eBay + RSS + Elvis black velvet paintings = Web 1.5?

One of the benefits of having an open platform means third party developers can push things forward when they want to see new functionality created - and not wait around for it to be pushed out to them.

There are a number of things about this RSS/Atom hack for eBay I like, not the least of which is the author's sidebar about his unabashed fetish for Elvis black velvet paintings that would be perfect in a Tijuana bar circa 1977. This is a developer on a mission.

But my favorite quote lends some interesting context to the Web 2.0 hype:

The Unix philosophy of connecting the input and output of different tools to create new applications (a philosophy that predates the "mashup" Web 2.0 hype by several generations) makes it easy to incorporate Atom technology into existing infrastructures, so you should be able to add Atom notification features to more than just email applications.

thanksgiving at the joneses

Thanksgiving, a one-act play by blythe june jones.

[curtain opens. a family gathers in a cozy san francisco family room off the kitchen née tiny victorian-era drawing room. the aroma of traditional turkey with trimmings fills the air. dining table, center stage, is set for the holiday meal.]

grandfather: honey, did you remember to bring my dirty socks over to wash, so i have clean socks for tomorrow?

grandmother: [chopping celery vigorously] why would i have it on my checklist today to bring your dirty socks over to wash?

great-grandmother: i know. let's pretend it's 1929. give me your socks, i'll wash them in the bathroom sink, and we'll hang them in front of the fire to dry.

daddy: i'm not sure i want dirty socks hanging in front of the fire to dry. we're already packing six adults, a baby, and three dogs into our 1200 sq. foot flat. perhaps we could run out to the shops on a national holiday and purchase more socks.

grandparent's 15-year old swiss exchange student: it is not clear. why did you not just pack more socks?

grandparent's dog: woof

our dog: woof

the dog we're dogsitting for friends: woof woof

mommy: [making salad, mouth agape]

me: [clapping, sticking fingers in mommy's mouth]

[curtain falls]

web 2.0: memoware is the new vaporware?

the technorati are taking a page from political spinmeisters - information dispersion by leaking "internal" memos:

the billg memo machine is back in business. and not to be outdone - ever - wallflower marc benioff responded with an internal memo of his own.

as usual, The Economist analysis of the memo's message and timing is spot on:

"...a barrage of memos signals the emergence of a new generation of
web-based software, often called “Web 2.0”. As in previous cases, what
is new is not the idea itself, but the fact that Microsoft is taking it
seriously."

coding contest for developers

it's been a little busy lately - take a look at what just launched today:

eBay Developer Challenge 2006

Launched in conjunction with our pricing announcement today, i hope developers have fun with this one.