Exploring Weblog Neighbourhoods with Blogdex.
Inspired by Mark, and Dave, I've been doing a bit of neighbourhood exploration hacking of my own.
DJ has made a cool little script that gives you the chance to see which neighborhood you belong to.
Here is the url to check out my neighborhood:
http://www.pipetree.com/~dj/cgi-bin/bdexp?url=http://weblog.bergersen.net/
[Via Jon Udell]
In the paper "Opening the Open Source Debate", scheduled to be released friday by the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, there are claims that Open-Source leads to less secure software than with proprietary software. The report warns goverments against relying on Open-Source software for national security. What is interesting is that Microsoft funds the Washington based think-tank.
The Register - Open source invites terrorism - study:
We imagine the argument will have to go something like this: Microsoft software is safer because the company carefully conceals its security flaws; thus evil terrorists will never find them on their own. But with open source products, the Evil Doers will be able to audit the source code and find novel weaknesses they can exploit to bring Christendom to its knees.We say that because we know they can't possibly try to argue that MS offers inherently more secure products. Although they might; as our friend Richard M. Smith points out, the Institution takes money from Redmond.
Wired - Did MS Pay for Open-Source Scare?
"It is not our policy to comment on supporters; I'm sure you can understand. From this you should not infer that information you have is correct or not correct; we just don't comment," Fossedal wrote in an e-mail."These folks really need to be more straight-forward about this," security researcher Richard Smith said. "Not commenting makes it appear as if they have something to hide."
To me it seems like this package of FUD, apparently appearing from Redmond by ways of the Microsoft funded think thank, is going to backfire on Microsoft.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to run this by you all, but if you are a MovableType user, and haven't read the install notes, then shame on you, and please make sure to fix this "security problem".
If you followed the installation manual, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. If you just installed it without making sure to remove some important files after the install (which is very clearly pointed out in the manual), then you are in trouble. Seems like there is quite a lot of people not making sure to remove these files after installation.. But I am sure that doesn't apply to any one of you guys and gals out there :-)
Chris Hileman:
there is a hacker or group of hackers out there who are getting into MT blogs. It is not a problem with MT but it IS a possible problem with installation. If you did not delete you mt-load.cgi or your mt-updrade.cgi DO IT NOW! These hackers are running these files which writes the default user back into the user database. That then allows them to access you blog and reek havoc on it. Again, make sure to delete thoses files ASAP!
[Via PocketBlog]
PS: Which reminds me about a story that Wired was running just a day or so ago: "Read The F***ing Story, Then RTFM"
Nice to see Phil Chung have his own weblog up and running.
He has taken the time to counter some of the comments that has been made about his XML Flash reader and the RSS Flash reader.
Seems like both my RSS news reader and the Macromedia XML reader are getting more exposure than I expected. It's interesting to hear some of the comments coming from a variety of sources...several of which are counting out these readers BECAUSE they are made in Flash.
Read his comments in full.
Every week Megan Stevens picks a site for its design and execution. Website of the Week is a site to check out weekly if you want to get some good inspiration from great design.
Mike Chambers has done it again, today he has put together a very comprehensive list of resources, articles etc. about Flash components. I can't imagine that he has overlooked a single link. If you see any that is missing, let him know - he is sure to add it to the list.
Macromedia has announced the winners of their XML Feed Contest.
I am not surprised that Phil Chung got the "Most Creative" award for his implementation of the XML newsfeed. He has gotten a lot of well deserved attention for his implementation.
The prize for "Best Site Integration" went to Timberfish, their implementation is clean and in Flash. Giving it the same font scaling problem that most other Flash implementations have today. In this case an HTML representation of the feed would probably have been better, or they should have choosen a more dynamic way of showing the content. IMHO.
[Via Mesh]
Doubleyou has made a very cool little soccer game, warning: Its addictive! The objective of the game is to keep the ball in the air, which is not that easy. One of the coolest things about this game is the crazy vocal sounds included.
I am not often blown away anymore by web design. I have been surfing the web since 1993 - been with it since there wasn't a browser with image support, and "seen it all". So, I guess what I am saying is, I am not easily impressed.
But Lauri Mueller's Minnesota Gardener weblog, based on the same weblog system I am using - MovableType (yes, amazingly - its true - it dosen't have to look as bad as this) just blew me away. And she's a Flash designer too, too bad I am happily married, or I would have flown over and proposed to her on the spot. ;-) And I think I would offer my right arm to have this girl redesign my weblog.
Found the link to her site at "What Do I know", which is another impressive implementation of the MovableType blog software.
Oh, PS: Branden Hall has updated his weblog to use MovableType too...
Robert Hall has dug up some information about Forrester Research on Macromedia and MX
All of us developers and users of Flash MX, and other Macromedia products know the value and power that they hold, but the corporate IT weenies and muckity-mucks don't always know and often need a good hand holding and spoon feeding of data to make their pillows soft at night.
Amen to that Robert (yeah, I know - I am one of them obnoxious developers)
Robert found some good links for those of us that don't have enough money to shelf out for Forrester and Gartner research papers all the time, but still want/need the quotes ;-)
Reports about Flash MX at Forrester
Reports about Flash MX at Gartner research
[Via Feasible Impossibilities]
Nice to see that Phil is getting the attention he deserves for the great Flash MX work he has been doing with his Macromedia XML feed reader.
Jon Udell writes about it, so does Dave Winer. I think Dave needs new glasses *g*. At the same time, it does show the problems with traditional implementations with Flash MX, there is usually no way to really scale the text up in a nice way. As far as I can understand, its just an implementation issue.
[Via JD on MX and Dave Winer]
Apple has released the public beta of Quicktime 6. Including support for Flash 5.
[Via SwfNews]
