[backstage] The future of Television
Backstagers may be interested in joining this discussion http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/11/somewhere_between_voice_a nd_ch.html - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
[backstage] Flash everywhere
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/16039.cfm At the Adobe MAX developers conference yesterday, Adobe showed off their latest Flash player, one that works on both Windows Mobile phones as well as the new Android-based phone, the T-Mobile G1. We are excited to be working alongside Adobe to bring Flash technology to Android, said Andy Rubin, director of mobile platforms at Google. Adobe Flash is crucial to a rich Internet and content experience on mobile devices and we are thrilled that Google will be one of the first companies along with the Open Handset Alliance to bring Flash technology to the smartphone market. Notably absent from the presentation was the popular Apple smartphone, the iPhone. Although Adobe has said they have a Flash player that will work on the iPhone OS, Apple's strict TOS will not allow it into the App Store. I mean, why would Apple let consumers play free Flash based games or watch movies from sites like Hulu when they can instead be locked into iTunes, the App Store and other Apple run platforms? Adobe notes that 98 percent of computers have Flash installed, and it is becoming crucial to have it to enjoy the Internet. That is of course, unless you own an iPhone. Ian Forrester This e-mail is: [] private; [] ask first; [x] bloggable Senior Producer, BBC Backstage Room 1044, BBC Manchester BH, Oxford Road, M60 1SJ email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] work: +44 (0)2080083965 mob: +44 (0)7711913293 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
[backstage] BNP mashups
If you've not heard about the BNP member leak, you've obviously not reading Techcrunch UK http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/11/19/icanhaz-lol-griffin-pix-okthnkzbye/ - icanhazbnp? http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/11/19/bnp-member-list-mashed-with-google-maps-creates-a-sea-of-red-dots/ - The map Ian Forrester This e-mail is: [] private; [] ask first; [x] bloggable Senior Producer, BBC Backstage Room 1044, BBC Manchester BH, Oxford Road, M60 1SJ email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] work: +44 (0)2080083965 mob: +44 (0)7711913293 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
2008/11/19 Ian Forrester [EMAIL PROTECTED]: If you've not heard about the BNP member leak, you've obviously not reading Techcrunch UK I have decided to take down the map Good. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
I totally agree with this comment. I've Twittered as such also: westpier is thinking we should collectively leave these mashups well alone. They don't deserve our attention or interest Best Mark (@westpier) On 19 Nov 2008, at 15:01, Dominic Burns wrote: I'm neither a member nor a supporter of the BNP, but I think it is entirely inappropriate for people to be perpetuating this list, in any form. Ian Forrester wrote: If you've not heard about the BNP member leak, you've obviously not reading Techcrunch UK - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html . Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
2008/11/19 Mark Griffin [EMAIL PROTECTED]: I totally agree with this comment. I've Twittered as such also: westpier is thinking we should collectively leave these mashups well alone. They don't deserve our attention or interest Best Mark (@westpier) At the level of 'lets find out who's in the BNP and see what evil we can perpetrate', I completely agree. But as examples of the risks we all face when we entrust our personal data to organisations large and small, they serve as useful examples, and if exposing them to a wider audience serves to increase peoples' awareness of this issue, there's some merit there. The genie is out of the bottle, anyhow. Peter -- Peter Bowyer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
There is lots of info about the BNP in public domain already. You can use this location based Google application http://local.mpelembe.net tosearch for Youtube Videos within your local area. The application uses Gears Geolocation, Ajax and Youtube APis. Use the keyword BNP to locate BNP videos in your local area. On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 3:15 PM, Rob Myers [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 3:01 PM, Dominic Burns [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm neither a member nor a supporter of the BNP, but I think it is entirely inappropriate for people to be perpetuating this list, in any form. Disbanding the BNP should do it. ;-) - Rob. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Sam Mbale Mpelembe Network http://www.mpelembe.net Follow me on http://twitter.com/mpelembe
[backstage] Public Transport APIs
Doing some research into what feeds/APIs are available from public transport operators and related organisations in the UK - any pointers, anyone? Ta Peter -- Peter Bowyer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Public Transport APIs
Matthew Somerville is your man 2008/11/19 Peter Bowyer [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Doing some research into what feeds/APIs are available from public transport operators and related organisations in the UK - any pointers, anyone? Ta Peter -- Peter Bowyer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Martin Belam - http://www.currybet.net - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Public Transport APIs
