Microsoft's "I'm a PC" trucker hat
(Credit: Microsoft)Why must Microsoft strenuously seek to earn the "dork" label that Apple has been pinning on it? In case you missed it, Microsoft is now offering "I'm a PC" gear - like ties and skateboards and probably pearl-encrusted thongs - online for purchase.
This is stupid. It's not stupid because it's Microsoft. It's stupid because no one wants to wear an "I'm a PC" trucker hat. Or, if they do, they have problems that Windows can't solve for them.
Microsoft needs to be defining its image, not letting Apple define it. Why isn't Microsoft telling the story about much of the world's economy being written in Office? "That memo that Hank Paulson just sent to the world's finance chiefs? Written in Word." Or highlighting that the world's youth are growing up with its XBox gaming consoles? Or something that demonstrates that Microsoft is a leader, not a follower?
I'm a Microsoft critic, but it's depressing to watch the company make such a lame attempt at creating its image as trucker "I'm a PC" hats. It can and should do better.
For those who regularly use instant-messaging services like Yahoo Instant Messenger and Microsoft's MSN Messenger, you know that IM spam arrived long ago and shows no signs of leaving. Tuesday, however, I received my first Skype spam. Lucky me.
Unfortunately, I'm not alone. Skype spam is on the rise. It was just a matter of time, and I can't really complain, given all the value that I and my company derive from Skype.
However, the problem that I have with this spam business is that these dirty spammers keep confusing me with a mindless Windows sheep! (See right.)
Now, I can accept many things, but being confused with a Windows user? Unconscionable. :-)
More seriously, when are we going to start seeing spam filtering software and such, much like we have in spades for e-mail? Is there not enough corporate dollars in instant messaging to justify worrying about spam? Today, probably not, but that will likely change. Oracle, IBM, and others seem to think there's lots of money in collaboration tools.
This activity is all in corporate communication tools, but perhaps this will eventually lead to more protection of this sort of communication on the public chat networks, as well.
Now this is cool. I've been thinking lately that a web-based instant messaging (IM) service like Meebo would be all the better if it could be easily integrated into other applications by making itself available as open source. Perhaps my support team could then build it into their support portal, for example?
Well, the folks at soashable have done just that. They've basically built a Meebo clone and licensed it under the GNU General Public License Version 2.
We've got DimDim for web conferencing. Ringside Networks for social networking. SoashableIM for web-based IM. All the tools are there to build some killer, open-source based websites.
AOL is getting a lot of credit for "opening" its ubiquitous AIM instant-messaging software "to open source." However, like Microsoft did recently by revealing documentation to its APIs and protocols, all AOL has done here is open access to OSCAR protocols necessary to create open-source implementations.
This is great, but consider just how much more AOL could have done--and for its benefit--such as open-sourcing its instant-messaging server and client software.
Think about it. What revenue does AOL protect by keeping its IM software closed? Sure, there's advertising revenue from the obnoxious ads it sprays around the client, but that is thinking far too small.
The real money is in abundance. Or in "adoption-led markets," to borrow Sun Microsystems' nomenclature.
... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blogValleywag largely pans it, while Webware thinks it has promise.
Regardless, the central premise of Yahoo's upcoming universal-messaging application dubbed MyM is clear. According to Webware, MyM:
...appears to be joining several Web services together. Included are instant messaging clients like AIM and MSN, along with social services like MySpace, Facebook, LiveJournal, and Friendster.
I like it. For one thing, I get tired of scattering my IM activities--and my company largely works over IM--among different chat programs. That's why I use Adium. But given the promise of also connecting social-networking services with IM, I become much more interested in what Yahoo is up to.
After all, isn't the point of social-networking sites like Facebook.com to connect people? If so, is the best way to connect people really to have them "superpoking" each other all day? I'd rather be able to actually chat with them.
... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
A friend of mine related something very interesting to me the other day. We were discussing the relative value of social networking (Facebook, specifically) over email or "more traditional" ways to connect, given Slashdot's post that "email is for old people."
That struck me as wrong since the 12-18-year olds that I know (and I actually know quite a few since I'm involved in several neighborhood youth groups) may not spend most of their communication in email, but they certainly don't spend it in Facebook or MySpace, either. They take a blended approach, just as I do, and communicate with friends according to how close they are:
... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blogJust heard of a new open source startup and thought I'd share it with you. I don't know much about the company, Process-one, but it sounds interesting....
... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog- prev
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