RSS

I've been mucking about with RSS today. Some of it seems to work better than others. The news ones are good, but I can't ever imagine myself RSS-ing a library page. The very idea ...
I still find it easiest just to flick through my bookmarks though - if you're RSS-ing, you still have to remember to go to Bloglines to look. There just aren't enough hours in the day ...

Hum

I wonder really, in spite of me volunteering to sign up for the official blog trial, whether blogging is really the business. There's a good article here from The Guardian by Victor Keenan, making the point that really, it's peer-to-peer networking (forums etc) which really engage people:
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2054402,00.html
I'm with him on that. If I blog, I've no idea if anyone's listening. Why should they? It's a bit egocentric. But if I post to a forum, I know I've got not just an audience, but a peer group populated by enthusiasts, who generally know what they're talking about and will share information and ideas with you. It's the website/forum combos that I really enjoy, if I'm honest. I've never really believed in publishing unless you've got something original to say, and I feel the same about blogs.
Hum.

My name in lights

Now I really am just playing. Today I've been looking at Flickr mashups, most of which seemed pretty pointless to me, but the Flickr speller (http://metaatem.net/words/) did amuse me:

Nice. Only problem was, I couldn't work out how to output it as a single file, so I ended up saving it as separate letters, and uploading each one individually. I know how to make something hard work.

Chaos

Chaos
Originally uploaded by ► Jim.

I found this image on flickr today, and I liked it for two reasons. One is, it was taken around Hathersage, one of my favourite places for walking, exploring, and thinking. The second is, it shows how I feel about my life. Which way should I go? (I know really). I also like the fact that the photographer has called it 'chaos'. I've spent a lot of time trying to impose order on chaos, being a librarian, but in the end, I found it's much easier to be happy if you accept some chaos into your life - it'll always be there.

Wild frontier

I haven't posted to this blog since last July, but hey, it's never too late.

Things that interested me this week:

A couple of points raging about online information and communities.

First is whether we need a code of conduct for web communications:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2053530,00.html
Seems to be based around the case for anonymity or otherwise and whether freedom also means the freedom to abuse other webbers to the point of harm. Vitriol can be amusing, but I wouldn't want to be on the end of it. On the other hand, I'd say the web thrives on being self-policing. The web represents the best and worst of humanity, that's the way it is. We can be great, we can be unspeakably rubbish. No point expecting the web to be 'clean' if we have our hands dirty as a species, but I'd like to feel the aspirations to greatness outweighed the depravity.

Secondly, is wikipedia finished?
Larry Sanger thinks it is:
http://blog.citizendium.org/
He's set up Citizendium as an alternative, based on a model of 'good governance'. It seems that Sanger, O'Reilly and Wales have taken fright at the Frankenstein's monsters they have created. Too free, too messy, too confusing - requiring the engagement of some kind of intelligence and discretion which I guess they don't think we possess. I don't mind good governance myself, as long as it's only by me. I rarely accept anyone else's, unless they have earned my respect through wisdom, imagination, humour and compassion, ie my very few good friends and fellow travellers.

What am I reading this week?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hegemony-Survival-Americas-Global-Dominance/dp/0141015055/ref=sr_1_1/026-1594913-1839636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176374558&sr=8-1
Just fabulous. Wit, compassion, hope against hope, massive intelligence. And I've got to finish it soon because I'm on my second library recall. As a librarian, this means I will shortly have to fine myself. But it's a snip at £7.19 on amazon. Go on, what else would you spend it on? Pointless consumerist drivel?