      2. 4.11.2. Running the Hack
  9. 5. Applications
    1. 5.1. Hacks 77–91: Introduction
    2. 77. Visualize Yahoo! Web Search Results
    3. 78. Find Links to Any Web Site
      1. 5.3.1. The Code
      2. 5.3.2. Running the Hack
    4. 79. Import Yahoo! Local Listings into Your Address Book
      1. 5.4.1. The Code
      2. 5.4.2. Running the Hack
    5. 80. Create a Yahoo! Local MIDlet
      1. 5.5.1. What You Need
      2. 5.5.2. The Code
      3. 5.5.3. Running the Hack
    6. 81. Import Yahoo! Local Listings into Excel
      1. 5.6.1. Exporting Yahoo! Local Search to a Spreadsheet
      2. 5.6.2. Using Perl
        1. 5.6.2.1. The code.
        2. 5.6.2.2. Running the hack.
    7. 82. Spell Words with Yahoo! Images
      1. 5.7.1. The Code
      2. 5.7.2. Running the Hack
    8. 83. Randomize Your Windows Desktop Background
      1. 5.8.1. The Code
      2. 5.8.2. Running the Hack
      3. 5.8.3. Hacking the Hack
    9. 84. Randomize Your Mac Desktop Background
      1. 5.9.1. The Code
      2. 5.9.2. Running the Hack
    10. 85. Mash Up Images from Around the Web
      1. 5.10.1. Yahoo! Buzz Demo
      2. 5.10.2. Search Collage Generator
      3. 5.10.3. Yahoo! Memory Game
    11. 86. Illustrate Any Web Site
      1. 5.11.1. The Code
      2. 5.11.2. Running the Hack
    12. 87. Add Links to a Block of Text Automatically
      1. 5.12.1. The Code
      2. 5.12.2. Running the Hack
    13. 88. Visualize News Topics as Tags
      1. 5.13.1. Yahoo! News Tag Soup
      2. 5.13.2. Your Personal Tag Cloud
    14. 89. Get Related Terms Instantly with Ajax
      1. 5.14.1. The Code
      2. 5.14.2. Running the Hack
    15. 90. Compare the Popularity of Related Search Terms
      1. 5.15.1. The Code
      2. 5.15.2. Running the Hack
    16. 91. Plot Multiple Points on Your Own Map
      1. 5.16.1. Assembling Your Locations
      2. 5.16.2. The Code
      3. 5.16.3. Running the Hack
      4. 5.16.4. Building the Map
      5. 5.16.5. Hacking the Hack
  10. 6. Webmastering
    1. 6.1. Hacks 92–100: Introduction
    2. 92. Get Your Site Listed at Yahoo!
      1. 6.2.1. Yahoo! Search
      2. 6.2.2. Yahoo! Directory
        1. 6.2.2.1. Adding a noncommercial site.
        2. 6.2.2.2. Adding a commercial site.
        3. 6.2.2.3. Updating your listing.
      3. 6.2.3. Yahoo! RSS
    3. 93. Hide Part of Your Web Site from Yahoo!
      1. 6.3.1. Server Authentication
      2. 6.3.2. robots.txt Exclusions
      3. 6.3.3. robots Meta Tags
    4. 94. Search Your Web Site with Yahoo!
      1. 6.4.1. The Code
      2. 6.4.2. Running the Hack
    5. 95. Add Presence to Your Web Site
      1. 6.5.1. The Code
      2. 6.5.2. Running the Hack
    6. 96. Syndicate Rich Media
      1. 6.6.1. Introducing Media RSS
      2. 6.6.2. Automating Media RSS
      3. 6.6.3. The Code
      4. 6.6.4. Running the Hack
      5. 6.6.5. Submitting Video to Yahoo!
    7. 97. Add Contextual Search to Your Blog
    8. 98. Post Photos to Your Blog
      1. 6.8.1. Blog This
        1. 6.8.1.1. Configuring a weblog.
        2. 6.8.1.2. Posting to your weblog.
      2. 6.8.2. Roll Your Own Post
    9. 99. Feed Your Latest Photos to Your Web Site
      1. 6.9.1. Flickr Badges
      2. 6.9.2. Flickr Feeds
        1. 6.9.2.1. The code.
        2. 6.9.2.2. Running the hack.
      3. 6.9.3. Hacking the Hack
    10. 100. Display Messages from a Yahoo! Group on Your Web Site
      1. 6.10.1. The Code
      2. 6.10.2. Running the Hack
  11. About the Author
  12. Colophon
  13. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Yahoo! Hacks
  • Author(s): Paul Bausch
  • Release date: October 2005
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596009458