Automatic Dotcom Predictions for 2006

Thanks to Matt McAlister's Dotcom Predicter, I bring to you for the first time James' dotcom predictions for 2006!

(Whats the bet Matt gets a whole lot of links out of creating this predicter?)

I had no Idea what would come out when I filled out his form, but some of it actually makes sense...

The Funniest thing is that bit where is says Jeremy Zawodny would up set Tim Bray for supporting Atom. Actually Tim would be over the moon if Jeremy was to start supporting Atom.

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Last year I made several predctions that now seem ridiculously humble. But a few ideas were pretty close. I've got a feeling that 2006 will be a big year, and here are some of the reasons why:

1. A Mt View startup is going to open our eyes to some new ways that The Semantic Web can influence culture. John Battelle's Search Blog will pick up on this and run several cover stories on the founders.
2. Jeremy Zawodny will be in the spotlight for his decision to support ATOM. This will upset Tim Bray, and the blogosphere will react interesting. The noise will quiet before the end of the year and it will all be forgotten soon after the shock.
3. a9.com will see their stock skyrocket after their search business starts taking off. We've seen it coming for a while now, but 2006 will be the year it really kicks into gear.
4. Either del.icio.us or akamai will seek to expand their content delivery business by acquiring wink.com. squidoo.com will be overlooked in the process, and they will see a management shakeout later in the year.
5. One of the big leaders in the steel industry will wake up to the threat of the Internet and the Web 2.0 trends. After months of speculation, they will make a key acquisition that will shake up the landscape for years to come.
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SNARF from Microsoft Research

Microsoft has recently released a tool that users information about who you email, and who emails you to attempt to prioritise your inbox. I'm about to try it now...

(Microsoft Outlook Only)

Read more at research.microsoft.com/...

Google releases Firefox extensions

Google has just announced 2 new firefox extentions.

One is a sort of one page blogosphere search, telling you what the world is saying about the current page. And the other is designed to warn you about dangerous sites. Which I guess is google's entry into the anti-phishing toolbar arena along with other players:
NetCraft Anti-Phishing Toolbar (Internet Explorer)
Microsofts Phishing Filter (Internet Explorer)
Outfoxed (Firefox)

It is great idea for search engines to help protect customers computers, they have the right data in their index, and they want the data they will learn by giving away a service like this (all the urls that you visit). It seems like a fair trade to me, others will have their privacy concerns...

It appears that google safe browsing is only available for users in USA, with is a little bit sad for people like me in New Zealand. Interestingly Glen Murphy (the guy who wrote the google blog post) is an Austalian, so prehaps there is some hope for those of us who live down under...

BTW: Can we get it as a web service please google? It would be awesome if we could dynamically block sites at an isp or work place before you even get to the site!

Yahoo! gets del.icio.us

This will make things interesting! Will MyWeb become del.icio.us? Or will they keep them both seporately? - I doubt it

I like the way yahoo is working very hard to integrate different services into the yahoo family of products, and makes it very easy for users like me to have a single login, and don't have to worry about signing up for everything seporately. They are innovating my aquisition, but at least they are willing to innovate!

Joshua (from del.icio.us says):
"I look forward to continuing my vision of social and community memory, and taking it to the next level with the del.icio.us community and Yahoo!"

I'm looking forward to seeing it happen...

Viruses: not a Linux problem?

Ever heard the phrase "I use linux, so I don't have to worry about using a virus scanner. Linux doesn't get viruses!" Famous last words! Viruslist.com has an interesting blog post on the topic.
Viruses: not a Linux problem? : Virus Analyst's Diary - "More and more organizations are starting to use Linux alongside Windows, with a Linux file-server storing Windows applications. These files can be infected at desktop level, with infected files then being stored on the server. Organizations must therefore accept the necessity of scanning the Linux server to protect against malicious code attacks.
"

Ngata dictionary — Online English<->Maori Dictionary

Interested in learning Maori? Want to translate a sign or greeting?
Try this fantastic site:

Ngata dictionary From Learning Media

Slashdot | Jonathan Zdziarski Answers

Jonathan Zdziarski creator of DSPAM, was interviewed recently on Slashdot.
I found ther interview interesting, I hope you do too :)

Slashdot | Jonathan Zdziarski Answers

Looking for a good blog?

Technorati has just released a new service that aims to make it easy to find blogs.
Its called "Blogfinder" and it seems to work fairly well, but it is based largely on people "Claiming" and "Tagging" their blogs.
Which has some nice effects, such as the fact that my blog (A Word A While) is currently the only the only blog listed under "Lingustics"...

See for yourself:
More blogs about lingusitics.


It reminds me that I must get around to updating AWAW this weekend...
It might be called "A Word A While" but it certainly has been a while!

