Google Base is probably not for everyone. It seems particularly suited for people who have information to share but don’t already have a platform or audience. Businesses may find it more useful. Google suggests posting all types of content, including a database of products, weblog posts, or news articles. There is an interface for bulk uploading data, and I suspect there will be an API eventually, making it easier to provide Google with even more data and giving businesses new interfaces for their content.

It’s still unclear to what extent Google may use the data provided by content owners other than simply adding it to their main search index. A recent press release says, “The goal of Google Base is to improve the overall quality and breadth of Google Search results by collecting even more information about a wider diversity of content.” However, with so much data available, I wonder if Google isn’t planning to somehow market its offerings.

A friend gave me the following poem several years ago when I was in a simliar position so I decided to post it here. It was written in the 1920s by Max Ehrmann. More information about the poem is available.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Written by Max Ehrmann

That’s why I was a bit frustrated to learn about Explorer Destroyer, a new tool which refers Internet Explorer users to download Firefox. It uses Javascript to detect Internet Explorer and display a message and a download link. Combined with a Google AdSense account, you can earn $1 for each person who switches to Firefox. There are three levels of intensity (or annoyance for Internet Explorer users who encounters this), ranging from including a large banner at the top of a page to preventing access to a site altogether.

There are plenty of ways to welcome new visitors to a website. Requiring them to download and install Firefox, even if it is a far suprerior browser, is not one of those ways. Furthermore, this seems to be a direct violation of Google’s AdSense Program Policies. I’m glad to see such an interest in convincing Internet Explorer users to switch to to other browsers, but it’s important to remember to do this responsibly.

I love the iPod interface for the most part, but frequently when I’m using it I keep wishing there were a way to somehow cross-reference songs and albums related to the song currently playing. For instance, sometimes I hear a song which reminds me of another song from the same artist. I’d like to be able to easily jump to the list of songs by that artist. Going back to the menu and then searing through the list of all artists is really too much of a bother, don’t you think?

This year I’m going to be there. I’m going to be a part of the magic. I’ll be living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during that time so I may drive to Austin. That could be fun. I’m already very excited and a bit nervous about seeing so many people I only know through blogs. If you’re going to be there, let me know.

I’ve been so busy with client work the past few weeks that I’ve not been able to give this site much attention. I’ll be tweaking and adding to the design over the next month or so. However, I’m please with the overall look and feel. I was going for something simple.

What do you think about the new design? Leave a comment or contact me directly.

Today I finally moved up in the world of mobile phone technology by purchasing a Motorola E815. Verizon Wireless, whose service has been very reliable for me the past few years, doesn’t have a lot of great phones to choose from when compared to some of the other carriers. The E815 has tons of great features along with impressive call quality and battery life. Unfortunately, and this is so far my only complaint, the phone maybe one of the largest and heaviest I’ve owned. I don’t need for my phone to be attached to me at all times so this isn’t such a big deal.

Syncing up

Being a recent Mac convert, I was pleased to find that I can painlessly transfer all of my contacts from Address Book to the E815 using the newest version of iSync (2.1). This is really nice considering I don’t find it very entertaining to spend hours entering names and numbers I’ve already entered in another place. Apparently if you’re a Windows-only user you’re not so lucky. Verizon sells this as an accessory.

Dial-up networking: using the E815 as a modem

Perhaps one of the most useful Bluetooth features, the ability to use the E815 as modem for internet access, is not supported by Verizon. Fortunately, there’s plenty of resources available for making this work. I found that if you dialed ## DIALUP (that’s 342587) very quickly, dial-up networking will be enabled. Then I followed this tutorial, which was actually written for the Motorola V710 but still worked. The tutorial says to select Sprint PCS Vision as the modem script, but I found that the Verizon Support script works as well. I’m not sure if one is preferrable.

I’m able to connect at 230 kbps, and while there’s some latency it’s definitely very usable. I plan to use it only in the rare event that I need access and don’t have a better alternative such as WiFi. While researching this I found that many people have Verizon’s VCast service, which costs $15 per month. I do not have this service; I just have Mobile Web. I don’t know if having the VCast service would affect the speed, but I doubt it. I’ve also read that some people have had problems connecting when outside of their local calling area (on Verizon’s extended network). I’ll check this out for myself the next time I travel.

In user testing, we often observe the following behavior: When people are finished using PDF files, Word memos, PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets, and similar documents, they click the window’s close box instead of the Back button. This gets them out of the document all right, but not back to the Web page from whence they started.

This advice seems to conflict with Nielsen’s own previous guideline of not opening new windows for web users, but he says it does not because “users don’t view a PDF file as being the same environment as a website.” Therefore Nielsen says to open non-web documents in a new window, warn users before doing so, and remove any browser toolbars (such as the back button) on the new window.

Implementing this is no problem if your web page is XHTML Transitional. Simply append target="_blank" to any link tag. But what about XHTML Strict? I found that the solution has already been reduced to three options at SimpleBits.

My method is to use XHTML Transitional if I must have links open in new windows. Sometimes I have used XHTML Strict with JavaScript, but it’s important to keep in mind that if JavaScript is turned off in the user’s browser the link will open in the current window.

She is releasing a set of six bootleg CDs from live performances on her recent tour. The first two will be released August 30 and can be purchased from Tori Bootlegs. A tracklisting as well as previews of each track are also available. The four other discs will be released later in the fall.

Also, Everything Tori is a great site loaded with tour information, photos, and other content. The site was developed by Turntable and is standards-based.

Update: Three additional CDs have been released, and the sixth will be released December 6. You can get the sixth CD free by purchasing the first five.

What about mobile search? Google has apparently acquired Android, a maker of wireless data handsets. It will be interesting to see how Google may use the technology.

I had thought that it would be a relaxing trip. I might do some shopping, visit Yellowstone, and maybe even go on a short hike. Instead I ended up going on a 17-mile, 6,000-foot climb up Middle Teton. The climb began at 4:30am and lasted just under 13 hours.

I managed to take some half-decent pictures which I posted to Flickr.