Well it turns out that indeed there is support coming. According to a report on LiveSide [nw] today there is a pre beta version of a Mesh client that is floating around. While the team at LiveSide didn’t have the Mac equipment to test on they turned to their friends over at jkontherun to give the new client a run through [nw] and you can read their whole post on what they found on their blog.

I remember that when Live Mesh was first announced sans Mac support how the Mesh team stressed that Mac support was a very important part of their strategy and there would be a Mac client in short order for it – which by this new would seem to be the case.

So all you boo-hooing zealots how there – how would you like your slice of crow pie served up?

Conversation Tags: Live Mesh, Microsoft, Apple, Mac

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Or maybe because after ten years or so blogging as we read it day after day is becoming stale and boring. After all you could close your eyes on any given day of the week and pretty well guess with about 90% accuracy what everyone will be talking about. It would go something like this:

• Twitter is down
• Twitter is up
• The A-List is dead
• The A-List isn’t dead
• Techmeme is rigged
• The iPhone rocks
• Microsoft sucks
• Loren is a racist
• Loren is misunderstood
• Microsoft is buying Yahoo
• Microsoft isn’t buying Yahoo
• You are an idiot if you suggest the newest Web 2.0 darling isn’t so hot after all
• Google is the best company in the world

Maybe it’s just that I’m a year older today and everything seems to be the same as it was yesterday – nothing new – nothing interesting. Maybe it’s because there are interesting things that I would like to experiment with in the blogging world but that digital divide which everyone doesn’t want to admit exists is just showing how real it is.

The fact is that today blogging about technology is as boring as hell.

Maybe it’ll be less boring tomorrow … who knows.

Conversation Tags: blogging, technology

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Now APIs are not anything new either. They have been around for as long as Windows; or any other operating system for that matter, has been letting developers create applications to run on that platform. The problem with APIs though is that they are generally proprietary in nature and as a results only allow interaction with the host platform. Unlike the universal protocols like FTP, Email, NNTP, Gopher, IRC or Ping which were developed to open up communications between different systems regardless of where they were.

With the arrival of Web 2.0 and the proliferation of APIs it was thought that this new openness would increase our inter-communication abilities between these new forms of communicating across the web. What they have in fact done is create nothing more than new silos for us to all sit inside of. Sure we have things like FriendFeed which strives to use those foreign APIs to bring everything under one roof but once there that is were we remain.

Sure we say these APIs are all open and available to all but the recent downtime of Twitter and its follow up actions to limit access to that API or to actually take down parts of its service only goes to show that these APIs aren’t as open as we would like to think. Web 2.0 and Social Media has built itself as the new style of open communication and brags how it is set to replace things like Email and IRC. The problem is that as long as any company bills itself as the provider of a new and better form of communication and lay claim to ownership of those connectors (API) to that method of communication we will find ourselves locked within that system.

Shey Smith inadvertently pointed out this problem today [nw] in a post where he suggested how the three main third party commenting platform; Disqus, IntenseDebate, sezWho, could work together to create a common platform that then could be accessed by all – including themselves. As good as this would and something I have wondered about myself it will never happen because contrary to popular belief Web 2.0 and Social Media isn’t about opening up lines of communications that is equal to for all and accessible by everyone.

When Web 1.0 was king and everything was new there was a feeling among the developers of exploration and real openness. All the protocols we use without any thought; and upon which Web 2.0 and Social Media is built on, were created by people who didn’t want anything for their work. There were no VC backed start-ups behind things like HTTP or TCP/IP. Nor were there any global corporations investing billions in things like FTP or IRC. Everything we use on a daily basis came from people doing what they did for the real and pure love of it.

Web 2.0 and Social Media might like to espouse an open and transparent working of the web in the hyped up rhetoric of doing it for the people when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Facebook isn’t about openness, Twitter keeps the locks on their doors nice and tight and even the newest darling of the early adopters FriendFeed has their secrets. All these so-called harbingers of a new era of the web aren’t doing what they do out of any true goodness of their hearts. In the end it will always be about the making of money which there is nothing wrong with except that they aren’t being honest about their motivations.

As much as everyone likes to put down the whole Web 1.0 experience because of what happened as a result of the dot com crash they seem to forget that we wouldn’t be where we are if it wasn’t for the people who created the very protocols we depend on daily. Without those people we would still be in the world of dial up and bulletin board services and even that is questionable. Until Web 2.0 and all the Social Media companies can honestly say that they have contributed something to really progress us along this thing we call the Internet and the Web then what they are doing is nothing but selfish hype and just another get rich quick scheme for which we pay the price.

If there is really the desire to open the web then we need to take the lessons of our web torchbearers and really open up the web. We have gotten to where we are because of open protocols and the time for Web 2.0 to live up to its professed ethos is coming. It is time that we the users of the Web start looking for these so-called believers in transparency to step up to the plate. It is time to quit trying to lock us into so-called open APIs so they can make more money that most of us will ever see in our lives.

