Software, Digital Content, Geopolitics, Economics & More from of a Libertarian Serial Expat and Entrepreneur
Inforworld: "Yahoo will close five of its online auction sites that serve six European countries and instead promote rival eBay Inc.’s sites in the region, the companies said late Wednesday. [...] The closure is part of Yahoo’s company-wide focus on areas where its sees long-term growth and profitability. EBay, under the terms of a multiyear [...]
In: search engines
24 May 2002Several ideas that Google plays with in public, from keyboard shortcuts (Google getting into browser usability), to term sets (get a list of related terms to the ones you listed). Via ResearchBuzz.
In: fun
16 May 2002Rob Flickenger: "If only there were some way of getting into the collective stream-of-consciousness of the crowd, to gauge their actual reactions to what was really going on up on stage… If you’ve never heard of EtherPEG, it’s a Mac hack that’s been around for a while that combines all of the modern conveniences of [...]
In: web services
16 May 2002Joe Lombardo: "I’ve been looking at the google box on drupal and thinking the results didn’t have repeat-use value. Meaning that I am not compelled to check the box each time I visit the site. [...] My suggestion is to have the google box display results that are related to the top 3 articles currently [...]
Received by e-mail: "We regret to inform you that as of May 16, 2002, Jeeves’ Tours will no longer be available. Ask Jeeves will be shifting our resources to our core mission of delivering the most relevant answers to your search queries. We will continue to abide by our privacy policy and have taken steps [...]
Among other points, Rick Bruner argues that the web is starting to be recognized as a viable branding tool. I’m not keen on branding altogether (seems to me it amounts to selling commodities dressed up as dreams), but apparently "big names" are starting to move online (where, with the number of US households now wired, [...]
Meg Hourihan: "To date, many web services discussions have focused on the creation, rather than the implementation, of services. This session takes a user-centered approach and examines what can be done with existing services to easily add functionality to a website. Meg Hourihan avoids the technical vocabulary of web services (UDDI, WSML, etc.) to focus [...]
CNet: "Currently, people and businesses can sell used goods on the site only if Amazon itself offers the same items new. For instance, if Amazon sells a CD by the rock group U2, then it allows a seller to offer a used copy of the CD. This way, Amazon doesn’t need to create new product [...]
"AMZNVista allows you to browse Amazon’s Collaborative Filter ("people who bought this also bought X, Y and Z") data." Another fun Touchgraph mapping application.
I'm CEO of an online trade publishing firm in the marketing and defense verticals. We try to make news and data digestible and useful in an environment that is more noisy each day. This personal blog mixes my thoughts and interests on politics, business, software, and more, based on my business and personal experiences. Over the years I have posted items that turned out spectacularly wrong, and a few posts that stood the test of times better. Personal views only.