Roland Tanglao's Weblog

As long as Microsoft doesn't neuter flickr (I don't use any other Yahoo or Microsoft services) I am fine with them buying Yahoo! Not that Microsoft cares what I think :-) !

Neutering to me would include:

1. forcing us to use the Microsoft Live ID instead of my Yahoo ID
2. converting flickr to .NET or to using some other non open source system other than LAMP

But in the long run, Microsoft and Yahoo would be better off if they "creatively self destructed" into the following units:

1. Social Media Co - Yahoo Mail + Hotmail + flickr + delicious + MSN, etc
2. Windows Co - Windows XP, Vista and Mobile
3. Office Co - Word et al
4. Xbox Co - gaming
5. etc

But the odds of any of this kind of creative destruction are practically nil.

My apologies to my Southern US friends. My faux accent is meant in the spirit of good fun.

 

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Instead of regurgitating material from big companies like Yahoo who are doing "Web 2.0 by acquisition", why not profile Canadian Web 2.0 startups like eqo, sxip and Dabble DB (at this rate the Globe and Mail will write about them in late 2007!) where the true innovation is happening? And also why do none of these Globe and Mail magazines ever talk about open source? Without open source there would be no flickr, in fact there would be almost no Web 2.0 companies. Finally, it's not right to preach at organizations that they "better wrap their heads around Web 2.0 or they will find themselves stuck in a 1999 frame of mind" when the same author advocated an 1999 style SEO strategy in the Globe's TQ just a couple of weeks of ago. The "authority" of the Globe and Mail is seriously undermined by flawed articles like this one.

FROM Backbone Magazine business technology news consumer technologies e-marketing news online.:

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In short, Web 2.0 may be a coined phrase, but it is also a way of using online tools in a creative and collaborative manner. Software and hardware developers, researchers and scientists, businesses -- especially those with an online customer base -- not-for-profit groups, and even political organizations had better wrap their heads around Web 2.0, or they will find themselves stuck in a 1999 frame of mind.

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In other words does ZoneTag send only the portion of the photo that wasn't yet transmitted when mobile connectivity is lost and regained or does it send the whole photo? It would be cool if it does but somehow I doubt it. My prediction/hope :-) is that Shozu will add this "auto geo tagging based on cell tower" feature really soon now!

From ZoneTag Photos.:

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My photo isn't showing up on Flickr!

That sucks. ZoneTag may have problems contacting the server to upload your photo if you move into a weak cell signal spot. If ZoneTag is unable to complete the upload after several attempts, the photo will be placed into a queue and be uploaded the next time you upload a photo. If your photo was successfully uploaded to Flickr, the photo filename in your phone's image gallery will be prepended with "ZT".

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I don't have enough memory apparently. I wish there was a page I could link to on the Yahoo site but ... oh well there doesn't appear to be one (just crazy form driven pages where the URL doesn't change). I think I'll hold off using this until it actually is small enough to fit on my phone. I am unwilling to erase any of my current apps to work with the Yahoo behemoth :-) ! In the meantime, I will continue to use small mobile apps that are focused and work well (like Shozu!).

Go Susan go! I've been privileged to meet Susan in the real world (awesome dinner with Deeje Cooley, Scott Johnson founder of Feedster at BloggerCon I, brief but great chat with her at BloggerCon III, Dave please can we have a BloggerCon IV?). Yahoo is lucky to have her! Great passion and depth of knowledge.

From Susan Mernit's Blog: Newsflash: I'm joining Yahoo!.:

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As Rafat Ali reported earlier today, I am joining Yahoo as Senior Director, Product, for the Personals team, starting January 23rd. I'm excited by the opportunity to focus on one product, energized by both the team and the general Yahoo ethos (and campus-wide talent), and delighted to be working 7 miles from home--a huge change from my usual cross-country commute. I've had some good opportunities in the past few months, but I've always thought working for Yahoo would be a good fit, and Personals seems like a wonderful spot for someone obsessed both with transactional sites and with social media(that would be me.)

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Not quite mainstream but this is the next step. Coming soon to millions of Yahoo! users, tagging! Great news. Congrats to Yahoo! on acquiring yet another cool small team!

From del.icio.us: y.ah.oo!.:

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We're proud to announce that del.icio.us has joined the Yahoo! family. Together we'll continue to improve how people discover, remember and share on the Internet, with a big emphasis on the power of community. We're excited to be working with the Yahoo! Search team - they definitely get social systems and their potential to change the web. (We're also excited to be joining our fraternal twin Flickr!)

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Go Yahoo go! I blame this RSS-ification on the Canadians from flickr :-) !

From RSS is Now Integrated into Yahoo Mail and Alerts.:

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Yahoo gathered a small group of bloggers, press and others at Sauce in San Francisco tonight to announce the launch of two new RSS products. They have integrated an RSS reader directly into Yahoo Mail Beta, and are expanding Alerts to include RSS feeds.

These are significant new products, aimed squarely at new and mainstream RSS users. The service is not live as of the time I am posting this. I've added a screen shot picture from the live demo.

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