Comments on: Different strokes for different folks

By: Jeff Jarvis

Jeff Jarvis — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 01:13:09 +0000

Gawd, I’d love to come. Your coast is just so damned far away….

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 23:21:00 +0000

Creating compelling business cases for open APIs would do lot to “solve” 1) and 2). “This is how open APIs will make you money…” will open more APIs than declaring that users own their data–especially because that declaration is not true until the vendor opens an API. Opening the API transfers data ownership to the users–that’s the whole reason we want them (I think).

I often get groceries at Albertsons. I generate a lot of data. Wells Fargo, my bank, has an overlapping data set. Because those services don’t give APIs–though they might–I don’t own that data. One of WalMart’s principle competitive advantages is owning the data its customers (users) produce. With compelling business cases for user-owned data, could we open those APIs too? What if Target had an API?

By: Alex Barnett

Alex Barnett — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 03:04:04 +0000

Love the list of issues to solve. Very nice.

By: Martin Gordon

Martin Gordon — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 18:19:21 +0000

On your points 1 and 2:

I wholehardedly agree with you. I’m not going to rehash what I said about social network APIs, but the jist of it was that social networks are in a strange catch-22. Without an API, they’re too closed off. With an API, however, they won’t force people to their ad-ridden sites and can’t monetize their huge readership.

By: Dave Winer

Dave Winer — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 11:14:08 +0000

Arrrgh.

It’s not an Open Space thing.

Gregor, PLEASE read the FAQ.

Thank you.

By: Jonathan Peterson

Jonathan Peterson — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 22:51:19 +0000

Dang, now THAT is something I might pay for out of my own pocket. Here’s a suggested addition and the coolest thing I’ve come across in a while - SPARQL
http://www.oreillynet.com/xml/blog/2005/09/sparql_web_20_meet_the_semanti.html

Take 15 minutes, do some reading and grok it Marc. It fits with Structured Blogging like chocolate chip cookies and beer.

By: Shannon Clark

Shannon Clark — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 22:45:39 +0000

I’ve been doing events in Open Space (or participating in them) for over a decade. Michael Herman (who runs the website - http://www.openspaceworld.org/ ) will be helping me with the Open Space part of MeshForum in May - I’d be happy to connect you with him for advice/suggestion/etc on Open Space events.

And the unconference format Dave’s suggesting is certainly one option, but definitely not the only model (and may/may not accommodate the aspect of open space that supports the “law of two feet” - i.e. explicit permission to leave one discussion and join others when you feel that is what you want to do)

Shannon

By: Gregor J. Rothfuss

Gregor J. Rothfuss — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:56:33 +0000

What you are proposing is known as an open space event:

http://www.openspaceworld.com/brief_history.htm

It works quite well despite what some people might claim. But then again these same people only know their prior art when they think it is theirs

By: Sam Sethi

Sam Sethi — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:25:08 +0000

I am confused Marc? You are an open supporter of microformats and structured blogging so why support OPML, RSS and FOAF? I prefer XoXo, hAtom and hCards when combined with other microformats. Here is a great example from Dan Connelly of how this semantic web mashup 2.0 might work. - http://austin.adactio.com/