Flickr Magazine

Have you always wanted to invent a magazine cover?
Here's your chance!
1. Upload a picture to flickr (or find one that is already there)
2. Head over to this site and put in all the details.
3. Admire your creation.
4. See what others have done...

Free access to a unix server!

Are you interested in Learning how to operate linux/unix? I turns out there is a non-profit organisation in the us that allows free accounts on a unix server on the internet! You can host your own website, check your mail, do just about anything!

Heres what they have to say about themselves:
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The Super Dimension Fortress is a networked community of free software
authors, teachers, students, researchers, hobbyists, enthusiasts and
the blind. It is operated as a federally recognised non-profit 501(c)(7)
and is supported by its members.

Our mission is to provide remotely accessible computing facilities for
the advancement of public education, cultural enrichment, scientific
research and recreation. Members can interact electronically with each
other regardless of their location using passive or interactive forums.
Further purposes include the recreational exchange of information
concerning the Liberal and Fine Arts.

Members have UNIX shell access to games, email, usenet, chat, bboard,
webspace, gopherspace, programming utilities, archivers, browsers, and
more. The SDF community is made up of caring, highly skilled people who
operate behind the scenes to maintain a non-commercial INTERNET."
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Check it out www.freeshell.org

A mention in the press!

Some times it pays to be first :)

A few weeks ago, I made a quick comment on Robert Scoble's Blog. I mentioned that he had made a mistake in reading the number of blog posts that link to his weblog. See his post here


Little did I know that David Berlind over at ZDNet would mention me in responding to Schoble! Check it out for yourself:
Microsoft's Scoble questions ZDNet's agenda

The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiates has always been one of my favorites books in the Bible. I love the way that solomon shares his own thoughts and fears on life.
Khouse have just put an article online about the book. Here's a quick quote:
"Ecclesiastes is different from any other book of the Bible. It does not dwell on the covenant, the election of Israel, redemption, prophecy, sacred history, or the temple. Its focus is on man the creature, his life on earth, and the inscrutability of God and His ways. Ecclesiastes goes beyond the other wisdom literature to emphasize the fact that human life and human goals, as ends in themselves and apart from God, are futile and meaningless." - Read more at Koinonia house

Is man made to work?

I love this quote from Paul Graham:
"As societies get richer, they learn something about work that's a lot like what they learn about diet. We know now that the healthiest diet is the one our peasant ancestors were forced to eat because they were poor. Like rich food, idleness only seems desirable when you don't get enough of it. I think we were designed to work, just as we were designed to eat a certain amount of fiber, and we feel bad if we don't." Paul Graham - What Business Can Learn from Open Source.

Isn't it funny that the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence? Because we have to work we wish we didn't! If, like me, you have had times in your life when you didn't have much to do, you soon realize how empty that kind of existence is.
Rick Waren made this point in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life". We are not here on earth to sit around an make life as easy as possible for ourselves. Instead we are here for a mission (a purpose), to make Jesus known throughout out the world, to live in fellowship with one another, to worship God, and to serve others.
Notice the last point, serving others?
Serving others is the basis of open source software, the open source movement is fueled by people who say, I am willing to give my time and effort so that I am able to help others get great software. Without this attitude I suggest that open source wouldn't get very far.

Optical Illusions on pavement

These pavement drawings are amazing!

Here is a globe (Commissioned for live8):

From the other side:


See more pavement drawings at Julian Beevers Website:
Julian Beever's pavement drawings

A car powered by Air!

I remember as a kid imagining myself as the inventor of an air powered car. Of course as I grew older I learned that it was pretty much imposible. Others don't seem to lose faith so quickly:

The MDI Air Car - the world's cleanest car.

It is running on compressed air, which means it does need to be 'charged' or 'filled' up every so often. But you can't deny that is runs on air :)

Another Photo...

I've been experimenting lately with some close up photographs.
Here is an example:

I have labeled this Photo "A Leaf, A Branch and an Island"

To see more closeups visit my photos tagged "closeups".

How to Write More Clearly, Think More Clearly, and Learn Complex Material More Easily

How to Write More Clearly, Think More Clearly, and Learn Complex Material More Easily - This is a very interesting presentation, Not only does it communicate ways to learn and write, it talks about logic, and how to evaluate an argument. Highly recommended...


Note: The above presentation was writen by Michael Covington

Google is Expanding

The next big thing in search! Google Heart...

foldedspace.org: Get Rich Slowly!

