The team at Mahalo is going to see Blade Runner: The Final Cut tonight. Blade Runner is one of my five favorite films of all time. I'm soooo excited! Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
From a recent interview... How do you see technological advances changing the workplace in the coming years?I don't know. That's the kind of question I think one only embarrasses oneself by trying to answer. But I know that the next problem we need to solve is, we have given people virtually unlimited access to data, to information; the next question is, can we give them better tools for making sense of that information?Google in a sense is a symbol of the solution to an old problem. We don't need more Googles; what we need is a way to prioritize and analyze and make sense of the information we have at our fingertips. And maybe those kinds of solutions aren't technological at all. I'm quite prepared for the possibility that the next revolution is not going to come from a machine; it's going to come from creating a more thoughtful work force and giving people the opportunity to be thoughtful.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
I stayed out of the debate over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia last week since, as anyone who reads this blog knows, I don't like to mix it up with folks. I like to state my humble beliefs, meditate on the feedback I'm given, and use it to grow as a human being. Politics? I find it a wasted, shallow effort--debate class for adults. I'd rather try and change the world on a very small scale than talk about changing it on a big scale. However, that's just me... I'm from the "every grain of sand" school. Anyway, back to Mahmoud. When you give a person a lot of room to express themselves they typically do. In Mahmoud's case his disdain for homosexuals came out in statements that were so incongruous with basic human thinking--let along that of a world leader--that everyone was aware of the creature's true nature. There was nothing to debate.Saturday Night Live brilliantly pointed out what was clear in aninstant: Mahmoud is really a closeted homosexual suffering under the tyranny of the regime he serves (not unlike our own Senator Larry Craig). [ Both men I'm sure claim their innocent. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt honey. ]In the Saturday Night Live skit "Iran So Far"--a skit that will be shown in history class 50 or 100 years from now--they show Mahmoud how happy his life could be if he just accepted who he was. The final lines of the song read:I know you say there's no gays in Iranbut you're in New York now babyit's time to stop hiding,and start livingSay what you will about the state of democracy in our country, what with wiretaps and secret prisons, but at least we have the ability to deftly take apart despots while dressing them in S&M gear and sultry evening wear. Now if only an SNL skit could get us off fossil fuel. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Oh... feature alert! The tech team made the autocomplete over at Mahalo super fast and starting from the first character. You obviously have to optimize these things and refine them. So, feels like a small thing but it's sort of big for users. It's super important for us to have this feature since we need to show off all the great content we have (since we don't have the long part of the tail!). Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
I'd like to start out by thanking everyone who responded to the official definition of Web 3.0 for their participation. I'd also like to thank TechMeme for being the easiest linkbaiting tool in the history of Web 2.0 (can it really be this easy?). However, I must remind folks that as we build out the infrastructure semantic social graph that people must adhere to the new standards that we've put in place. Also, please don't call them "rules" as they are semantic-based, not rule based.1. A number of the responses to the post were clearly unauthorized. All responses to blog posts originating off of your blog in Web 3.0--including comments--must require a token pre-approving them by both parties. The "double-opt in rebuttal technology" (aka dobt) that I've patented is now build into Wordpress so there really isn't an excuse to not get your pre-approved token before commenting. Also, we have an open source ping server (mayIinterjectOMATIC.org) that is being setup now. 2. A number of the responses and blog posts we're not cleared through the central Flameoff data cleanser. Filters showed that four comments were at 18% hostility or greater toward either the subject of this post or the topic in general. Two of the comments had remarkably high self-loathing percentages of 34% as well. The Flameoff data cleansing standard was set to tone down the volume level and increase intelligent conversation--remember it's for your benefit. We wouldn't insist you use it if it wouldn't make you a better person. On average the thread was 8% more charged (i.e. hostile) than the national average, if you exclude the outliers of a whopping 89% hostility rating in the Playstation vs. XBOX threads at digg and the 0% hostility rating on the Wikipedia mailing list "no it's my fault for not anticipating your not understanding what I could have said clearer. I'm so sorry LOL!" thread. Now that we've cleared up the rules... I mean semantic social graphing decision tree... of web 3.0 let's continue the decision in earnest and with our Flameoff filters on and opt-in rebuttal tokens passed. Comments are on (how could they not be?).Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Some folks have been asking me for the clear definition of the term Web 3.0.Web 3.0 is defined as the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform. Web 2.0 services are now the commoditized platform, not the final product. In a world where a social network, wiki, or social bookmarking service can be built for free and in an instant, what's next?Web 2.0 services like digg and YouTube evolve into Web 3.0 services with an additional layer of individual excellence and focus. As an example, funnyordie.com leverages all the standard YouTube Web 2.0 feature sets like syndication and social networking, while adding a layer of talent and trust to them. A version of digg where experts check the validity of claims, corrected errors, and restated headlines to be more accurate would be the Web 3.0 version. However, I'm not sure if the digg community will embrace that any time soon. Wikipedia, considered a Web 1.5 service, is experiencing the start of the Web 3.0 movement by locking pages down as they reach completion, and (at least in their German version) requiring edits to flow through trusted experts. Also of note, is what Web 3.0 leaves behind. Web 3.0 throttles the "wisdom of the crowds" from turning into the "madness of the mobs" we've seen all to often, by balancing it with a respect of experts. Web 3.0 leaves behind the cowardly anonymous contributors and the selfish blackhat SEOs that have polluted and diminished so many communities. Web 3.0 is a return to what was great about media and technology before Web 2.0: recognizing talent and expertise, the ownership of ones words, and fairness. It's time to evolve, shall we?[ Note: Make sure you read the update on the unauthorized comments. ] Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Congrat to Brian Alvey (my partner @ Weblogs, Inc) and his team for quietly launching what I'm sure will be one of the most successful companies in the Web 3.0 era (the Web 3.0 era being based on high-quality content + lightweight, open source technology): COMICMIX.COMComicMix is essentially Weblogs, Inc. for comics. Brian is building platform for comic book artists to create and distribute comics online. He's going to disintermediate a bunch of publishers and middle management types who currently provide little value to the comic creators and consumers. I predict that he'll have a hit that makes it to the big screen within five years.... ComicMix is going to be the next Marvel--you heard it here first. Ironically Brian is taking a similar path to our partner Peter Rojas of Engadget fame. Peter is doing a record label (called rcrd lbl) that, again, connects artists with their fans. Some times he calls it the "Weblogs, Inc. of music." Both sites will be make money with advertising.Weblogs, Inc. has create an army of entrepreneurs, and I'm really proud of that. Silicon Alley Reporter created a crop of stars who went on to bigger and better things as well (Rafat ali and Xeni Jardin among others). I think that the real measure of a CEO is what their management teams do AFTER they've finished working with (for) them. Great managers hire people who will, eventually, go on to big things.Watching Brian and Peter build what I believe will be $100M+ businesses from the ground up gives me great pride. [ Note: Some other folks on the Weblogs, Inc./Netscape teams are working on some cool projects as well.... but that's for another day. ]Below: The very, very cool NON-DRM comixmix player. t aPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
You know you're on to something really big when the SEO's polluting the web make you public enemy #1... IN A T-SHIRT!!! Note: I'll be wearing this to my next fireside chat with Danny Sullivan for sure!Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Wha-Wha-what?!?!?!?! I'm really excited to get Verizon's FIOS service some day, but I don't want to give up my cooper.... this is a big story if it's true. (AP) Verizon Communications is getting some complaints as it switches consumers to its FiOS fiber-optic service. Consumers say they weren't properly informed that installation of FiOS includes cutting the old copper wire system into the home.Verizon's new high-bandwidth fiber lines are fully capable of carrying not only calls but also Internet data and television with room to grow. But once the copper is pulled, it's difficult to switch back to the traditional phone system or less expensive Digital Subscriber Line service. And Verizon isn't required, in most instances, to lease fiber to rival phone companies, as it is with the copper infrastructure.Unlike copper-connected phone service, FiOS doesn't work during power outages once a backup battery goes out - not even for emergency calls. Home-alarms and certain other devices work best with copper.Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe says customers should have been notified at least three times - but consumers say it's hidden in the fine print.While A-T-and-T and Qwest are also retiring their copper networks, they're not touching the so-called "last mile" of copper wiring that runs from each customer's dwelling to the central office where other lines aggregate.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
