Thursday, May 26, 2005
Clearing the Podcasting Air
Dave Winer has posted what sounds to me like a very honest account of the falling out between himself and Adam Curry. A very interesting listen. It sounds like he felt he was shafted and he may be right. He may get accused of whining, but where is the rule that says you can't say or write what you feel. Whether you agree with him or not, I don't doubt his honesty about how he feels. It will be left to Adam to refute the claims.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Python Newbie Task 1 - checked off
Well, I am impressed with Python (and wxPython). I managed to create the timesheet processor program complete with GUI (albeit a dead simple one) in about 1/8th the time it took me to get to the same point with C++. Implementing wxPython for the GUI was much more simple than using the same library in C++ (wxWindows). For the simple type of applications that I write this solution seems miles better than anything else I've tried.
One benefit of having such a relatively easy language with a shallow learning curve like this is that it encourages me to try new things with it. I feel like I could attempt projects that I would probably dread doing in C++. We will see how it pans out with the project storage app that I've been humming and hawing over for the past year. It actually might get done! But let's not jump the gun here... let's just say it might actually get started...done is usually an entirely different matter with me ;)
One benefit of having such a relatively easy language with a shallow learning curve like this is that it encourages me to try new things with it. I feel like I could attempt projects that I would probably dread doing in C++. We will see how it pans out with the project storage app that I've been humming and hawing over for the past year. It actually might get done! But let's not jump the gun here... let's just say it might actually get started...done is usually an entirely different matter with me ;)
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Podcasting, Respect and BoingBoing
Well, the saga continues yet again. Adam Curry responded to Dave's earlier rant and name calling rather firmly but thoughtfully in his DailySourceCode podcast. Boingboing published an update as I suspected that the interview was edited and that Adam did spread the respect around to others, not just himself. Now, maybe you would be expecting a subdued retraction?...Haha.. instead Dave wrote of the BoingBoing update:
Anyway, Adam does take credit for work he didn't do. You might want to check on that Xeni, it might be more interesting than the cookie-cutter bullshit puff piece you just wrote.OK Dave, I like most of your podcasts and many of your ideas, but cut the suspense and just provide the information on when Adam has taken credit for work he didn't do and get it over with. Who are you trying to protect? You've already called him a liar, what have you got to lose. Produce the info or watch your image and respect suffer. If you don't have the info then stop bullshitting, be the bigger man and apologize.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Plan of Attack - Part Deux
Well in bits and bobs over the past couple of days, I managed to re-write the guts of the timesheet summary program I was developing for work using Python. The original go at it was written in C++ and was rife with problems. I was able to write the mechanics of it (no GUI yet, but this is coming) in Python much much quicker than in C++. The code itself is probably 15% of the size of the C++ version and the surprising thing is that I did it much quicker even though this was my first experience with Python programming.
I now have to put a pretty face on it using wxPython and call it a day. I want to get into developing a project database app for work as well and I think Python will be perfectly suited for this task. It's so much more enjoyable learning this language compared with the years of off-and-on toiling with C and C++. I will try to keep blogging about my progress as if someone actually was interested.. :)
I now have to put a pretty face on it using wxPython and call it a day. I want to get into developing a project database app for work as well and I think Python will be perfectly suited for this task. It's so much more enjoyable learning this language compared with the years of off-and-on toiling with C and C++. I will try to keep blogging about my progress as if someone actually was interested.. :)
The Podcasting Saga Continues...
A couple of big moments in podcasting recently... Adam Curry's Sirius Satellite radio broadcast about podcasting aired yesterday for the first time, Dave Winer is providing a podcast for broadcast on KYOU radio, Adam does an interview for Wired magazine and Dave is pissed.
Lots to follow here. It seems that the mudslinging is well underway although Adam hasn't responded yet, and may never respond (this type of mudslinging will do nothing to help Adam's image - Dave may be building it for him anyway by doing this IMHO). Some interesting thoughts here. I like Dave's podcasts, more so than the Daily Source Code many times. I think this is because they are very personal. And Dave is very passionate about his views (whether you agree with him or not). He seems very intelligent and perhaps more importantly, idealistic. There is nothing wrong with that. Without the idealists you have the mundane. Keep churning out the passion Dave, people are listening.
Of course, with that passion and emotion come regrettable statements. But that's exactly what Dave's about. That is passion. You don't tone it down and edit it for mass consumption, you write what you feel. You podcast what you feel. That's his point. If he spouted off about wanting the 'naturalness' to come through in podcasting and blogging and then polished his product, I'd be disappointed and he'd lose all credibility with me. Maybe he'll think it over and realize later that he shouldn't have said what he said, maybe not. But I don't want to read about sober second thoughts all the time. Sometimes it's much more interesting and honest to get the first cut.
And what is so wrong with being pissed about not getting credit. It happens all the time in a normal business environment, you just don't read about it on a blog. Of course, you don't know if the Wired piece was a full transcript or edited all to hell. As Dave has noted many times, the press rarely ever gets it right. Maybe Adam got it right and Wired got it wrong.