Yet another article for you to read:

foldedspace.org: Get Rich Slowly!:

Quote from the author: "I've read over a dozen books on personal finance. Recurring themes have become evident."

dervala.net: Strong Language

dervala.net: Strong Language: "Engineers, scientists, and military officers often turn out good prose. Their sentences may not always be limpid, lyrical or arresting, but as writers they are capable of a clarity and precision that academics and marketers often can’t or won’t match."

While this statement may be a generalisation, I stand with the first comment for this article. "Hear Hear".

Small is the New Big

I thought it was interesting what Seth Godin (who I gather is an author of some kind) said about Churches in his article: Small is the New Big!

He said this, "A small church has a minister with the time to visit you in the hospital when you’re sick."
It is so true! In our Mega-Church culture, we have moved away from churches that have time for indivduals, we now have churches that just serve some arbitrary (though admirable) vision. Personally, I hope Seth is right and we start to move back towards smaller, more personable churches... With a the right lessons learn along the way of course :)

Does God have a sense of humor?

I thought this was a funny cartoon :)
It always amazes me that people think of God as uninteresting, always serious, etc. You just have to look around you to see that God definately has a sense of humor...
As well as an eye for art, and an imense love for you!

Soccer Anyone? 

James' Rambling at Bloglines

If you are wondering what blogs I read, try checking out my blog roll on this page:
James' Rambling at Bloglines
BTW:I have no imediate plans for this blog, but I am sure I will find a use for it someday :) It is a very easy way of sharing things I find interesting on other blogs... So that will be it's purpose for now!

A bit of archaeology for your week?

There have been some interesting archaeological discoveries recently. I was alerted to these by Khouse E-News.

9000 year old documents read for the first time by new infrared technology

Archaeological treasures found in the trash near the temple mount.

Enjoy!

Sampling Infinity

Jill Carattini Of RZIM comments on the way amazon (and increasingly) other services offer you suggested books to buy, music to listen too, etc... She suggests that this could lead to us restricting our choices to subjects or things we all ready know about? Is this a good thing? Who knows...

A Slice of Infinity (RZIM)

Red Rocks Photo

At Easter i visited "red rocks" which is basically the name for a beach at the very bottom of New Zealand's North Island. I snapped this picture look out towards the sea.

Red Rocks in Wellington

Colorization Using Optimization

This looks like a very impressive technology. Colorization Using Optimization
I just can't decide whether I should believe it!

James

I can do photo's too

Everyone else seems to be blogging about their photo's now days,
Not wanting to be left behind I have dutifully posted one of my own.
I have always loved photo's involving sunsets, silhouettes and Trees.

So I thought I'd have a go at creating one :) I hope you enjoy it...



Silhouetted Tree

Everyone thinks they're hiring the top 1%.

Joel on Software - Thursday, January 27, 2005 This article talks about the illusion some companies are under that they are hiring the top 0.1% or similar. When in reality they are hiring the top 0.1% of the applicants...

Its worth reading if you are a prospective employer or employee :)

Gates and communism

Bill Gates said some controversial things in a CNet Interview today:
Gates taking a seat in your den

He says:

CNET: In recent years, there's been a lot of people clamoring to reform and restrict intellectual-property rights. It started out with just a few people, but now there are a bunch of advocates saying, "We've got to look at patents, we've got to look at copyrights." What's driving this, and do you think intellectual-property laws need to be reformed?

Gates: No, I'd say that of the world's economies, there's more that believe in intellectual property today than ever. There are fewer communists in the world today than there were. There are some new modern-day sort of communists who want to get rid of the incentive for musicians and moviemakers and software makers under various guises. They don't think that those incentives should exist.And this debate will always be there. I'd be the first to say that the patent system can always be tuned--including the U.S. patent system. There are some goals to cap some reform elements. But the idea that the United States has led in creating companies, creating jobs, because we've had the best intellectual-property system--there's no doubt about that in my mind, and when people say they want to be the most competitive economy, they've got to have the incentive system. Intellectual property is the incentive system for the products of the future.

There is a lot of people commenting on these "communist" remarks (see: Slashdot)

My quick comment is that the difference between OpenSource/FreeSoftware etc. and communisim, is that Open source is based around voluntary sharing ie. Sharing is not required. People still need to be able to own software and sell it. We also need the ability for people to say I have already gained enough for myself out of this software, and I want to give it away now. This Practice makes economic sense, because everyone has the choice; To try to patent, and market this software as a product for people to buy. Or to share it with everyone, knowing I have benefited from my software, and hoping that the others will share their software as well.

I don't have time to go on about it but I just wanted to make the point that software patents and commercial software are actually upholding our freedom, Not stealing from us. So I am kind of backing up Gates, However I don't know anything about the proposed laws or patent systems, there is potential for these to restrict freedom.
If properly constructed though, these laws should actually increase freedom not reduce it.

James