Tuesday, May 31, 2005
This Gillmor Gang show (MP3) is worth a listen.
Several smart people cover the implications of iTunes handling Podcasts, whether Microsoft missed the boat on audio, and whether that's due to an obsession with DRM, and a a fair bit on RSS. Plus lots more.
Several smart people cover the implications of iTunes handling Podcasts, whether Microsoft missed the boat on audio, and whether that's due to an obsession with DRM, and a a fair bit on RSS. Plus lots more.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Chris Dent asks Why Wiki?. He raises the important distinction between automation and augmentation.
Automation is trying to get computers to replace what people do. Augmentation is helping people do more.
I'd echo Chris's sentiments almost word-for-word. I also want to build tools to augment humans rather than try to replace them. Of course, augmenting human capability often requires automating repetitive chores. Email replaces the postman with machines.
But this distinction is good to keep in mind.
And here's the SDI angle. "Smart Disorganized Individuals" is my mantra. It reflects my aspirations as to what I want to make, or rather who I want to build tools for. Who do I want my software to empower in society?
Let's look at that last word : "individuals". I want to make software for individuals. What I mean is, I want to make software that helps people express their individuality. That helps them to solve their problems. That helps them to work better on their own terms.
What I'm sick of, is writing software for institutions. I'm sick of software that one person commissions for someone else to use. And which has features designed to oppress. I'm sick of software that's designed to impose uniformity on a workforce. Sick of software designed to police your actions. Sick of software that helps keep people under the thumb of their managers. That tries to turn the public into a mindless audience.
The good news is, I don't think I'm alone. Every day on the internet I come across people like Chris, who want to "augment" not "automate", who want to build cool stuff that people can really use to do their own thing.
There are plenty of the other sort too, of course. Companies who sell software to other corporations, designed to turn their employees into deskilled, replacable parts : call-centerization, content management with workflow modules etc.
But I think the individualists are winning. Content management dinosaurs are dying out. And smarter, more individual focused software is flourishing. People's expectations are rising. And it's a challenging but good time to be making software.
Automation is trying to get computers to replace what people do. Augmentation is helping people do more.
I'd echo Chris's sentiments almost word-for-word. I also want to build tools to augment humans rather than try to replace them. Of course, augmenting human capability often requires automating repetitive chores. Email replaces the postman with machines.
But this distinction is good to keep in mind.
And here's the SDI angle. "Smart Disorganized Individuals" is my mantra. It reflects my aspirations as to what I want to make, or rather who I want to build tools for. Who do I want my software to empower in society?
Let's look at that last word : "individuals". I want to make software for individuals. What I mean is, I want to make software that helps people express their individuality. That helps them to solve their problems. That helps them to work better on their own terms.
What I'm sick of, is writing software for institutions. I'm sick of software that one person commissions for someone else to use. And which has features designed to oppress. I'm sick of software that's designed to impose uniformity on a workforce. Sick of software designed to police your actions. Sick of software that helps keep people under the thumb of their managers. That tries to turn the public into a mindless audience.
The good news is, I don't think I'm alone. Every day on the internet I come across people like Chris, who want to "augment" not "automate", who want to build cool stuff that people can really use to do their own thing.
There are plenty of the other sort too, of course. Companies who sell software to other corporations, designed to turn their employees into deskilled, replacable parts : call-centerization, content management with workflow modules etc.
But I think the individualists are winning. Content management dinosaurs are dying out. And smarter, more individual focused software is flourishing. People's expectations are rising. And it's a challenging but good time to be making software.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Tom Peters's site meets Richard Florida to talk Creative Class.
I can't help feeling a bit disturbed though, that the instigator of Brand You has anonymous interviewers working for him. How about a bit of Brand Them? Would it hurt Tom's brand to raise independent stars in his stable?
Florida is great though.
I can't help feeling a bit disturbed though, that the instigator of Brand You has anonymous interviewers working for him. How about a bit of Brand Them? Would it hurt Tom's brand to raise independent stars in his stable?