Saw this website at the weekend, unfortunately no feeds/APIs as such - public anyway - but might be a starting point: http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/staticwithoutprint.aspx?id=_web2_about_dataproviders -dave - Original Message - From: Peter Bowyer [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:41:18 + Subject: [backstage] Public Transport APIs Doing some research into what feeds/APIs are available from public transport operators and related organisations in the UK - any pointers, anyone? Ta Peter -- Peter Bowyer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
Rob Myers wrote: On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 3:01 PM, Dominic Burns [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm neither a member nor a supporter of the BNP, but I think it is entirely inappropriate for people to be perpetuating this list, in any form. Disbanding the BNP should do it. ;-) Indeed. Perhaps we should disband democracy altogether...or what vestiges remain...and be done with it. 'wink' As someone pointed out elsewhere, Labour were quick to move when their personal details were going to be published re the John Lewis fiasco (for security reasons) and launch enquiries when 'other' personal details of the public are lost or leaked, yet [not so] strangely Jacqui Smith has been quoted as saying I wonder why it is that BNP members are rather more ashamed of their membership. It's not a question of shame, it's a question of security. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
And it was published, by an ex-member of the BNP. (Obviously despite a high court injunction, but when it comes to little things like, say, the law, you don't think it applies to you when copying stuff, do you?) So where's your problem? It's published, it's in the public domain. Rich. On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 3:29 PM, Dave Crossland [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 2008/11/19 Richard Lockwood [EMAIL PROTECTED]: That surprises me Dave. After all, you're always bleating on about how just because information can be copied, it should be copied, and how there's no such thing, morally, as copyright any more, and how all information should be free. Unpublished information is clearly different to published information. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
I'm a little unsure if being a member of a political party is a private or public matter, in fact. 2008/11/19 Richard Lockwood [EMAIL PROTECTED] And it was published, by an ex-member of the BNP. (Obviously despite a high court injunction, but when it comes to little things like, say, the law, you don't think it applies to you when copying stuff, do you?) So where's your problem? It's published, it's in the public domain. Rich. On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 3:29 PM, Dave Crossland [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 2008/11/19 Richard Lockwood [EMAIL PROTECTED]: That surprises me Dave. After all, you're always bleating on about how just because information can be copied, it should be copied, and how there's no such thing, morally, as copyright any more, and how all information should be free. Unpublished information is clearly different to published information. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Brian Butterworth
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
2008/11/19 Richard Lockwood [EMAIL PROTECTED]: And it was published, by an ex-member of the BNP. (Obviously despite a high court injunction, but when it comes to little things like, say, the law, you don't think it applies to you when copying stuff, do you?) So where's your problem? It's published, it's in the public domain. I'm glad to hear you think publishing works means they are in the public domain. I just think they should be redistributable verbatim. Har har. Cheers, Dave (Personal opinoin only) - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
On Wednesday 19 November 2008 16:18:17 Richard Lockwood wrote: So where's your problem? It's published, it's in the public domain. I personally think this is rather tasteless. Privacy matters. Michael - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
[backstage] Free Software in the Cloud
Hi, More on topic: It seem free software for cloud computing is starting to appear - think Google AppEngine without lockin! http://reasonablysmart.com/ http://www.10gen.com -- Regards, Dave - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
2008/11/19 Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED]: On Wednesday 19 November 2008 16:18:17 Richard Lockwood wrote: So where's your problem? It's published, it's in the public domain. I personally think this is rather tasteless. Privacy matters. Just to clarify: I do not support the BNP, do not agree with their foundational concepts, but think they have a right to exist and a right to privacy - as MS says, privacy matters. Cheers, Dave - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
It's your argument, not mine Dave. It's just amusing to see you squirm when it doesn't quite fit what you think you should see as your personal beliefs. Har, and indeed, har. Rich. On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 4:32 PM, Dave Crossland [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 2008/11/19 Richard Lockwood [EMAIL PROTECTED]: And it was published, by an ex-member of the BNP. (Obviously despite a high court injunction, but when it comes to little things like, say, the law, you don't think it applies to you when copying stuff, do you?) So where's your problem? It's published, it's in the public domain. I'm glad to hear you think publishing works means they are in the public domain. I just think they should be redistributable verbatim. Har har. Cheers, Dave (Personal opinoin only) - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Public Transport APIs
