Friday, July 09, 2004

Essay: Does it matter how many formats there are? 

Yahoo has acquired Oddpost. A couple of weeks ago I got a heads-up that this deal had been consumated and would be announced shortly. Little did I imagine then that they would pick a Friday evening to make the announcement, but that's the way it goes. It's a big one. Oddpost turned the idea of what you could do with a browser upside down, by producing a clone of Microsoft Outlook in JavaScript and DHTML running in MSIE. Since then, they have labored in relative obscurity, growing a customer base, raising VC money, adding people, and staying out of the way. Then Google launches Gmail, with a very Oddpostish interface, and someone at Yahoo says "Hmmm, I've seen that somewhere," calls up Ethan and Iain and their new VCs and asks "Are you for sale?" and the rest is history. Now Google has competition on elegance of user interface. Sorry the announcement comes at such an awkard time, everyone in the tech press must be getting in their cars and driving to the beach or the mountains. Congrats to the Oddpost guys, and their users and investors, and congrats to Google for getting some new worthwhile competition. Now who is Microsoft going to buy?  

I have a new feed for DNC blogging news. I'm going to route stuff to the feed that's relevant to people who are blogging from the convention. The idea is that perhaps we can pool resources, and help each other. This is a small offering toward that goal. I'm also displaying the contents of this feed in a box on the new DNC weblog (look in the right margin). 

Tim Jarrett explains Microsoft's latest use of RSS and OPML. It's really deep, and really appreciated. I never thought I'd see the day when such a big company adopts community-developed technology, without screwing with it some way. And that Microsoft would be the one, well, that's incredible, but true. These guys are exceeding all expectations. Bravo!  

How do I subscribe to ESPN's news feeds? 

Scott Rosenberg: "Why didn't we go full-tilt after bin Laden in 2002?" 

What drives standards: "Two words: Killer App." 

AP: "Bloggers will join radio journalists with workspace in the FleetCenter itself, while other media will be in nearby buildings." 

A debate between Ralph Nader and Howard Dean aired on WNYC-AM starting at 2PM Eastern. As you might expect, it was really lively, and there was a surprise appearance by John Anderson, third-party candidate for President in 1980.  

NY Times: "The Central Intelligence Agency greatly overestimated the danger presented by deadly unconventional weapons in Iraq because of runaway assumptions that were never sufficiently challenged, the Senate Intelligence Committee said today." 

Key point about the Senate report on the CIA. They should disclose that they did a deal with the White House that the investigation would not look at them. In other words, everything they're saying about the CIA probably fully applies to the President. If so, then the solution is clear, vote him out of office in November. 

Rick Heller, who I know from the Thursday blogger meetings at Berkman, is credentialed, as is Tom Burka from Opinions You Should Have. 

More pictures from Saturn from Cassini-Huygens. 

Talking with a very smart 2.5 year old young lady the other day. She was practicing her power to say no. Would you like to go to the store? No. Would you like to go for a walk? No. Would you like some ice cream? Big pause. No. Is there anything you would say yes to? Giggles. Then tickles.