Elder technologists will say it was inevitable, but it's still unfortunate to learn (as from Nelson Minar) that previously free and open technologies are abandoned because -- guessing here -- they don't draw a straight line to the bottom line. For years, the Google SOAP search API has been the prime example of an open web service for those learning about web services for the first time. Now we learn that it's been put on "end of life" status. And Google Answers? Nice service, nice idea, free: now gone. For now, the Ajax search API remains, but you have to wonder.
Although technical complaints with SOAP have been aired (echoing the words of colleague Mike Kocka), the larger issue is that it may be time to question business models based upon "free" APIs such as those provided by Flickr, de.licio.us and other Google APIs. It was a nice meal while it lasted, perhaps, but won't satisfy the capitalist appetite.
2006-12-04
Seagate 1TB disk drive
A post at the Daily Tech reports that Seagate expects to offer a 1 terabyte drive in the summer of 2007 for about 700.00.
Even though this announcement mainly affects the consumer channel, imagine the trickle-down effects for power and physical space utilization, backups, and perceived obsolescence of various storage subsystem technologies.
Even though this announcement mainly affects the consumer channel, imagine the trickle-down effects for power and physical space utilization, backups, and perceived obsolescence of various storage subsystem technologies.
2006-12-01
RDF Support
As noted in a previous, more detailed post, I'm trying to get more systematic in cataloging and using feeds. In doing so, it's becoming clear that not everyone supports RSS1 or RDF. E.g., Google and Bloglines support RDF, but Happyfish doesn't.
RSS Reader in a CMS: Worthwhile?
When I saw that Community Server had an embedded RSS reader, I couldn't see the point. Sure, you want to publish content from select sources on your site. But what would be the point of giving users the option to subscribe the sources on your site?
Now that I've used the product slightly more, I'm beginning to see the point. If readers like your site, it's convenient for them to self-aggregate content you have preselected for them at the site. Now it falls to me to sort out what options the designers have been the site administrator. There are permissions issues to sort out; by default the feature is not granted to new users in the setup I've stumbled into.
Now that I've used the product slightly more, I'm beginning to see the point. If readers like your site, it's convenient for them to self-aggregate content you have preselected for them at the site. Now it falls to me to sort out what options the designers have been the site administrator. There are permissions issues to sort out; by default the feature is not granted to new users in the setup I've stumbled into.
Alfresco test drive
I was able to configure a Windows 2000 Server version of Alfresco. By default, it uses HSQL, and I'd prefer postgresql. There's an FAQ for the latter, so that will be the next task at hand if I pursue this. On my 2GB machine, it did labor a bit launching the application with Tomcat -- possibly too much heavy lifting for a virtual shared hosting scenario.
Next day: I read the FAQ over at Textdrive, and this clinched what is, for now, my decision to forego Java as an open source CMS platform.
The Alfresco documentation reflects VC investmment. Plone.org is almost up to this standard, but not quite.
Next day: I read the FAQ over at Textdrive, and this clinched what is, for now, my decision to forego Java as an open source CMS platform.
The Alfresco documentation reflects VC investmment. Plone.org is almost up to this standard, but not quite.
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