Links of the Week – April 13th
Everybody loves links, so here are my links of the week. As usual, newer links are on top.
Abhisit declares emergency in Bangkok over Red Shirts
Me: Fascinating analysis from Yawning Bread on exactly what is going on in Thailand right now. A must read.
joshua’s blog: on url shorteners
Me: A good post detailing why exactly URL shorteners (like TinyURL) are bad for the web ecosystem as a whole.
Microsoft promoting Drupal | Dries Buytaert
Me: Any more doubts about Microsoft’s commitment to open source software and the open source community in general?
Many Niches Blog Archive Netbooks – Comparing Windows, Apples and Penguins
Money Quote: If Google were right, and the Web was the platform, then people could get by running netbooks using only Linux with Firefox. Unfortunately for Google, things aren’t that simple, and won’t be. In fact, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Twitter guys are demonstrating the power of the Microsoft championed “Software Plus Services.” Yes, you can access Twitter from the web, but the APIs have enabled many third party software pieces that run on phones, PCs, and other end points. You need software to really make Twitter sing (tweet?).
Software is an amazing thing. You have more power in your cell phone than was used in the command modules that put all the men that have ever walked on the moon. Think about that for a moment. Software on those end points (phones, PCs, netbooks, etc) make them special. The hardware is your workbench, and software is your toolset.
The Unhealthy Obsession With DoFollow Blog Links
Money Quote: …comments should be used holistically within a masterplan for getting what you really need: direct link recommendations from bloggers or site owners with a loyal audience, sending you high quality visitors that will convert well.
Social Radar Top 50 Social Brands (March 2009)
Me: Pretty interesting yet unsurprising results. Strange that Mac and iPhone is #4 and #6 on the list above Windows, but yet Microsoft ranks higher than Apple (#8 compared to #11). And in the battle of game consoles, XBox just edges past the Playstation and the Wii (#14, #15 and #17 respectively).
MLB in Social Media Stumble With MLB.TV Blog – Business Center – PC World
Me: First rule in corporate social media – If you are going to use a blog or other forms of social media to connect and interact with your users – you better be transparent and upfront. The moment you pull a stunt like this, you lose all of the goodwill and trust you spent time building up over time.
On a related note: MLB + Silverlight = problems. MLB + Flash = problems. Could it be that technology is really not the issue here but the content provider itself?
FriendFeed Is In Danger Of Becoming The Coolest App No One Uses
Money Quote: Buchheit (one of FriendFeed’s founders) says that there’s no reason multiple players can’t compete in the microblogging/activity stream space and find success. He points to email as an example (and as the creator of Gmail, he knows what he’s talking about). But I’m not so sure that this space will go the same way as email. Twitter’s lead may be insurmountable by anyone other than Facebook at this point.
Mandalay Picks Up Rights for Full Metal Panic Movie
Me: Full Metal Panic is one of my top-3 favorite anime series of all time, so naturally I was stoked to see that it will be adapted into a Hollywood movie. What really surprised me? That so many other anime titles (Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll and Afro Samurai) are being adapted as well. Afro Samurai? Really?
saush.com > Why it is difficult to accept the realities of a downturn
Money Quote: Having knowledge of what makes is hurt so much in this downturn doesn’t really help us get back our jobs or salaries. But knowing that it is human to feel this way, and that everyone is feeling the same way probably helps us face it better.
Great Visualization: Web Trends Map 4 (Final Beta)
Me: This is the latest geek image du jour making the rounds on the Internet. You can also view it with Silverlight Deep Zoom or Zoomorama.
Other ways of getting my links in real time: Twitter, Google Reader, Delicious or FriendFeed.
I may leave out certain links from my feed if I feel the stories have already been covered ad nauseam this week.
