Wowhead power updated
by Eliah Hecht 
Apr 30th 2008 at 11:00AM
You've probably noticed that we use Wowhead to embed item, spell, talent, and quest tooltips in articles here, and some of you use the same functionality on your own blogs. Wowhead's codeslinger Skosiris has made a change in the way this is handled, and that change necessitates a small update in the code needed to produce those tooltips. All you have to do is change the line "<script src="http://www.wowhead.com/widgets/power.js"></script>" to "<script src="http://www.wowhead.com/widgets/power.js?lol"></script>" wherever you have it in your code; this will force the users to reload the JavaScript so they're not running an out-of-date version.If your own site is not powered by Wowhead, but would like it to be, it's as easy as adding "<script src="http://www.wowhead.com/widgets/power.js?lol"></script>" anywhere in your page code. If you do that, all relevant links pointing to Wowhead will get tooltips. Nifty, eh?
Filed under: Tips
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Naix Apr 30th 2008 12:08PM
Too bad I got java script disabled. I can't afford to lose my account.
RogueJedi86 Apr 30th 2008 6:07PM
Wowhead will never steal your account.
I've been web browsing with all scripts enabled for years(adblock aside), and my account hasn't been stolen in the 1 1/2 years I've been playing. Just enable the wowhead script. It saves having to manually click over to wowhead from wowinsider.
Dan May 1st 2008 10:48AM
That mostly just gives you a false sense of security, have you uninstalled your pdf reader as well? If you haven't updated Acrobat reader in 6-12 months (or so) your computer can be hacked by a malicious pdf link, no need to use javascript for that. If you haven't updated IE6 since you installed it you can get hacked by looking at an image. Etc, etc.
Your much more likely to be hacked by using an addon auto updater than having javascript enabled in your browser, javascript security holes are a problem for *all* users on the web, so they get patched rather quickly once found, whereas auto updaters for addons are specifically used by WoW users, so you have less people that can find the security holes, and theres a bigger chance that you loose your account if they aren't found and patched in time.
You can also look at it from the hackers point of view, which is easier, to exploit a javascript bug that means they have to find a hole Microsoft or the Firefox team has missed, even though they work extensively with security. Or try to hack a single website (all they need is to find the password for the webserver) and upload a hacked autoupdater.
TL;DR: Always update your webbrowsers, your operative systems and any addins to your browsers (such as acrobat reader). Don't use auto updaters for your addons. And of course, try to be smart about what you install and from where you get it.
xzigraz Apr 30th 2008 12:15PM
I don't get it.
You asked us to change the old code to
but then you ask people who would like to add it to their website to use
which is the old code...
drht Apr 30th 2008 12:25PM
Appending the little "?lol" to the script makes browsers to download the .js again, and not use the cached one...
If i ever start a blog, i'll surely use it!
Taeous Apr 30th 2008 12:17PM
Awesome, thanks for posting this. I always wondered how they did that.
xzigraz Apr 30th 2008 12:19PM
huh, can't put code in it? Here it is again
You asked us to change the old code to
"http://www.wowhead.com/widgets/power.js?lol"
but then you ask people who would like to add it to their website to use
"http://www.wowhead.com/widgets/power.js"
which is the old code...
Eliah Hecht Apr 30th 2008 12:22PM
Ah, typo on my part. Put the new code (with "?lol") on your site.
inexodus Apr 30th 2008 12:38PM
The "?lol" only forces your users to update their cached copy of the script. It doesn't have any impact on the actual javascript file delivered from the server. So if you've been using their tooltips and you think your users might have the script cached, put "?lol" (or really "?whatever") at the end to trick the browser into getting the newest version. But if you've never used the Wowhead tooltips on your site before and you're pretty sure your visitors won't have the script cached from another site (remember it's coming from wowhead.com, not from your server) then you can just use the normal URL.
Either way, once the cached version expires from their browsers in a few days they'll all get the newest version anyway.
jrb May 1st 2008 7:05AM
this is all smells of bullsh*t to me, especially since the main 'wowhead powered' site doesn't even tell you to do it.
caching of content, or refreshing of cached items is handled by the browser (yes, i know you can force content not to be cached in code, when the browser is set to fetch items from the cache if they exist there), so surely a better place to set it would be in the actual code link everyone is already using without a LaughOutLoud parameter, or ask people to check their browser settings.
Dan May 1st 2008 10:55AM
@jrb, that would mean they had the foresight of doing it right from the start, if they didn't and told all webbrowsers that it's alright to keep a copy until the year 2999 and that they don't need to check with the server, then that's what the webbrowsers will do.
On that note, if your on a webpage that used to show those "tooltips", and it isn't anymore, you can hit Ctrl + F5 to force your webbrowser to fetch the javascript (and everything else on that webpage) fresh from the server.
synack Apr 30th 2008 12:22PM
What changed exactly? Care to link us to an announcement or posting of some sort? Thanks.
Eliah Hecht Apr 30th 2008 12:24PM
Skosiris didn't actually tell me what the change is that makes this necessary, but I can tell you what the "?lol" does. It forces the user to reload the JavaScript file, in case they have the old version of the script cached; something in the old version is no longer compatible with the Wowhead database. We could just wait for the users' caches to expire, but this is quicker and will reduce errors.
Zala Apr 30th 2008 12:33PM
Now why would i use an extra 22 bits of my already VERY limited storagespace?
Just kidding. I love that script, and thanks for the headsup
alektraunic Apr 30th 2008 12:43PM
you are using their (wowheads) bandwidth, not your storage space. the js file is loaded from their server
Aichon Apr 30th 2008 1:47PM
@ alektraunic: And then it gets cached locally, hence the problem mentioned in the article and the extra storage space. :P
Zala Apr 30th 2008 3:31PM
Oh i know its storaged at them...
But "?lol" consists of 4 symbols. Together thats 22 bits :)
Its nothing, I was just joking
Charlie Apr 30th 2008 4:28PM
How could you not tell that he was joking?
pb Apr 30th 2008 12:44PM
if you use firefox and greasemonkey, I've created a small userscript that does this for you
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/16762
any website you add as an include (via the greasemonkey Manage User Scripts dialog) will make it powered by Wowhead friendly for any wowhead links found on that site. I've added the us and eu forums by default.
Eliah Hecht Apr 30th 2008 1:15PM
Thanks! This looks handy.