Mark Fletcher (Bloglines), Scott Rafer (Feedster), Bob Wyman (PubSub) sat together on a panel on the future of RSS.

RSS will not be just for text anymore. We'll see more structured publishing. - Bob Wyman

The future of RSS is Atom.

Old formats will pretty much live forever, so the tools will need to continue to support them.

Just call RSS as it is. Stop tacking on versions. It's more confusing than useful.

Just give one feed. Gives clarity to readers. And there is more to gain from clarity than giving lots of feeds, even if they have different features. Clarity wins over small features. But this does cause some argument with the crowd, who do want these features and want some posts to live longer. IF, and only IF, you have feeds with different content - maybe a category feed - that is ok.

We need to have advertising in the feeds to get paid for what we do. The services are good and valuable enough so let's get paid for it. Let's just find a way that makes it seamless and have the experience agreeable for all. Wohoo! So, here's an ad for you:

What grows out of RSS will be what we see growing on the Internet in the next 10 years.

Audience comment - would like the technical community and the publishers to set the standards for where/how ads are displayed - not the advertisers. Bob says to leave it to the user community. They have not figured it out yet, so user input is very welcome. We need the ads to write the cheques, so let's get it done the way we want it. If Google can seamlessly get paid by ads, let's do it for ourselves too.

Would like to see more embedded comments and comment extensions in the feeds. I agree. Wordpress does it, but others must be configured.

Overall, would liked to have seen more of a directed panel up front. Too quick right into Q/A. These guys have an amazing perspective to teach us things we perhaps may not know to ask or not ask based on the detours we take during Q&A. Lots on advertising in RSS. I am pro advertising, don't get me wrong. I didn't really agree with what was being said totally (mostly with Dave Winer), but that is also a different issue. I would LOVE a panel on RSS advertising in general, But I did want a future RSS centred talk. Oh well.

Technorati Tags: rss, web2.0, aggregator, syndication, atom, gnomedex

There was a demo of MindManager by Hobie Swan of MindJet. MindManager is currently PC only, but Mac is on its way.

What is MindManager? To help manage work in a nonlinear way, which matches the way our brain works. Information is focused on the big picture, branching out into greater detail. It's like a visual map we used to draw when we were taught to brainstorm in order to write essays (at least I was).

1. brainstorm & organize into branching tree
2. look for existing info & drag URL/feeds into tree
3. sketch designs of your idea right in an integrated drawing space on the tree
4. assign tasks & priorities
5. publish
6. rss
7. web search (right click to search & add to tree)

MindManager allows you to organize visual thinking in the same workspace and thought area as you have your factual information, links, pictures and more. Visually, you can open or close your tree to manage your ideas easily and clearly. It can be as simple visually as you want, but contain great drill down information. I just came back from the CTC conference where this was a hot program that many executives were finding extraordinarily useful as their own idea tool as well as for group collaboration. In the latter, you can together work on the tree and, because it is electronic, even though its ideas are like a drawing, you each can take it away for reference use. If you ever want to go back to it, you can "get it" at a glance, rather than reading through a lengthy, unconnected project brief document.

At the same time as having these visual interfaces for reference to those who made it, it is also a great tool to introduce others to the idea topics. It does something that printed lists cannot do. It branches, and that tends to express ideas far more than any long list can. It shows the equality of ideas and what comes out of the subsections. It connects designs with text and all rotates around a central pivot point.

Think it's cumbersome? Rather not. It's as easy as pressing enter to open a new branch. It's really as simple as excel, but much cleaner and clearer.

Technorati Tags: mindmanager, brainstorming, gnomedex, collaboration

Technorati Tags: http://www.technorati.com/tags/brainstorming, http://www.technorati.com/tags/collaboration, http://www.technorati.com/tags/gnomedex, http://www.technorati.com/tags/mindmanager

Continued from part 1...

What's funny - the big ad in the NY Times for Firefox was not successful in your traditional sense. It did not spike downloads. But the buzz did. The way the money was raised, the excitement over getting in, being late, being covered, the size. It spread. The experience led to free press and lots of people talking to their friends. This jumped the downloads. Not the ad.

There is a stumbling block. As open source, people expect perhaps on a higher level that you'll respond to what they ask for. Now, so long as your core development focuses on a good product for most people, you can leave development of niche audiences and their wants to others in extensions. But there is a lot to wade through. You get just a ton of input that is hard to deal with on a small team level.

You need to decide who you listen to and what goes into your core product. So, you cannot look at what all your users do since some are not your target user base. Plus, they usually tell you what the solution is but not the problem - look at what they do, not what they say. The Internet may be broken to some people, but in most cases they really are not the best people to listen to on how to fix it. "The truth is always hidden." - Scott

You should be in open source because you love what you do. If you make money, great. Give it everything. There are options to be funded in many ways. Open source is not necessarily prohibitive for VC funding. As Matt Mullenweg noted, you need that personal capital to stand behind your product or your idea. A VC will fund not just your idea, but your zeal and ability, and what kind of community you are building. A VC will notice that a community is a good measure of success - it's growth and strength will be a good indicator of where your product is going. And you can choose a dual license mode as well if opening up your code completely is an issue. I'm not sure I have this whole conversation completely in here. Plus, there is a variation - "there is the longtail in everything" - Scott

Matt M - you can't just put your code up. You need to take the time to tell your story. Put it on your site and create a story around it.

You MUST have scrreenshots. 90% won't download it without clearly identifiable screenshots. Plus that immediate link to get it and why they need to get it RIGHT now. You need to CONNECT.