It is time that we the users stop accepting that we must use one or another method of communication just because some Web 2.0 or Social Media start-up on the hunt for big bucks says we have to. The time is coming when we should expect that any new form of communication should be on the basis of an open and accessible protocol available to all. Just as Email or NNTP was a common ground protocol so should any API of the new web that enables communication between people.

It is time for APIs to stop pretending to be open and actually become the future open protocols that the web was founded on. Protocols that came into being for nothing more than the love of giving something to the people.

Conversation Tags: protocols, API, Web 2.0, Social Media, Internet, technology

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Recently Robert Scoble has had the pleasure to be hobnobbing with political types in Washington DC and as result has come up with some sort of technological agenda for the US. As interesting as the three points are that he outlined on Twitter and showed up in my FriendFeed stream the second one shows how totally out of touch that he and the whole early adopter crowd are when it comes to technology and the real world.

In his second point he suggests that “We need to move away from a computer for every kid and toward an iPhone-level device for every kid”. Ummm Robert what fucking drugs are you on man because I want some of what you are taking. I mean you can’t seriously be suggesting that every kid in the US be handed over an iPhone – c’mon get a grip on some reality here. I am sure that Steve Jobs would just be salivating like a crazy bugger at the thought of it and the service providers would be getting woodies at the very thought of all that cash flowing their way but I’m sorry – you’ve gone off the deep end on this one.

You might like to think that “We are also 15 years away from having every kid have a portable Internet-enabled device like an iPhone” but the chances are the only thing we will be experiencing in 15 years is a greater technological divide in which our children will be on two opposite sides of the chasm – those with access and those without.

The idea that handing each and every child something resembling an iPhone or some such other connected mobile device might be all noble and such but you obviously haven’t been out in and amongst the inner city kids, or the rural kids or the homeless children lately. When you have parents that are struggling daily even to maintain a roof over those children’s heads or food in their bellies the idea of a mobile phone magically appearing in their hands is ludicrous at best.

As it is our children are proving daily how much a mockery the whole No child left behind policy really is and if you don’t believe that I know a couple of teachers who would be more than willingly to you the reality of the joke. Even taking the logistics of such an idea into account who is going to pay for all those mobile phones and who is going to pay for all that access? Is it going to be government sponsored and it is what strings are going to be attached? Are we going to make it easier to censor what our children see and learn via this new form of education tool?

Robert you might think that giving each child a mobile phone is the answer but the fact is it raises too many questions that need to be answered first. You might think that an iPhone in every backpack will change the world and it might but it won’t be in the way you envision it. You might have spent the past week in the halls of power of the Beltway but I think it is time that you spend some time in the ghettos. It is time that you wander the halls of inner city schools. It is time for you to learn that those new friends of yours in the Beltway don’t give a shit about anything that won’t earn them votes and line the pockets of their corporate backers.

Sorry Robert but it is statements like this that just reaffirm the real world how out of touch the technology world really is.

Conversation Tags: Robert Scoble, iPhone, technology, children

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   When I first reviewed Crossloop, there was little more to it than a very simple, yet very functional Remote Assistance program. It holds a place in my ‘toolkit’ and I usually install it on customer computers for possible remote repairs.

  Since that initial post, some pretty amazing things have happened over at Crossloop.com. Nearly 33 million minutes of “help time” have been amassed via the Crossloop interface by 600,000 users in approaching 2 million help sessions. Take a look at the top of the Crossloop home page to see these metrics climbing at a steady pace.

   The lion’s share of the credit for these fantastic numbers goes to the Help Marketplace. 5000-plus “helpers” who are experts on tech-related subjects from Windows troubleshooting to Blackberry issues can be looked up in the marketplace.

  Now these experts aren’t in it just for fun, mind you, you get to pay them….but think about it this way….you can spend 30usd (helpers set their own rates, from free on-up) for RA help on line at your own desk, or take your virus-ridden box to the local shop and pay them 100 bucks or more. Don’t get me wrong, a couple of my good friends work in or own those shops, but now you have choices. And to be honest, when some n00b brings in yet another Dell (sorry Dan) with yet another infection of the smitfraud virus, there are sighs of resignation from all corners of the shop.

  There are experts at *nix systems, programming, web design, and networking. Try having a local shop help you set up a home network. They’ll want your first born male child just to come to your house. After all, they’ve got things to do, too.

  With all the talk about monetization in the bsphere of late, the question comes up, “How’s the Crossloop team going to support this steadily growing community?” Think EBay. The front-end billing/transaction stuff is not in place yet, but will be soon, where the ‘Helpers’ pay a small fee for each completed help session, similar to an online auction. Feedback and suggestions on this topic and others are being listened to from registered Helpers and Customers as well. There will also be dispute processes in place, for the (hopefully) rare occasion when something goes wrong in the agreements between Customers and Helpers. According to Mrinal Desai, Co-Founder and VP at Crossloop, this period of fee-free Helping could be great for everyone:

This also allows our Helpers to build a solid reputation (do more sessions, collect customer testimonials and ratings on their profile etc.) in the process without incurring any fees since a lot is going to be about that for Customers. Once that is ready, we plan to provide ample notice with details on the fee structure etc to all our Helpers.

