How hot is your Powerbook?

I don’t know if it’s something to do with the fact that it’s in an aluminium case, but my Powerbook seems to be getting extraordinarily (read knee-cookingly) hot these days. Anyone know what the quiescent temperature of one of these things should be?

Rock Chicks Radio

The great thing about the world wide interweb is there’s something for everyone, no matter how specific or esoteric. Take Rock Chicks Radio, for example. Non-stop rock music from female artists. Hence the Rock Chicks Radio. Who need an iPod…

A superb guide to all things RSS (and why you should care)

This is an excellent introduction to all things RSS (or webfeeds as we’re now supposed to call them), and why you should be using them. Amy Graham goes into much (and very clearly written) detail. Part 7 should be required reading for anyone running, or contemplating running, an email newsletter…

Wikipedia as a cited source

Not only a great example of what can be done with a wiki, the Wikipedia is increasingly being used as a cited source according to a paper presented at the International Symposium on Online Journalism.

It’s a fascinating equation - is an encyclopedia entry on three-toes sloths compiled by the world’s leading authority on three-toed sloths (and an amateur encyclopedia contributor) of more value than an entry provided by a professional encylopediast? Does the perceived authority of the source add or detract from the value of the information?

(Via Steve Rubel at Micro Persuasion)

Why Sasser Means I Get To See More Of My Wife

Thanks to Sasser, I had the unexpected pleasure of an additional couple of hours of Mrs Timzilla’s company last night after the systems at her Large And Important Place Of Work were borked, and everyone went home early. You’d think that being a Large And Important Place Of Work, there would be some kind of proactive response to the threat of yet another MS-borne worm, especially after Blaster took out their entire (country-wide) network not so long ago. But no, looks like their policy is to wait for it to hit before doing anything about it. Good to see my taxes are well spent.

But then it seems that the larger the estate of machines, the more likely it is that the patches will be left until too late…

The Shining In 30 Seconds, Re-enacted By Bunnies

The Shining In 30 Seconds, Re-enacted By Bunnies

New version of IE rumoured, yadda yadda

Scoble predicts that there’s a new version of Internet Explorer on the way, this time with pop-up blocking and security fixes galore. (And presumably tint control.) Personally, I’d have preferred it if they’d put their efforts into making IE support standards. Unless IE is the new standard of course…

Powerbook wishlists

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Is social software making us autistic?

An interesting take on social software from Danah Boyd (who’s researching articulated social networks for a PhD at the School of Information Management & Systems at the University of California at Berkley):

Did you ever get the sneaking suspicion that this new wave of “social software” is not really making social life easier, but permitting the kind of social awkwardness that is recognized in Asperger’s?

Intruiging point, but is it cause or effect?

Another example of wikis in use

Darknet: Remixing the Future of Movies, Music and Television is the latest book from technology journalist J. D. Lasica, due to be published by Wiley later on this year. To quote the website -

it focuses on the digital media revolution, exploring the idea that digital technologies are empowering people to create, reuse and reinvent media

The list of interviewees reads like a who’s who of the movers and shakers in digital media - from the old-media neo-luddites like Jack Valenti and Cary Sherman to the other end of the spectrum with individuals such as Clay Shirky and Laurence Lessig (and a few of the characters in the business like Cory Doctorow and John Perry Barlow).

What’s particularly interesting (apart from the subject matter itself, of course!) is the fact that Lasica has posted the entire text of the book onto a wiki so that interested readers can edit and comment the text itself before it’s published:

In the spirit of open media and participatory journalism, I’d like to use this wiki to publish drafts of each chapter in the book. I hope you’ll participate in this effort by contributing feedback, edits, criticism, corrections, and additional anecdotes, either through the comments field below or by sending me email. Feel free to be as detailed as you like or to insert comments or questions. After all, you’re the editor.

It’s an intriuging approach to the editing process - if you subscribe to the view that “many eyes make light work” as far as editing and proofreading are concerned, then the end product should be more robust as a result. But also there’s the ability to get inputs and viewpoints from a potentially-huge range of readers before the book goes to press - so not only are typographical errors less likely to slip through, but the occasionally-inevitable factual howler should be caught too.

It’ll be interesting to see the final result!