Florida is great though.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Robert Cringely has some interesting predictions about what things are going on at the moment, that might change the shape of the computer industry.
PBS | I, Cringely . May 12, 2005 - Inflection Point
What he didn't see is Apple's move into podcasting, although downloadable enclosures does fit Cringely's story of Apple's dominance of video.
Something for all software developers to think about ...
PBS | I, Cringely . May 12, 2005 - Inflection Point
What he didn't see is Apple's move into podcasting, although downloadable enclosures does fit Cringely's story of Apple's dominance of video.
Something for all software developers to think about ...
After reading Adsense Tips for Bloggers 6 - Relevant Ads I realize I have to emphasize that this blog is mainly about wiki. Yes, that's right wiki. Wiki in the enterprise, in small business, in the home, in the garden shed ... wherever. And that wiki is a great aid to personal productivity and success.
You got that, yes, Googlebot? Wiki? Hello? Can I have some wiki (or even hyper-text) related ads. Not ads about b**gs please.
You got that, yes, Googlebot? Wiki? Hello? Can I have some wiki (or even hyper-text) related ads. Not ads about b**gs please.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Interesting new feature has appeared in Google Ads. There are now links to swap the ads to a slightly different set.
The ads are turning into content. In one sense, it's a promising evolution. Advertisers (or Google on the advertiser's behalf) are starting to see their message as something people will want to read. At the same time, as the ad-bar becomes a kind of contentful space controlled by Google. What else might they choose to put there?
The ads are turning into content. In one sense, it's a promising evolution. Advertisers (or Google on the advertiser's behalf) are starting to see their message as something people will want to read. At the same time, as the ad-bar becomes a kind of contentful space controlled by Google. What else might they choose to put there?
Bill Seitz on Issue Trackers.
I'm not very happy how my online wiki is turning out for "issue tracking" in SdiDesk. I'm wondering if this is a "tool problem" or simply a "culture problem".
Needs some experiment ...
I'm not very happy how my online wiki is turning out for "issue tracking" in SdiDesk. I'm wondering if this is a "tool problem" or simply a "culture problem".
Needs some experiment ...
Why ‘Enterprise’ Development is Hard is also why small scale, independents, ocassionally and temporarily teaming up, ought to be able to out-compete "enterprises" any day of the week.
Ah ... AdSense came up with an ad for Eastgate's Tinderbox
Now that's an improvement. A product I'm glad to be seen in the company of. Also I note they're getting into the real, paper notebook side of things.
Now that's an improvement. A product I'm glad to be seen in the company of. Also I note they're getting into the real, paper notebook side of things.
I advertised! Although only in a blog comment.
Free from 9 to 5 � Everyone wants to be free from 9 to 5
Nevertheless, I feel kind of embarrassed. Thanks "Eric" for making it easy.
This is what's hard about entrepreneurialism for people like me. I don't like asking for stuff. And "ask for the sale" is the first rule of selling.
The world is divided into people who don't mind asking for things, and those who do. And being willing to ask is a necessary condition for success.
This troubles me, because it's not clear that the skill of asking is actually "productive". It doesn't create value or bring new things into the world. It's a completely zero sum competitive activity. The most succesful "asking" (advertising, marketing, retail positioning) is succesful at the cost of a lost sale to another supplier.
Now, I don't see any harm in competition between suppliers as to who is going to make the best stuff, or the most useful aggrograte package of stuff. But when competition hinges on who is able to shout loudest, or who employs the salesman with the best Jedi mind-tricks, this just looks screwed up.
Obviously people need to get the message out. And maybe blogs and Cluetrain will make it so that engaged "Gonzo" marketing which actually makes all communication channels between suppliers and customers, informative and useful, will save us.
