In technology, we’re always discussing standards when it comes to formats and interfaces. Industries need to standardize on this format or that format in order to facilitate communications and the exchange of information, specifically digital information.

The thing is, aren’t we better off keeping the pool diverse? If you’re successful in having your industry adopt your standard, have you not simply created another monoculture and thereby signed your death cert?

Would any business in this position work towards NOT having their standards globally adopted in order to stave off extinction of that standard? Would it spell the end of MicroFormats if they somehow achieved global adoption?

If you’re not sure what monocultures have to do with technology then read this. It’s one of many reasons I use a limited amount of Microsoft technologies.

It’s interesting to see the volume of keyboard based “apps” being built for windows. Example, slickrun “gives you almost instant access to any program or website. SlickRun allows you to create command aliases (known as MagicWords), so C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe becomes MAIL.”

Great idea, however, these classes of “apps” are simply watered down versions of a shell. They offer you 1/1000th of what a shell will give you. Type this into a shell, or add to a config file:

alias mail=”C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe”

And mail becomes “C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe”.

These windows apps are gateway drugs and if you’re enjoying the freedom they offer, treat yourself and get the real thing. Similarly to the vi scenario, once you get used to the power you have in a shell it’s difficult to ever turn back. Most IDE’s are a pretty way to get limited access to vi. These apps are a pretty way to get limited access to the shell. Just go to the source.

This is one I’ve run into enough times that I need the notes somewhere. If you’re often passed MSSQL database backups to restore then you will, at some point, run into issues related to drive letter names etc. It’ll manifest itself as an error message about drive letters, clustering, or with move. I’ve added my notes to the wiki about my way to restore that’s a little more hands on.

I ran into Rob Hyndman the other night, one of the organizers of Mesh, and he asked me how I felt Mesh went, no bs. I didn’t get a chance to answer him completely so here I am.

My take, Mesh was very well organized. As far as conferences go, this one was painless from the choice of location, to the layout, to lunch, etc. The only thing I missed was more details on the speakers, possibly adding small bio pieces to the conference pamphlet.

Content, the keynotes were great, some outstanding, the home run for me was Michael Geist. I’m biased, however, I think the StoryStream videos were a great addition as well.

Where things went a little off the rails for me was during the afternoon panels/workshops. I’m really not the best person to ask as I’m deep in technology not marketing. Anytime you put a technologist into a marketing focussed panel discussion you could be in trouble. While some of the discussions were interesting, most didn’t work for me. At times it just felt like sitting around discussing what other people may do in the coming year. We were gossiping. Will blogs be monetized, where’s web 2.0 heading, etc. The reason I know I’m not the target audience is because I’m sure that’s exactly what they’re supposed to be discussing in these sessions. Me, I’d rather build something than jabber about what someone else may build someday. I suppose that’s another reason I’m not in marketing.

Will I go to Mesh again? At this point yes.

Paul Graham wrote an interesting piece about the term web 2.0.

“And the fact that I both despise the phrase and understand it is the surest proof that it has started to mean something.”

His Web 2.0 list:

1. Ajax
2. Democracy
3. Don’t Maltreat Users

If you’re interested, shiftMode the wiki is open for business.

What is it? Good question, not sure, I know it’s a wiki. I was hoping you could help out with that. Think of it as an online blackboard or notebook. A place for rough notes, things to remember and use again, thoughts, etc.

Take a peek, contribute if you like. There’s now a “shiftMode the wiki” link over on the right hand nav in the links section.

The recommendation I received to protect my wallet was “adaware then followed with spybot search and destroy“. I ran both and they both found some nasties on my system.

Thanks for NOT helping me out Computer Associates. Forcing me to find alternatives to your product saved me some cash. I think I’ll donate some to these two apps.

One presenter at Mesh proudly stated they have over 700 RSS feeds they watch. Do they read them all? No, do they skim them all? Sure, and if you don’t get their attention with your title or first sentence, well you’ve lost them. I say great. I hope to lose skimmers with my writing. Maybe I’ll add a mandatory fluff sentence at the beginning of any story in order to filter out the fluffers.

RSS is doing to writing and books what mp3’s and digital downloads have done to music and the album format. People feel like they’re reading without actually having to read. It’s destroying people’s ability to patiently sit down with a book and read it from cover to cover. That is reading, and reading a book is an entirely different act than reading blog posts. It’s not the same thing to skim the titles of 349 RSS feeds.

Do I use an RSS reader? Yes. Do I publish RSS feeds? Yes. RSS is a useful and effective tool. I spend more time these days, however, trying to remove feeds from my RSS reader than add. I’m trying to strive for less not more, and if I do add a new feed then I remove at least one feed I’m currently subscribed to.

Skimming RSS feeds and marking them “read” is not reading but sometimes I find myself mistaking it for that. I get sucked in and have to cleanse myself with a good book. It’s exciting to have access to all these sources of opinions and information. The problem when I get sucked in is that I find myself becoming an aggregator of opinions. I like, or don’t like, something not because I’ve experienced it, or have in depth understanding, but because I’ve skimmed other people’s opinions of it. I fear that RSS and it’s ilk will leave me without my ability to acquire that deeper level of understanding on my own.

Or not, time to find a new feed….

Tad and the StoryStream kids have put the videos they made for Mesh available on their site under the ‘work’ link. For those not there, these videos were played prior to the main keynote presentations.

Ok, so my credit card was apparently stolen digitally. I grabbed some cnet recommended spyware scan software, spyware doctor, in order to scan my system. It will scan for you, however, you have to purchase the software to run any removals. I removed the 4 high rated infections by hand.

I’ve been using CA’s ETrust suite for virus scanning so it made sense to add spyware into that as they have pestpatrol now. I tried to download the trial but of course they require your credit card information. I don’t have that because my credit card was stolen and hence canceled. I went to the effort to call them and after some back and forth they informed me there was nothing they could do for me.

“Does it not make sense that someone who has had their credit card information stolen, and therefore canceled their card, would be calling you to use your spyware product?”

“I’m not sure, we need a credit card.”

“Ok. You do realize that I’m currently a customer of yours, I need your help right now, and you’re forcing me to go find another company’s product to help me?”

“Yes.”

“You’re ok with losing me as a customer?”

“There’s nothing we can do, we have to have a credit card number.”