Tech and Computers

I believe in web 2.0

Feb 25th

As you may know I’m pretty excited about the term web 2.0 I know it’s on the chopping board because frankly people think it’s a fake term. Well I don’t, I love the term and have embraced it like a cozy blanket. I love that it seems to wipe everything pre 2.0 out and sets a new standard for web functionality and design. I truly believe the sites responsible for kicking off web 2.0 in all it’s glory is Twitter, Face-book, and Google. They have defined that simplicity is more important then flash and a smarter design means it’s easier for people use.

If I had a mantra for web design it would be 2.0, I know some people are about to throw up on their computers that read this lol

Here are some bullet points I like in Web 2.0:

Simplicity – With websites like Twitter, Google and Facebook patheing the way for simple but smart designs. I definably see a great trend coming from this.

Less stuff on a web page – I think more people are getting multiple domains and splitting up what used to drown a single domain.

Visitor involvement – I know about you but I’m opinionated and appreciate being heard.

No we all know opinions differ. There are those who see the term Web 2.0 as a fatuous buzzword without weight behind it, while others acknowledge it as a name synonymous with a 2nd generation of online capabilities and utilities in terms of web development and design. So what’s the reality? Well, while everyone is entitled to his or her opinions on what Web 2.0 is or isn’t, it is lately recognized as the term people use to describe the more communicative and widely used, people-friendly online environment that is globally embraced today. The term is used to refer to the means that communicating, the sharing of data, interoperability and associations are implemented on the World Wide Web. It is reflective of the era of Web 2.0 that the progression of web-based communities, host services and web-based applications has been so rapid. Since its inception (after the year 2000) there has been an upsurge in the popularity of social-network sites, media-sharing sites, wikis and blogs.

The person accredited with coining the phrase Web 2.0 is Darcy DiNucci, who made the reference in an article entitled Fractured Future. In her text, DiNucci described the web as it we knew it then to be in embryonic form which she predicted to evolve from a series of static screens to something more in the vein of a ‘transport mechanism’. She envisioned how the web would indeed spread and be made accessible through TV sets and cell phones, joking that even the microwave might one day be equipped with web connectivity. While DiNucci’s observations were incipient and at the time thought by some to be on the whimsical side we can see now that much of what she said has become reality. So much so that the reference Web 2.0 which we attribute to her has since been embraced by others, most famously in 2004 by Tim O’Reilly during the O’Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference. The general consensus is that Web 2.0 refers to the collective revolutionizing of the ways developers of software and web users utilize the World Wide Web.
Distinguishing features of what is widely termed Web 2.0 are:

Easier searching — Web searching is now easier and more productive due to the efficacy of keyword searching.
Relevancy — Effective and valuable link building from one relevant site to another — both in and outgoing.
Ad-hoc guides to pertinent information and authoring — The ability to create and constantly update content using a platform that experiences rapid evolution — an originally small amount of content is in a continual state of renewal and expansion due to updated and interlinked submissions. In wikis, for example, the content is open to reiteration. Users see fit to upgrade, edit and alter each others’ contributions, resulting in informative collective works. In the case of blogs, content has a cumulative quality — posts and comments build up over time, attracting both visitors and active subscribers.
Tags — The categorization of content by creating tags: these are simple, one-word user-determined descriptions put in place to facilitate effective searching. The greatest advantage of tags is the avoidance of rigid, pre-assumed categories. In short, the creator or administrator can decide on numerous categories, some of which he or she may invent, under which to tag content.
Domain extensions — In the beginning there was DOT COM. Now there are ever more extensions to choose from. Some will bear relation to the geographical location of a given business, such as .co.uk or .de extensions, (the United Kingdom and Germany respectively). Others have more convoluted connotations, but all have their value.
Algorithmic power — Powerful algorithms that leverage the World Wide Web as an application platform as well as a matured collaboration environment.
Signals — The facilitation of RSS technology allows users to be informed of online content changes with immediacy.

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Testing my WP to Twitter plugin

Feb 13th

Posted by chaze in Tech and Computers

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I just installed a new plug-in for my personal blog called WP to Twitter. It should re-post my blog posts to my Twitter account and shorten and URLs if any. For example my blog about page is: http://www.charlesyarbrough.com/about/ and here is the URL to my Twitter Page: http://www.twitter.com/dwhs

It looks to have worked perfectly, great plug-in!

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iPhone Tethering

Dec 30th

Posted by chaze in Tech and Computers

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Using a cell phone for internet access goes back to the mid 90’s. Back then it was easier then now ironically because you just used the phone as a modem. Now 15 years later we have high speed throguh g3 networks

As Apple’s music event draws closer, there’s plenty of speculation that a new version of iTunes might be nigh–and with it, a pwn-resistant version of iPhone OS 3.1. So with a healthy fear of Apple’s anti-hacker scheming, it bears mentioning that not all iPhone workarounds involve offending the Cupertino gods. And not all involve downloads, or Terminal commands, or actual work. This is one such workaround.

This dead-simple iPhone tethering fix isn’t new, but with all the flotsam of Apple coverage surrounding MMS and new iPods, it seems to have been lost in the mire. Three reasons you should care:

1) It works flawlessly via Bluetooth or USB, giving you mobile 3G anywhere.

2) It incurs no extra charges (that I’ve found with my AT&T account)

3) It takes 10 seconds to enable, no computer needed, and

4) AT&T knows of the fix, and they’re tolerating it, according to PC Magazine.

Alright, so that’s four reasons–but let’s get to the tethering.

Here’s what you do. First, go to this Australian blogger’s Web site using Mobile Safari on your iPhone: help.benm.at/help.php

Then, scroll down to “Tethering and Internet Settings,” and click the download button next to “Mobileconfigs”. (You’ll have to select your country first.)

After that, enter the Network Settings menu inside your iPhone (Settings –> General –> Network). You’ll now see an option for “Internet Tethering. Go ahead and turn it on.

Once your phone is set up, pair it via Bluetooth or USB, and set up it up as a Network Interface. (On Macs, the Bluetooth wizard will present this option automatically.) Once enabled, your phone will register as an Internet connection every time it’s near (or plugged into) your computer, so you don’t have to go through the pairing process each time. Instead, each time you connect to your phone, you’ll see a message like this.

Here is a youtube tutorial on it.