(live…but previously recorded as my blog was down when I took these notes. But they are definitely my stream of thought notes during his talk)
Can’t get his OPML demo up - the whole damn wireless connection went down (for many of us at least)
At the same time, in a exhaustion-induced haze last night, I decided to port my blog over to Wordpress - and tweaked my DNS settings, without actually getting the blog set up and migrated. So, in the midst of the big blog conference of the year, my blog…is down. Nice. [ed note: bag up! woohoo!]
Taking on W3C, after a guy who used to be with them asked a question - pointed out how a dominant vendor (wonder who…) actually defined where the Web went, that the standards body lacked the power it claimed.
Definitely priming to be a confrontational style…
Everyone shutting down off the network, so Dave can get an IP and actually do his demo.
Cautioning everyone about getting too into things - too emotional
DEMO - talking up the OPML Editor
I have to say I like the way this works for posting to a blog - treats the series of posts as a document vs. standalone posts.
Very cool for editing blogrolls, lists, etc.
HOWEVER - I’m hoping he gets to the “revolutionary” part of this thing I’ve heard so much about. So far it’s a text heavy blog editing/publishing tool which would be fine for the uber-geek crowd, like hacking with cmd line. Just irrelevant for a typical consumer or biz user…
Still talking about links and list - which I admit is very handing (esp. for blogroll mgmt), but still waiting on the workflow stuff.
He’s talking about how interesting this thing is, but no real demo to show it. Wireless network keeps hosing, BUT still. I have no clue why this is supposed to so radically impact a company like MS (as Dave claimed).
Someone just asked the perfect question - “what exactly did you just demo”? He answered with the title of the app. But I’m curious what the actual substance was. Again…workflow, change the world, all that?
OPML = Outline Processing Markup Language - a way of exchanging outlines. Always wondered that?
I do get the sense that this is hype, for now at least. Might be a victim of too much build up (all the “cover of Newsweek in 3 years” stuff). Still no clue how this functions as a workflow tool. Seems like Dave and Dean Kamen should get together. Segways will revolutionize cities…remember that?
JD Lasica just asked for a new name for OPML, and Dave replied by pointing out the lack of need for a new name for RSS. This misses the point - you don’t want the typical consumer to know (or need to care) what the name of the format is. You want them understanding the ACTION - “subscribe to this news” should be the link you find everywhere. What is it that OPML helps you ACTUALLY DO. Obsessing on the format is not helpful, and ultimately counterproductive. I could care less if your feed is RSS v.whatever, RDF, “XML”, Atom, etc. I just care that subscribing to it lets me keep up with what you’re saying and doing.
Funky stat - only 12% of Americans have passports (Winer). Woah. Audience funky stat - only 6% of Americans will actually read a book this year (commenting on how we need to keep in mind we’re talking to the “elites”)
Marc Canter - OPML Editor can be used to provide structure to other blog platforms (e.g. WP). Good clarification, otherwise it was seeming very locked in.
Do love that term “small pieces loosely joined”. Seems poetic.
Singing yellow submarine. Nice. :)