Peter Are you, by the way, involved with any of these ideas discussed here http://www.showusabetterway.co.uk/call/2008/07/road-works-api.html http://www.showusabetterway.co.uk/call/2008/10/public-transpor.htmland here http://www.showusabetterway.co.uk/call/2008/10/public-transpor.htmlAs far as I know there no APIs available yet, there is a lot of interest in this area though. On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 3:58 PM, David Johnston [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Saw this website at the weekend, unfortunately no feeds/APIs as such - public anyway - but might be a starting point: http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/staticwithoutprint.aspx?id=_web2_about_dataproviders -dave - Original Message - From: Peter Bowyer [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:41:18 + Subject: [backstage] Public Transport APIs Doing some research into what feeds/APIs are available from public transport operators and related organisations in the UK - any pointers, anyone? Ta Peter -- Peter Bowyer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Sam Mbale Mpelembe Network http://www.mpelembe.net Follow me on http://twitter.com/mpelembe
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
More than your oft-vaunted personal concept of freedom? Just to clarify: I do not support the BNP, do not agree with their foundational concepts, but think they have a right to exist and a right to privacy - as MS says, privacy matters. Cheers, Dave - - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Public Transport APIs
2008/11/19 Sam Mbale [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Peter Are you, by the way, involved with any of these ideas discussed here http://www.showusabetterway.co.uk/call/2008/07/road-works-api.html and here http://www.showusabetterway.co.uk/call/2008/10/public-transpor.html Nope -- Peter Bowyer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
Dave Crossland wrote: 2008/11/19 Ian Forrester [EMAIL PROTECTED]: If you've not heard about the BNP member leak, you've obviously not reading Techcrunch UK I have decided to take down the map Good. IHMO, being a member of a political party (i.e. giving them money) shouldn't be a private matter. For example, all 300,000 Obama donors are listed here: http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80003338 I do realise that there is an issue with the BNP and possibly some other parties, where by being a member you are demonstrating yourself to be an extremist, and opening yourself up to physical attacks from rival extremists. I'm not sure how to deal with that. Robert (Jamie) Munro Ps. In the interests of full disclosure, I've been a member of the Liberal Democrats for several years, not that I agree with everything they have ever stood for. signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: [backstage] Free Software in the Cloud
On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 4:44 PM, Dave Crossland [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, More on topic: It seem free software for cloud computing is starting to appear - think Google AppEngine without lockin! From While some parts of our system may remain proprietary (like our infrastructure specific datastore) we'll always provide enough of our code to make sure that you can run your applications in your own data center if you'd like. We think we'll be able to do it better, but it should be your decision. --- Just like AppEngine then. 'Apache' Licenced sourse code: http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/downloads/list See: http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/source/browse/trunk/LICENSE http://waxy.org/2008/04/exclusive_google_app_engine_ported_to_amazons_ec2/ One of the biggest criticisms of Google's App Engine have been cries of lock-in, that the applications developed for the platform won't be portable to any other service. This morning, Chris Anderson, the Portland-based cofounder of the Grabb.it MP3 blog service, just released AppDrop — an elegant hack proving that's not true. But competition is always good :) http://reasonablysmart.com/ http://www.10gen.com -- Regards, Dave - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Barry - www.nearby.org.uk - www.geograph.org.uk - - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Free Software in the Cloud