Get great publicity. Have a good logo. Have a good design. Use affiliates who put up a Powered By link.

Most of these rules apply to open source as much as proprietary software. You need to listen and decide what to do, to get it out, to build a community, and to spread the word.

Great panel! One of the best today. Thanks!

Technorati Tags: wordpress, mozilla, firefox, open source, gnomedex

Matt Westervelt, Asa Dotzler, Scott Collins and Matt Mullenweg got together for a panel on the future of Open Source. They are all open source guys. We have up there Mozilla with Scott & Asa, Matt M. for Wordpress, and Matt W. for the Seattle Wireless project.

I interviewed Matt not much more than a week ago for the CTC conference (excuse the formatting of that blog) and the future of open source. Quite related, really. But this whole conversation does take a more comprehensive look at where open source is moving.

Firefox hands over their identity and their brand and their code to others. They give their brand to those who are seriously passionate about it. And that community in volume has brought it where they could today. It's true that you can never get a community of passionate people in the same way from just putting out some banners. Word of mouth is powerful. Not because it travels, but because it infuses passion. Their enthusiasm spreads down the chain. And it does not diminish, provided that your product is as good as the word says it is.

A true testimonial is strong for your product. And this is not just purely putting it on your site. This is people blogging about it and spreading their own word. Another cool aspect of word of mouth in the open source world is extensions. When word of mouth gains momentum, other developers come in and decide not just to support that software, but to grow it by adding on to it or creating extensions that really add to the experience. This experience is what starts the spread and what will continue it. And the more integrated, smooth and passionate the user base, the more exponentially it will grow.

continued in next post...

Technorati Tags: wordpress, mozilla, firefox, open source, gnomedex

Technorati Tags: http://www.technorati.com/tags/firefox, http://www.technorati.com/tags/mozilla, http://www.technorati.com/tags/open source, http://www.technorati.com/tags/wordpress

Paul Vogelzang came in to speak about government and RSS as an extension on the panel on Tomorrow's education.

Now, people want information fast. And the government does not always give it out fast enough. Especially during crises. But, it just doesn't get out information efficiently. And that makes people unhappy. Leaves them without the information they need to be citizens. Or to conduct business. Or even just ask a question. Information is a problem. Period. So, blogging reduces uncertainties. Improves processes.

Current online interaction with the government is expensive. A few cents per transactions. And that's not even the phone. Seriously bad way to interact with the government.

Getting government web information and finding it is hard. And they are doing major usability studies to improve this. Hopefully it won't end up as this large unreadable document but rather becomes a way to remove the unneeded information, simplify organization, use RSS and really interact.

RSS is being used in government settings already. But Paul wants to extend it. He works for treasury, and it's not quite there yet. But the Defense department has one. The Forest Service.

Aside from just providing RSS feeds, the government is trying to foster the education to people about what RSS is. I think this shows the responsibility we'd expect, even if it may be long winded.

I think the force of RSS would be really great ally to public communications in government. I really dislike working to get information from the Canadian government alone. There are so many departments, so many pages. That is a web issue, but I think I would love to keep up on some things. Well, security is one thing. But also it would be great to get notices out of copyright changes or small business news. Election coverage. Now, how powerful is that. I'm not talking about getting all the PR flack, but getting the news about how the election is run and teach people about government process.

Anyway, I think I won't rant on the topic of politics, as I was getting there. RSS in government. Power to it.

Technorati Tags: rss, government, gnomedex

Technorati Tags: http://www.technorati.com/tags/gnomedex, http://www.technorati.com/tags/government, http://www.technorati.com/tags/rss

Kathy Gill talks on adopting technology, specifically blogging, into education. Tomorrow's education. Using blogs as an educational tool and part of the curriculum.

Awareness and understanding will lead to adoption.

Persuasion - it will bring skills to kids (one level is writing, another is interacting with topics, the other is most definitely technology). Adoption - learn from others.

"In their weblogs, students exercise critical thinking, take creative risks, and make sophisticated use of language and design elements. In doing so, the students acquire skills that may be useful to them in both scholarly and professional contexts." - Laura Shefler, 2000 [Link]

What about adoption? What does it do?

- media literacy
- course information management
- make those lessons extend - getting people involved on other levels (great for shy, ESL or others to open up)
- summarize readings so they can participate more in class
- give project info
- Group blogging
- user-centred learning

What can you do to get your students to blog:
- use only one publishing tool
- subscribe to their blogs
- comment on their posts at least once a week
- minimum post size
- require comments - make them interact with each other
- have guided questions
- determine grading on quantity or quality

What's missing? They need tools! Come on developers! Kathy wants a tool to count how many times her students are commenting around in her little blog community. And to count how many posts each has written. And, while we're at it, can't we give her a little summary of words per post?

What does this all mean for education?
- technology transformation - time and space are flat.
- blended classrooms
- e-learning 2.0 - open source education will come. Who knows how or in what format. Distributed learning is possible. Do it whenever, wherever
- ourmedia.org - serve the personal content
- Need increased focus on interdisciplinary work - tech not just for geeks, soft skills not just for humanities students.

I am in accordance! Let the geeks and the writers come together and share skills.

You can catch it all at wiredpen.com where she has all the slides.

Technorati Tags: blogging, education, gnomedex, wiredpen

Technorati Tags: http://www.technorati.com/tags/blogging, http://www.technorati.com/tags/education, http://www.technorati.com/tags/gnomedex, http://www.technorati.com/tags/wiredpen