Google makes itself at home…

Sun Apr 9

Recently I read about the new Google beta service with great interest. No just because only a few short months ago I was looking for a house myself, but because I have an idea (yes, another one) somewhere in the back of my head about developing an online house search/rating/buying application. As Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Watch rightly said, Google have really just linked their database system with their mapping service.

In effect, they’ve mashed up themselves.

Which is fine, commendable even. But this is Google, and to be honest I want a little more. Where’s the facility to one-click-email myself house details that I like the look of? Where’s the facility to rank and rate houses based on what features they have? Where’s the facility to compare the price of this house with comparable houses in the same area? Still, it is in beta, so whoa knows what they’ll cook up eventually.

Doing the right thing…

Sat Apr 8

Daniel Champion is web development manager at Clackmannanshire council, and a fine human being. How do I know that, seeing as I’ve never met him? Simple, he is a standardista. And not only that, but he is a standardista for a government website, and that is fantastic.

This quote sums it all up for me:

There is something of the obsessive about anyone who is responsible for a successful, quality website. It’s born out of wanting to do the right thing and do it well - a view that is now being reflected in an emerging professionalism in the industry, where a commitment to web standards and accessibility is a key characteristic of successful, respected developers.

A few thoughts…

Tue Apr 4

Firstly things seem to be going OK with my new website hosting package, although I have noticed a few little niggles when installing my project management system, but nothing I can’t handle.

Secondly I seem to have lots of things on at the moment - when do I not? - and have less and less time to do them. I’m getting too old for burning the candle at both ends, and frankly it makes a bit of a mess on the table. So when I get to finish (finish? more like start) the things I said I’d do is anyones guess. You’ll just have to hold your breath.

There is one other thing I noticed that I wanted to share, though. A certain large techology company has recently had an advert on TV advertising a new model of digital camera. The music that was playing in the background was your usual cool-sounding, never-heard-of-it-before underground vibe. And right at the beginning of the advert, in small text, appears the name of the artist.

Obviously Sony, for it is them, want to get a slice of the viral pie, and I don’t blame them. There’s been some big sales come from the background music of a TV advert (that’s where I first Royksopp). And let’s not forget that Sony own a rather large portion of the music industry as well. What’s the betting this new artist is one of their new signings?

So all in all a good idea. It certainly made me stop in my tracks, and I wonder how many others will stop to listen as well.

We have moved!…

Mon Apr 3

I’m now running from a new web server, thanks to Dreamhost. Let me know about any problems or emails you’ve sent me that I haven’t answered, they probably got lost in the ether..

There’s something fishy afoot…

Sun Apr 2

It appears that Microsoft have hijacked / legitimately gained hold of a pretty important part of the domain name system (DNS). Let me explain: click this link (opens in a new window): http://http://www.test.com. Where do you end up?

Yes, that’s right, microsoft.com. Somehow they have managed to get the right domain name, or part of the DNS system, so that badly-typed links go straight to them. That is bad news, because the web doesn’t belong to Microsoft, it belongs to all of us. It reminds me of the tactic of a certain organisation not long ago who hijacked the DNS ystem for their own nefarious purposes. It didn’t work then, and I hope it doesn’t work now.

I found this when clicking a couple of slightly wrong links over at Andy Budds website. Try any mix of http://http[anything you like], I think it will work the same for you - no matter what browser you are using. If any of you don’t get the same effect please let me know.

Something must be done, and fast. Microsoft: you are badly out of order.

Update: OK, I must be going mad. I tried this on another machine, lo and behold I wasn’t sent to Microsoft. I was sent to Google. I must be going mad. But then you, and I, knew that already.