Google has posted a App Engine Product Roadmap of sorts: http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/roadmap.html Of interest is Datastore import and export utility for large datasets On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 6:15 PM, Barry Hunter [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 4:44 PM, Dave Crossland [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, More on topic: It seem free software for cloud computing is starting to appear - think Google AppEngine without lockin! From While some parts of our system may remain proprietary (like our infrastructure specific datastore) we'll always provide enough of our code to make sure that you can run your applications in your own data center if you'd like. We think we'll be able to do it better, but it should be your decision. --- Just like AppEngine then. 'Apache' Licenced sourse code: http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/downloads/list See: http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/source/browse/trunk/LICENSE http://waxy.org/2008/04/exclusive_google_app_engine_ported_to_amazons_ec2/ One of the biggest criticisms of Google's App Engine have been cries of lock-in, that the applications developed for the platform won't be portable to any other service. This morning, Chris Anderson, the Portland-based cofounder of the Grabb.it MP3 blog service, just released AppDrop — an elegant hack proving that's not true. But competition is always good :) http://reasonablysmart.com/ http://www.10gen.com -- Regards, Dave - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Barry - www.nearby.org.uk - www.geograph.org.uk - - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- Sam Mbale Mpelembe Network http://www.mpelembe.net Follow me on http://twitter.com/mpelembe - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Flash everywhere
2008/11/19 Ian Forrester [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Adobe notes that 98 percent of computers have Flash installed, and it is becoming crucial to have it to enjoy the Internet. That is of course, unless you own an iPhone. This is what scares me about Flash. Adobe's gaining a monopoly over the internet. Being dependent on one company is a practical drawback as well as an ideological one: there's no Flash for 64-bit Linux, for example, let alone more obscure platforms, and this is a practical barrier to the emergence of new technologies. I feel the same about the BBC's embrace of Flash's cousin Air - it's giving Adobe yet more leverage over the computing public. I can see the pragmatic reasons, but I feel that the BBC has deeper responsibilities than that. Paradoxically, I see the very closed iPhone platform as something of a bulwark against Flash: it's popular enough - especially among a segment of the population that makes technical decisions - that that 2% still matters. I really hope that Apple sticks to its decision over Flash. Paul. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Flash everywhere
Very good thoughts Paul. I'd never thought of it in those terms. Mark On 19 Nov 2008, at 19:19, Paul Battley wrote: 2008/11/19 Ian Forrester [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Adobe notes that 98 percent of computers have Flash installed, and it is becoming crucial to have it to enjoy the Internet. That is of course, unless you own an iPhone. This is what scares me about Flash. Adobe's gaining a monopoly over the internet. Being dependent on one company is a practical drawback as well as an ideological one: there's no Flash for 64-bit Linux, for example, let alone more obscure platforms, and this is a practical barrier to the emergence of new technologies. I feel the same about the BBC's embrace of Flash's cousin Air - it's giving Adobe yet more leverage over the computing public. I can see the pragmatic reasons, but I feel that the BBC has deeper responsibilities than that. Paradoxically, I see the very closed iPhone platform as something of a bulwark against Flash: it's popular enough - especially among a segment of the population that makes technical decisions - that that 2% still matters. I really hope that Apple sticks to its decision over Flash. Paul. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html . Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Flash everywhere
On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 12:19 AM, Paul Battley [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is what scares me about Flash. Adobe's gaining a monopoly over the internet. Being dependent on one company is a practical drawback as well as an ideological one Flash enjoys a natural monopoly which is not entirely the same thing as an anti-competitive monopoly. MS Silverlight or Google Gears came late to the game but there were no barriers to software companies to compete with Flash. : there's no Flash for 64-bit Linux, for example, let alone more obscure platforms, and this is a practical barrier to the emergence of new technologies. Java also failed to deliver on its promise even though write once, run anywhere was central to their strategy. Ideology often doesn't translate to practicality. Trying to support the hundreds of flavors of linux (and gaming consoles and handhelds/microprocessors) can be quite taxing on a company's resources, not to mention more bugs, more regression testing for every feature etc. I feel the same about the BBC's embrace of Flash's cousin Air - it's giving Adobe yet more leverage over the computing public. I can see the pragmatic reasons, but I feel that the BBC has deeper responsibilities than that. Air is aiming to creep into the desktop space. Any why shouldn't it? Java set out to do the same thing. Why should developers have to go through a real hard time and rewrite and recompile their apps for each platform? Paradoxically, I see the very closed iPhone platform as something of a bulwark against Flash: it's popular enough - especially among a segment of the population that makes technical decisions - that that 2% still matters. I really hope that Apple sticks to its decision over Flash. You argument is in itself paradoxical. It's ironic you mention that it's a good thing that Apple doesn't support flash but you don't question their motives. Apple has more interest in controlling the vertical which is central to its own strategy and Apple's own interests have