Lots to follow here. It seems that the mudslinging is well underway although Adam hasn't responded yet, and may never respond (this type of mudslinging will do nothing to help Adam's image - Dave may be building it for him anyway by doing this IMHO). Some interesting thoughts here. I like Dave's podcasts, more so than the Daily Source Code many times. I think this is because they are very personal. And Dave is very passionate about his views (whether you agree with him or not). He seems very intelligent and perhaps more importantly, idealistic. There is nothing wrong with that. Without the idealists you have the mundane. Keep churning out the passion Dave, people are listening.
Of course, with that passion and emotion come regrettable statements. But that's exactly what Dave's about. That is passion. You don't tone it down and edit it for mass consumption, you write what you feel. You podcast what you feel. That's his point. If he spouted off about wanting the 'naturalness' to come through in podcasting and blogging and then polished his product, I'd be disappointed and he'd lose all credibility with me. Maybe he'll think it over and realize later that he shouldn't have said what he said, maybe not. But I don't want to read about sober second thoughts all the time. Sometimes it's much more interesting and honest to get the first cut.
And what is so wrong with being pissed about not getting credit. It happens all the time in a normal business environment, you just don't read about it on a blog. Of course, you don't know if the Wired piece was a full transcript or edited all to hell. As Dave has noted many times, the press rarely ever gets it right. Maybe Adam got it right and Wired got it wrong.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Podcasting news coming fast and furious it seems..
Interesting article
about an AM radio station in San Francisco that will be broadcasting listener generated content. A few things strike me as disappointing (although pragmatic) limitations: FCC licensing and the lack of downloadable archives.
Why is it that the big cheese's willingness to pay licensing fees for podcasters to play music is such a big deal in all these schemes? If I wanted to hear music that is licensed for broadcast play I'd listen to the damned radio!
One other thing that is forgotten or maybe not realized yet, is that I value the ability to pick what I want, any mix of what I want. What they're proposing sounds like it will be public access radio. Sure it's grass roots, but *I* have no control over what I get to hear, someone else does. I know it's a local broadcast solution...but it really seems like a last gasp shot in the dark to me. Just put the stuff in a place I can get to it. I don't want you to decide what I get, in what order, of what quality, that's the frickin beauty of it right now!
One of the best podcasts I've heard on this topic, in fact one of the best podcasts I've heard to date is one by PBCliberal. A recommended listen for sure.
So the list of what I like about podcasting is growing as I realize it..kinda like you don't know what you've got till it's gone... intimacy, freedom of speech, download on demand, sheer freedom of distribution and archiving...let's see what else the big boys miss in all of this.
A side note that made me chuckle is that the article had a web ad for the Senseo coffee maker, an ad which always featured prominently on Adam Curry's site! ;)
about an AM radio station in San Francisco that will be broadcasting listener generated content. A few things strike me as disappointing (although pragmatic) limitations: FCC licensing and the lack of downloadable archives.
Why is it that the big cheese's willingness to pay licensing fees for podcasters to play music is such a big deal in all these schemes? If I wanted to hear music that is licensed for broadcast play I'd listen to the damned radio!
One other thing that is forgotten or maybe not realized yet, is that I value the ability to pick what I want, any mix of what I want. What they're proposing sounds like it will be public access radio. Sure it's grass roots, but *I* have no control over what I get to hear, someone else does. I know it's a local broadcast solution...but it really seems like a last gasp shot in the dark to me. Just put the stuff in a place I can get to it. I don't want you to decide what I get, in what order, of what quality, that's the frickin beauty of it right now!
One of the best podcasts I've heard on this topic, in fact one of the best podcasts I've heard to date is one by PBCliberal. A recommended listen for sure.
So the list of what I like about podcasting is growing as I realize it..kinda like you don't know what you've got till it's gone... intimacy, freedom of speech, download on demand, sheer freedom of distribution and archiving...let's see what else the big boys miss in all of this.
A side note that made me chuckle is that the article had a web ad for the Senseo coffee maker, an ad which always featured prominently on Adam Curry's site! ;)
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
An Interesting Use of Dictionary.com...
Just glancing at Dave Winer's latest post about the state of RSS and advertising and had to laugh at his creative use of dictionary.com as a reference source. Nice :)
Monday, May 02, 2005
Podcasting at a Crossroads?
There is a heck of a lot of discussion going on with the recent announcement that Adam Curry has cut a deal with Sirius satellite radio. I haven't looked into it enough to comment, but as expected, not everyone is necessarily happy about it. More and more I get the feeling that the intimacy of podcasts - the part I like and treasure so much - is not going to be a part of the monetization of it this time around anyway. Hopefully the more personal podcasts will continue to be produced and enjoyed. I'm not sure how well broadcasted podcasts will work.
Speaking of my preference for more personal podcasts, Dave Winer's thunderstorm podcast was a truly enjoyable one. It was exactly what I love about his solo Morning Coffee Notes podcasts, they are personal, insightful and horribly honest and simple. Something broadcast radio is definitely not. Happy Belated Birthday Dave!
Speaking of my preference for more personal podcasts, Dave Winer's thunderstorm podcast was a truly enjoyable one. It was exactly what I love about his solo Morning Coffee Notes podcasts, they are personal, insightful and horribly honest and simple. Something broadcast radio is definitely not. Happy Belated Birthday Dave!
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