Tuesday, October 22, 2002

RSS Validator: great! #

Mark Pilgrim strikes again -- this time with a RSS Validator service and code.  I'm afraid that my RSS feed often breaks.  I often write in Microsoft Word and paste into Manila.  Manila doesn't clean feeds for me -- so I will have to take some measures to do so.  (David, you were kind enough to send me references before on how to clean the feeds -- can you do so again?) Even when I correct for the junk that Microsoft Word creates, I still have problems.  Running the validator on my feed shows that I can't have empty links in RSS 2.0 -- even though Manila allows me to do so.  I think that the RSS generator in Manila should dump the URL for my blog in the link field in that case....(Userland, are you listening?)   Posted by Raymond Yee on 10/22/02; 12:07:23 PM from the Web Technology dept. Discuss

exciting news about Mitch Kapor's new PIM project #

Mitch Kapor is going to lead an effort to write an open source PIM (personal information manager).  As Jon Udell notes, one of the striking things about the project is the choice of tools/technology:  Python+ZODB+wxPython+Jabber+RDF.  (I first discovered this news reading Dave Winer's blog, but then discovered that this development is "big news" in the tech world.  See, for example, the Slashdot thread spring from Dan Gillmor's report.  ) I'm deeply excited about the announcement for two reasons.  First, I think that the architecture for 'Chandler' (the new PIM will be named after Raymond Chandler) can possible provide an extensible architecture for us to consider/use in building B-OLE.  Secondly, for a long time, I've been looking for a successor to my favorite program, Ecco.  I haven't stopped using Ecco.  Far from that -- it remains the most important program in my computer world.  However, I long for something that will be able to "grow into" the exciting new developments of software design.  For example, Ecco has no native awareness of XML or web services -- which I believe, will be key technologies for PIMs in the years to come.  Chandler at least holds the promise of rich XML/web services usage.  Of course, Chandler is primarily vapourware at this point. (BTW, not everyone sees Chandler as a good development.  I've been following with great interest, the conversation that Don Park has provoked by arguing that Chandler will end up hurting the software ecology surrounding PIMs.)   Posted by Raymond Yee on 10/22/02; 11:13:20 AM from the Web Technology dept. Discuss