It was done, but for the life of me I can't remember a link. It was a Slashdot story as well. The software drew various coloured bars in your browser window representing the number of articles about a given topic and hence its 'importance'. Each bar was labelled and a hyperlink so it would take you to the story. It was a very clever piece of software. OK, maybe not quite what you wanted but it gave you that "what's important" view instantly.
No, I think Robert Rankin did it best (actually, in more comedic style) with the Armageddon the Musical trilogy. A system of government based on the fact that people are provided with all their needs by sitting and watching Dalai Dan the xxxth re-incarnation of the Lama doing his thing on TV. Of course, it all gets super-surreal with Barry the Time Travelling Sprout (props to the Slashdotter with that nick) and Elvis making appearances. In some way, it's more scary to see the ideas of the twisted Mr Rankin coming to something of a reality...
So few people in the world are going to get this, but it certainly made me chuckle.
On a related note, it would make tagging less obvious. Leaving your sig everywhere you went around London would now require the reader to have a phone.
As so many people have pointed out, it'll be abused and broken in moments, or totally ignored because it's just worthless. What would be more interesting would be the ability to leave video clip messages as well since many new phones are coming with that feature. Superb fun!
1. Which of the two browsers is simpler / less bulky, Mozilla, or Firebox? I don't want something slow loading, bloated with features, and overcomplicated. You know, IE.
Get you some Firefox goodness, it's the lighter weight of the two as it is just the browser and not the suite of applications.
2. Can either of them merge with Windows the way IE does? Running URLs from the Run box, for instance. I don't want to accidentally launch IE by the old methods.
I just tested this and typing a URL in the run box fires up IE evern though I have Moz as my default browser. Weird. Having said that, once you have Firefox on the machine, it'll be open all the time and you won't need that particular function.
3. Does Mozilla still have that stupid "download manager"? How do I turn it off? Every time I wanted to save a file that thing would pop up when I just wanted the simple windows of an IE download that go away when done
It's still there (personally I think it is really useful for checking what you downloaded and where you put something), but can be turned off by going to Edit -> Preferences.. -> Navigator -> Downloads. Do your worst!
You don't have to patent it to be protected from some one else stealing it. The reason you shouldn't be able to patent it is because it will become almost impossible for any hobbiest to write any software that does not infringe on a patent once all the big players have filed all their patents. If I set out to write a web application from scratch, but it turns out that IBM patented a technique (say, of nesting selectable options in a menu), after I have clean room developed something similar then I am going to have my ass kicked as their lawyers sharpen their knives.
What do you intent to patent anyway? You get into a whole MS Patents Grouping Icons debate and whether it makes any sense to be able to patent something so trivial. Laws exist to protect you, the developer, from having your stuff nicked and used by someone else, why patent it?
Dear All, I have received some very useful emails, and have read a large number of useful comments. It's going to take a while to process it all into some semblance of order and all of those who have asked to be kept informed of progress and so on will be. I think it's fantastic that the community exists at all, and when called upon can respond with such alacrity.
If I don't get back to you directly, please drop me an email (although I fear an email slashdotting).
On a final point, this is the only place this email address has been posted and I am now being spammed into oblivion. Damn you/.!
Slashdot Mirror
Tidy!
Cheers man.
It was done, but for the life of me I can't remember a link. It was a Slashdot story as well. The software drew various coloured bars in your browser window representing the number of articles about a given topic and hence its 'importance'. Each bar was labelled and a hyperlink so it would take you to the story. It was a very clever piece of software. OK, maybe not quite what you wanted but it gave you that "what's important" view instantly.
Someone else out there got a link to it?
No, I think Robert Rankin did it best (actually, in more comedic style) with the Armageddon the Musical trilogy. A system of government based on the fact that people are provided with all their needs by sitting and watching Dalai Dan the xxxth re-incarnation of the Lama doing his thing on TV. Of course, it all gets super-surreal with Barry the Time Travelling Sprout (props to the Slashdotter with that nick) and Elvis making appearances. In some way, it's more scary to see the ideas of the twisted Mr Rankin coming to something of a reality...
On a related note, it would make tagging less obvious. Leaving your sig everywhere you went around London would now require the reader to have a phone.
As so many people have pointed out, it'll be abused and broken in moments, or totally ignored because it's just worthless. What would be more interesting would be the ability to leave video clip messages as well since many new phones are coming with that feature. Superb fun!
1. Which of the two browsers is simpler / less bulky, Mozilla, or Firebox? I don't want something slow loading, bloated with features, and overcomplicated. You know, IE.
Get you some Firefox goodness, it's the lighter weight of the two as it is just the browser and not the suite of applications.
2. Can either of them merge with Windows the way IE does? Running URLs from the Run box, for instance. I don't want to accidentally launch IE by the old methods.
I just tested this and typing a URL in the run box fires up IE evern though I have Moz as my default browser. Weird. Having said that, once you have Firefox on the machine, it'll be open all the time and you won't need that particular function.
3. Does Mozilla still have that stupid "download manager"? How do I turn it off? Every time I wanted to save a file that thing would pop up when I just wanted the simple windows of an IE download that go away when done
It's still there (personally I think it is really useful for checking what you downloaded and where you put something), but can be turned off by going to Edit -> Preferences.. -> Navigator -> Downloads. Do your worst!
Hope that helped.
Patent != copyright.
You don't have to patent it to be protected from some one else stealing it. The reason you shouldn't be able to patent it is because it will become almost impossible for any hobbiest to write any software that does not infringe on a patent once all the big players have filed all their patents. If I set out to write a web application from scratch, but it turns out that IBM patented a technique (say, of nesting selectable options in a menu), after I have clean room developed something similar then I am going to have my ass kicked as their lawyers sharpen their knives.
What do you intent to patent anyway? You get into a whole MS Patents Grouping Icons debate and whether it makes any sense to be able to patent something so trivial. Laws exist to protect you, the developer, from having your stuff nicked and used by someone else, why patent it?
Open source all your code. It's too late now (cat/bag/out of). Set an example to the rest of the business community.
Sorry, I can't help myself. A MAN named Pat Beatty married a lady named Beatty Rowell?!? Thanks god she didn't take his surname!
I can't believe this is still moderated as 4.
This is the funniest thing I have ever read on Slashdot.
I am SO going to try the hand winding action.
Stokey
Dear All,
/.!
I have received some very useful emails, and have read a large number of useful comments. It's going to take a while to process it all into some semblance of order and all of those who have asked to be kept informed of progress and so on will be.
I think it's fantastic that the community exists at all, and when called upon can respond with such alacrity.
If I don't get back to you directly, please drop me an email (although I fear an email slashdotting).
On a final point, this is the only place this email address has been posted and I am now being spammed into oblivion. Damn you
Stokey