Dave Burke : Freelance .NET Web Developer specializing in Online Communities

Geek Smatterings: Firefox, GreatNews, VS2005 Install II, Googless

MCSD FAILS FIREFOX TEST.  TRIES AGAIN.  This might seem like a complete non-news item, but if you're a complete and certified Microsoft Geek like me and haven't used IE or an IE derivative in over a week, then perhaps it at least is saying something.  I've had Firefox on my machines forever, but a couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to embrace the Firefox experience, which is a different experience than IE, certainly.  I do like the excitement in the Firefox user and developer community, and I haven't begun to explore the many Firefox plugins and extensions out there.  I am also learning to appreciate the Firefox UI over my former fave, Maxthon. 

GREATNEWS IS PRETTY GOOD.  I couldn't get past the dead reader pane bug in RSS Bandit v.1.3.0.38 and got tired switching back to v.1.3.0.29, so I decided to go with GreatNews as my RSS Newsreader.  It's pretty good.  Still in beta, but does pretty much everything I need it to do.

THE SECOND VS2005 INSTALL WAS DREAMY.  I failed to report that my second time around in installing the Professional VS2005 RTM from the MSDN Subscriber download images on one of my office machines was completely dreamy.  Not a single glitch with either VS2005 or the MSDN library.  I learned from the first go around that you definitely want to extract the 2 VS2005 CD .ISO images to the same base directory, starting with disc 2 and overwriting any duplicate files when extracting disc 1 image.  Same with the 3 MSDN Library .ISO images.  VERY smooth.  (About the VS2005 install, I have to ask.  Are those stretch fabric shadows on that chick's breasts real, or do you think they're enhanced for our installation pleasure?  Just curious...)

IF GOOGLESS IS A WORD I WANT SOME.  There are some great things about Google and their company, but I'm increasingly thinking that I don't want to keep feeding the Google machine without a bit of critical judgment on some of their recent behavior.  Several thought leaders I respect are having negative reactions to many of Google's actions these days and I happen to agree.  So I removed the Google search and Google News tabs from my primary tab group.  I went with Yahoo News (I like a lot of what Yahoo is doing these days in media and syndication) and have been using Icerocket and Yahoo for searching.  You still can't beat Google Group searching for the really nerdy stuff though, so I don't suspect I'll ever be entirely Googless.

 

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Posted on 12/20/2005 3:09:00 PM by Dave Burke
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Comments (3) -

12/20/2005 10:25:53 PM Permalink

I am gaining a heap of respect for the Attention.xml guys and their overall message.  Over the past six months or so I've been known to put the boot into Google on my blog, but when you step back and look at how they have progressively been moving to "the dark side" it is pretty interesting.  

AdSense in RSS feeds bugged me because Google are actively promoting ATOM as an alternative and don't really offer us the rich experience they could using RSS because it would impact their ad revenue.  To me, they are trying to have it both way.  Exploit RSS technology for financial gain, but don't use it for improving the user experience if it negatively impacts their revenue whatsoever.

The other one example was the Autolink.  First of all, they are indexing our content and then wrapping ads around the outside of it.  I don't have a problem with that because I think that's a fair trade off for the value that Google provides in the free search space.  However, when they start changing my HTML so that they can add linkage that I didn't put there, that's crossing the line.  You start heading into downright bastardly territory when then start selling that created linkage.  The perfect example being an ISBN number in a blog being automatically created as a link that takes you to Amazon.  Presumably they'll charge Amazon for that honour.  

I think what's becoming apparent with Google is two things.  The first point is that they have little or no respect for other people's intellectual property if they think they can profit from it.  The second issue is more troubling.  As more and more of our attention data gets collected, can we trust that Google will use it correctly.  Microsoft got into all sorts of trouble with the .Net My Services because people felt they would simply exploit that personal data with complete disregard for the end user.  I am certain Google will do the same with my attention information and I'll be forced to wade through a whole new generation of Web 2.0 spam specifically targetted at annoying me even more.

Sean Kaye |

12/20/2005 10:35:19 PM Permalink

Sean,

Thank you very much for articulating my thoughts on recent Google behavior.  I've been listening to many of the same podcasts and reading much of the same material as you've been.  It's troubling that Google gets a pass for so many of these behaviors and exploitations while Microsoft or other companies would get crushed by merely suggesting such ideas.

The thing that turned me anti-Google was probably Eric Schmidt and the CNET incident.  

I wanted to tell you that I REALLY liked your Google/AOL post today.  It had a perspective unlike any I've read anywhere else.  Very interesting!  For anyone who hasn't read it, here's the URL.

blog.seankaye.com/archive/2005/12/20/966.aspx

Thanks again for your comments, Sean.

daveburke |

12/21/2005 3:23:10 AM Permalink

"MCSD FAILS FIREFOX TEST.  TRIES AGAIN"

Check out my list of must have extensions here:  jaysonknight.com/blog/archive/2005/12/05/5002.aspx

"GREATNEWS IS PRETTY GOOD"

I've heard really "great" things about it myself and might give it a shot soon...Omea currently rocks my world though.

"THE SECOND VS2005 INSTALL WAS DREAMY"

Great, now I need to reinstall it just to look for shadows...sheesh.  It's the simple things in life I guess.

jayson knight |


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