taken precedence. If the iPhone did support flash, Apple's own app store and dev community wouldn't be enjoying much if any glory and they wouldn't be able to extend their iTunes model into the app space. If Apple had really though to put the consumer first, they would support Flash because there are hundres of thousands of games and apps that can run directly off the browser and would add tremendously to the user's value proposition (but they would be free and Apple wouldn't make any money or acquire many developers for it's own platform). And again, the purported claims you make against Adobe Flash are even truer of Apple's technologies that run primarily on Apple hardware, running Apple's OS, sold in Apple stores etc. (remember the first iterations of the iPod didn't support USB? Apple even goes to great lengths to erase any traceable marks on the various chips it utilizes). (That is not to say that Apple's fanaticism about controlling the vertical is a bad thing. It actually gives them agility which is easy to see if you contrast them with Windows Mobile which has to regress each feature update or bug fix across a large spectrum of permutations/combinations of different phones, models, manufacturers, screen resolutions, input mechanisms, localizations, etc). Aleem
Re: [backstage] Flash everywhere
On Wed, 2008-11-19 at 19:19 +, Paul Battley wrote: 2008/11/19 Ian Forrester [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Adobe notes that 98 percent of computers have Flash installed, and it is becoming crucial to have it to enjoy the Internet. That is of course, unless you own an iPhone. This is what scares me about Flash. Adobe's gaining a monopoly over the internet. Being dependent on one company is a practical drawback as well as an ideological one: there's no Flash for 64-bit Linux, for example, let alone more obscure platforms, and this is a practical barrier to the emergence of new technologies. They are increasing the availability of Flash as there is an alpha version of Flash 10 for 64-bit Linux that you can download from http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashplayer10/ Adam - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
Richard Lockwood wrote: Dave Crossland wrote: Just to clarify: I do not support the BNP, do not agree with their foundational concepts, but think they have a right to exist and a right to privacy - as MS says, privacy matters. More than your oft-vaunted personal concept of freedom? I don't really see what the right to privacy has to do with free software or, indeed, freedom in general. Perhaps you could clarify... Tim -- www.tdobson.net If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then each of us still has one object. If each of us have one idea, and we exchange them, then each of us now has two ideas. - George Bernard Shaw - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Flash everywhere
Paul Battley wrote: 2008/11/19 Ian Forrester [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Adobe notes that 98 percent of computers have Flash installed, and it is becoming crucial to have it to enjoy the Internet. That is of course, unless you own an iPhone. This is what scares me about Flash. Adobe's gaining a monopoly over the internet. Being dependent on one company is a practical drawback as well as an ideological one: there's no Flash for 64-bit Linux, for example, let alone more obscure platforms, and this is a practical barrier to the emergence of new technologies. My thoughts exactly. The 98% of (desktop!) computers have Flash installed is a somewhat self fulfilling prophecy... Personally, I don't have flash installed on any of my computers based on the reasoning that pretty much every *real* website worth it's content won't use flash (the websites which are unusable without flash are often big corporate minisites - like film websites) I make do with several things[1] for the likes of youtube, iplayer etc where the content can be extracted without the use of flash... I don't want to get locked into dependence on a flash-dependent world wide web - so I'm not. Tim [1] http://www.blog.tdobson.net/node/168 -- www.tdobson.net If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then each of us still has one object. If each of us have one idea, and we exchange them, then each of us now has two ideas. - George Bernard Shaw - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] BNP mashups
On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 11:03 PM, Tim Dobson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Richard Lockwood wrote: Dave Crossland wrote: Just to clarify: I do not support the BNP, do not agree with their foundational concepts, but think they have a right to exist and a right to privacy - as MS says, privacy matters. More than your oft-vaunted personal concept of freedom? I don't really see what the right to privacy has to do with free software or, indeed, freedom in general. Perhaps you could clarify... Tim Certainly. Dave is forever banging on about how if information can be copied it *should* be copied and shared - not just free software, but anything; music, films etc, regardless of the wishes of the original creator of that information - all in the name of freedom and friendship. So I find it ironic that he's so pleased that the Google mashup using BNP data has been taken down. I'm intrigued to know what he believes is more important - his beloved freedom, or personal privacy (especially as that information is now in the public domain). Rich. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
