Dave is pointing to some documents to make all the Frontier stuff in the OPML Editor (or, indeed, Frontier itself - or Manila or Radio) a little less cryptic: “My teaching technique is to just string the words together and let people get confused and maybe read it again and it’ll be less confusing until all this stuff is second nature”. Here I’d suggest Dave get an editor, but that’s just… no. “;->”
Fredrik Paulssons has a list of open source software to make the proprietary to open jump easier. We need an OPML directory for software.
We’ve all got some delusions. This guide will bust them up for you. I had the “magnets zap your data” thing, and a few people have brought it up with regard to Apple’s MagSafe connector. The tiny magnet in the connector isn’t going to wipe out the HDD - and Macs don’t have the floppy disk problem!
If you’re moving to MacIntel, you might want to subscribe to Versiontracker’s Universal Application Resource Center. It’ll tell you what’s being Universalised. SubEthaEdit, the GIMP and the whole iLife package have been already.
David Weinberger wants a program for note-taking from books. I’ll put it another way: we need a way of mashing up LyX, BibTeX, tagging and the OPML Editor!
OpenOSX WinTel 2.0 seems like a neat little solution while someone crafts up the mechanism to dual-boot OS X/Windows. It’s also Universal. (UPDATE: I’ve heard that it sucks. Buyer beware.)
An interesting nugget of information I found today on the MacBook Pro specification: the machine comes with OmniOutliner. As in fact do the new iMac, the G4 PowerBook and the G5 PowerMacs. The dream is realised: the new range of Macs have outliners out-of-the-box. When mine gets delivered, I’ll see whether it’s just a trial version or the full version. This is good news though, because outlining is an idea which solves problems and realises ideas (not to mention provokes them).
A naming suggestion for those who dislike the name “MacBook Pro” (I’m coming around to it, having just spent a dizzying amount of money on one): call it a PowerBook Duo. Similarly, the iMac can be the iMac Duo (cf. the iMac G5). As I said here, it’s short and sweet, simple, conforms vaguely to Apple practice (and common-sense), doesn’t sound stupid, and the ‘Duo’ bit can neatly drop off once the Intel chips become the standard at Apple. The “MacBook Pro” is a problem when spoken because of the jarring, repetitious plosive ‘k’ on the ‘c’ of ‘Mac’ and the ‘k’ of ‘Book’ (compared to the way that PowerBook and iBook both roll far easier between the syllables). Evidently, someone at Apple named it on paper, not in their mouth. It’s the sort of word which, said too often, makes you need to drink lots of water. That said, they have finally helped me make use of the linguistics I learnt at school.
Charles McGrath, in the NYT, rehashes all the text messaging ‘drama’ we’ve been having on this side of the pond since whenever. I have one use for text messages: one-shot informational notices (stemming from it’s name: “Short Message Service”). I’d rather pop open my laptop and send an email or see who’s on IM than send a text. I sent a few last month to inform someone that I had done a small favour for them, so they’d know that a gift they’d been given had been stowed away out of harm’s way. But I wouldn’t get in to a long conversation over it, nor try and transmit any complex details using it. Too short, too abbreviated, and not chatty enough compared to IM. Evidently, I’m in the minority. If I’m in a position to get my laptop out and use WiFi or Bluetooth, I’m in the position to chat. If I’m not, I’m not. It’s really that simple.
Over on opml-newbies, I’m wondering about how we’re gonna move the OPML Editor to Intel on the Mac. If you’re more knowledgable about Mac development than I am (not difficult), join the list and explain.
I missed this the other week, but James Randi has caught that silly slapper, Sylvia Browne, bending the truth (again). Gee, you’d think with her supposed psychic powers she might actually be able to steer clear of telling so many porky pies.
It looks like Randi might be organising a UK version of The Amazing Meeting. That would be cool. What would be even cooler? If they had some spaces for us bloggers to have at it DNC-style.