Update : if you hear a muffled thudding sound as you read this blog-entry, that's my commercial super-ego who wanted to make the above "Cluetrain" link into an Amazon link which pays a kickback. This time, I managed to have said commercial super-ego stuffed into a box and the link goes to the online version of the book.
Free from 9 to 5 � Everyone wants to be free from 9 to 5
Nevertheless, I feel kind of embarrassed. Thanks "Eric" for making it easy.
This is what's hard about entrepreneurialism for people like me. I don't like asking for stuff. And "ask for the sale" is the first rule of selling.
The world is divided into people who don't mind asking for things, and those who do. And being willing to ask is a necessary condition for success.
This troubles me, because it's not clear that the skill of asking is actually "productive". It doesn't create value or bring new things into the world. It's a completely zero sum competitive activity. The most succesful "asking" (advertising, marketing, retail positioning) is succesful at the cost of a lost sale to another supplier.
Now, I don't see any harm in competition between suppliers as to who is going to make the best stuff, or the most useful aggrograte package of stuff. But when competition hinges on who is able to shout loudest, or who employs the salesman with the best Jedi mind-tricks, this just looks screwed up.
Obviously people need to get the message out. And maybe blogs and Cluetrain will make it so that engaged "Gonzo" marketing which actually makes all communication channels between suppliers and customers, informative and useful, will save us.
Update : if you hear a muffled thudding sound as you read this blog-entry, that's my commercial super-ego who wanted to make the above "Cluetrain" link into an Amazon link which pays a kickback. This time, I managed to have said commercial super-ego stuffed into a box and the link goes to the online version of the book.
Getting Things Done: "Official" Definition
David Allen has a go at pinning it down. Now, in one sense, since he wrote the classic book, he has every right to try to control the definition.
On the other hand, GTD is beloved of the disorganized and creative. Often these people are fairly relaxed about allowing terminology to wander and extending ideas through metaphors and analogies but still aspire to a little more self-control.
Possibly a fairly loose definition of GTD has been part of its success. People think they know what it's about, but are really mapping it onto ideas they received second and third hand, and which they've personally remixed with other intuitions. Maybe they'll prefer a fairly loose notion.
Having said all that, the actual definition Allen gives waffles like Belgium. So maybe he knows his market pretty well ;-)
David Allen has a go at pinning it down. Now, in one sense, since he wrote the classic book, he has every right to try to control the definition.
On the other hand, GTD is beloved of the disorganized and creative. Often these people are fairly relaxed about allowing terminology to wander and extending ideas through metaphors and analogies but still aspire to a little more self-control.
Possibly a fairly loose definition of GTD has been part of its success. People think they know what it's about, but are really mapping it onto ideas they received second and third hand, and which they've personally remixed with other intuitions. Maybe they'll prefer a fairly loose notion.
Having said all that, the actual definition Allen gives waffles like Belgium. So maybe he knows his market pretty well ;-)
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Ross Mayfield points out that small companies can outsource the employing of their employees.
Ross Mayfield's Weblog: How to fire your team and make them happy
Questions :
Is there a catch?
Is this different from an employment agency?
Ross Mayfield's Weblog: How to fire your team and make them happy
Questions :
Is there a catch?
Is this different from an employment agency?
On second thoughts, I'm not very convinced at all that Google's AdSense is any sort of business model for this blog. Ads needs loads of people. Whereas self-describing Smart Disorganized Individuals are probably rare as hen's teeth.
Not only that, but after casually glancing at some of the ads so far, I don't think they're that well matched to the content yet. Maybe they'll get better. (Is AdSense adaptive?) But how many times do I need to mention "wiki" before I get a wiki related, rather than blog related ad?
Hugh Macleod has news of some ideas that might help on the modelling front.
Not only that, but after casually glancing at some of the ads so far, I don't think they're that well matched to the content yet. Maybe they'll get better. (Is AdSense adaptive?) But how many times do I need to mention "wiki" before I get a wiki related, rather than blog related ad?
Hugh Macleod has news of some ideas that might help on the modelling front.
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