Category: Personal

RSS Aggregators

A friend from work recently blogged about “Staying Informed with RSS” and how this technology may help keep people up to date. To me, the “push” aspect of this technology is what might bring online content closer to what broadcast has always been, an easy way to be presented with the content, yet now tailored to exactly what you care about.

I’ve been on a search for the perfect RSS aggregator (the software that receives RSS feeds and puts them together for easier reading).  Mike likes Yahoo, but what I’ve been looking for needs to be organized by folders, time, and include part of the text body. I finally found the coolest solution last night: Gregarius. It organizes things the way I like, and since it runs on my server, I can view my news anywhere. So if you’re curious what I read, now you know.

A cite from the World Wide Web Consortium

I noticed today (while Googling myself) that a site on the “Commercialization of the Internet” was linked for an entry in “A Little History of the Internet” by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). I’m under March, 1993.

The Acceptable Use Policy prohibiting commercial use of the Internet re-interpreted, so that it becomes becomes allowed.

Who would have thought that a class project done in my first semester as a Masters student would contribute to the history of the Net? I’m honored.

Thinking out loud

The Times has an excellent example of a columnist and blogger thinking out loud.

On the blog he started last week (gladwell.typepad.com), Mr. Gladwell noted that the blogosphere has, for some mysterious reason, picked up on the debate [on Canada’s health insurance system]. “But wait!” he wrote. “That was six years ago! I’ve now changed my mind. I now agree with virtually everything Adam said and disagree with virtually everything I said. In fact, I shudder when I read what I said back then.”

Much like a conversing with friends, blogging is an exercise in speaking, receiving feedback, and evolving ones thoughts and opinions. Collecting history such as this may help fight notions that “Googling” someone to find out about their past really tells us something about who they are today.

Political Turmoil Again Thwarts Progress in Philippines

The Times printed a news analysis on the recent coup attempt in the Philippines. Here’s the letter I sent the editor (we’ll see if I get published):

Sunday’s news analysis that “ Political Turmoil Again Thwarts Progress in Philippines” wrongly puts the blame on former President Aquino. Continuous corruption of the many Philippine leaders since Aquino has deeply harmed the legitimacy of their government. President Arroyo’s squashing the free speech of the protesters and news media only makes matters worse. A functioning democracy requires more than just elections; the need for a government which the Filipino people can rely on is of the greatest importance.
John Thomson, Jr.
PhD Student, University of Wisconsin School of Journalism and Mass Communication