Ed Felten is pointing out the main problem with distingushing by law so-called ‘professional’ and ‘non-professional’ devices, and it’s stunningly similar to the problem with weapons. A knife can be used to stab people, and it can be used to prepare salads. A video editing suite can be used to turn out hooky copies of Disney movies, or it can be used to produce amateur stuff that’s far more interesting. Why is the government trying to determine what you use your devices for? Quite simple. They’re assholes. But you Americans are at an advantage. You’ve got guns. Pick one up. Go to Washington. Find Representatives Sensenbrenner and Conyers and shoot them right in the Analog Hole.
Even though, having bought one of those packet-munching Belkin routers, I absolutely loath said company, I must say that wireless USB is a pretty neat idea. Of course, why don’t they simply make it use either Bluetooth or WiFi, I don’t know.
Scott Rosenberg is explaining why the techies are so much more advanced than the political bloggers.
Media Watch Watch are talking about how the Evangelical Alliance reacted to Dawkins’ programme. I’m surprised that Stephen Green and friends haven’t set light to Dawkins’ house yet. That seems to be along the lines of their usual tactics, rather than engaging with the issues.
P. Z. Myers gives a thorough fisking to Orson Scott Card’s rambling article on evolution and Intelligent Design. From my brief read of the article, it definitely looks like he’s drunk on, well, DI talking points. The first point that is made is especially egregious. If you actually look at the arguments made, in any great detail, by ID advocates (I’ve read most of Dembski’s canon and a whole lot of other ID authors), they are creationism plain and simple. And the evidence given by Barbara Forrest in Kitzmiller points to this explicitly. I will be listening to Dr. Forrest’s appearance from Friday on Reggie’s show later on.
Meta-Zen
Steven Streight has a post on what the blogosophere should do in 2006. Here’s what I don’t agree with.
First off, keep your sidebars simple. I know you’ve got an opinion. That’s why you blog. But I don’t need to see that much of it on every click. For a guy who is “a Jakob Nielsen/Jacques Derrida deconstrution-based web usability analyst and blogologist”, he doesn’t seem to understand that for every thing you put in your sidebar, another computer must load it up when you get linked. Keep it as simple as possible. Because it if’s a choice between linking to a slow blog and a fast blog (on my piffly 56K GPRS connection while on my morning commute), the fast one wins.
Second, comments aren’t that great. I’ve had comments on my blog for years. What a waste of time. I’ve had two or three interesting exchanges via comments. But, seriously, if someone has something to say to me, they can drop me an email and get a response as quickly as if they comment. And if they want it to be public, they can blog about it, and it’ll magically show up in my Technorati feeds. To really guarantee a response, do both.
“Comments should be enabled, else your blog is NOT a blog”. No, it’s still a blog, just not a spam-ridden, message board wannabe service.
There’s some good advice there, but most important of all is the simplest of advice: Don’t break standards. Do it your own way. Don’t be evil.
Update: Steve Streight has responded. I agree that comments are useful on intranets. I’d say that all of our disagreements can be solved using Dave Winer’s definition of blogging as the unedited voice of a person. Comments aren’t necessary under that definition. Something much more important is though: honesty. “;->” Thanks for the response, Steve.
Rex Hammond: “I continue to be amazed at how few real-world people I know use an RSS newsreader. I’ve given up trying to “will them” into using one.” Me too. If you want to waste all day finding out if their favourite sites are updated, let ‘em try it. Meanwhile, I’ll be the one who has digested the world’s ideas before 9.30am every morning.
macsupport.ca has a whole series of entries listing key-commands: iPhoto, iWeb, iMovie HD, Duo startup, GarageBand, iDVD, Safari and OS X. Also, a guide to good Dashboard widgets. Very good site - I’m subscribed! Also, if you like that, check out Mac OS X Hints.
Rebecca Blood points to a page all about Luddism.
Rogers Cadenhead has put together a PHP class that lets you track click pings using the new (unofficial) ping attribute in the anchor tag.
Earl Mardle: “The TV age has been a disaster for the physical, mental, emotional and financial health of practically everyone who has been exposed to it, it undermines our taste, our independence and our family lives. With the net, the couch potato has discovered legs, a brain and a network of like minds, all it has to do is use the tools.”
Crooked Timber has links to two nice Flickr-based tools: Spell with flickr and Clockr.