However, all signs point to the Crossloop software remaining a free download in perpetuity.

   Harkening back to my original review of Crossloop itself, a couple things that have presented to me and a few associates since the initial post bear sharing.

  One, it’s tough to use Crossloop with the far-left spectrum of computer users. You know, the ones that don’t ‘get it’ when you try to tell them that the computer is still on when you shut off the monitor? Those folks. You know them. I sure do. I’m not certain how Crossloop could be made any easier to use, but this won’t be much of an issue for most Crossloop Marketplace users. If they made it there, they’re probably at least somewhat savvy on tech.

    I’ve also gotten a couple reports that some types of Internet connections don’t play well with Crossloop. Dialup is obviously out, (the Crossloop FAQ says it works, but they don’t recommend it) but the one that surprised me is Satellite Broadband. Seems it makes the connection, but drops it in short order. I can see this being an issue. One reason a person may turn to RA is that they live out in the sticks, far from a repair shop, meaning DSL and Cable are not likely to be available. Other RA apps don’t seem to have this issue, so perhaps it can be addressed.

   So if you’ve got a bit of free time, a desire to help others, offset the cost of gas, save up for that new gaming rig, and consider yourself knowledgeable about anything having to do with computers, networking, blog setup…or anything related, stop by Crossloop and sign up. There are even resources like promotional tools and customer leads to help you sell yourself and create a business.

  Or, if you’re totally stuck on something, peruse the Marketplace and find an expert to help you out of the jam!

Conversation Tags: remote assistance, Crossloop marketplace, Crossloop, monetize, software

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Part of the show will be including interviews with representatives from Bell Canada and they are asking listeners of the show to post their questions they would like asked of these representative here. There is already a lot of really good questions if the comments are any indication and should make for an interesting show. You can subscribe to the Sparks podcast via iTunes (note - because I don’t have iTunes installed I can’t verify the link but the subscription link is displayed at the end of every post) or you will be able to download the MP3 version once the original broadcast has aired.

So for those Canadian readers that might list WinExtra as one of their stopping points make sure you get over there and post the questions you want asked and I will make sure to post any relevant info and links once the show has aired.

Additionally if you are interested in any of the podcasts made available by the CBC you can get a full list of them here.

Conversation Tags: Canada, technology, net neutrality, Bell Canada, Sparks

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But that was six months ago and even in that short period of things have changed. I no longer do any real development work which pretty well dictated the need for that powerhouse that has become an almost permanent fixture in my office. Now I find myself spending most of my time doing things related to the web; whether it be hacking away my themes or reading and writing about technology on my blogs.

Heck I’m not even a big game player although it would be really nice to have the best in video and power to be able to play them but those things are no longer the end all be all of having a powerhouse of a machine. Mind you the one really big thing that would be hurtful in moving away from a desktop monstrosity is my dual monitor (with dreams of having three) because they have become a real work / time saver for me.

The fact is though that if the little things like dual monitors and game quality specs could be found in a laptop that I could afford (ya .. okay so we’re still dreaming here) I could easily see taking the two desktop machines I have and with a bit up hard drive upgrading  making a good media center for my wife and a good server machine to deal with the rest.

Yes I do believe the time is coming when I could with a few tears easily say good bye to being tied down to my desk in front of a machine whose time really is numbered.

As Mark Evans said in a post today

Think about it this way: With 3G, Wi-Fi, cloud computing, the growing popularity of smart devices such as the iPhone and Blackberry, more people want their computing devices to be with them at all times. By being able to connect to the Internet, there’s less of a need to be fixed in one place and, as a result, less of a need to buy a desktop unless you’re a business looking for cheap computers that can’t easily escape from the office.

While a lot of this thought process is really nothing more than glorified window shopping it is nice to think of not being tied to an inside desk doing what I love when I could be doing the same thing sitting outside with a cup of coffee and enjoying watching my dog basking in the sun.

Oh well it is nice to daydream - as long as it doesn’t involve a MacBook Pro

Conversation Tags: desktop, laptops, computers

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Michael Geist I believe was the first to break the news that Bell was doing this. For some though this was something that had been a topic of conversation long before Michael broke the news. I remember several Twitter DM’s with a fellow Canadian where we discussed how our Bell service seemed to be acting rather strange when doing certain things.

The whole point is that it doesn’t matter how innovative someone; or some corporation, wants to be when the gatekeepers to the Internet decide unilaterally that it is up to them what goes through those gates. When this happens you can kiss innovation good-bye.

Bell Canada has decided that it is once more God and that screw you if you don’t like it. The fact is Canada doesn’t have net neutrality and we don’t have a government that give’s a hot damn about its citizens. It would rather get into bed with Big Media interests from the US and line their pockets in the process.

So a word of warning to our US friends down there below the 49th parallel - this is what happens when you don’t have true net neutrality. You get fucked over and innovation will in the end find another home.

Conversation Tags: Bell Canada, traffic shaping, net neutrality

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