One she doesn't cover: To include a blank line, add an element with a space as its name: <item name=" "/>. [Workbench]

10:04:39 AM    

For Radio Users Only

I just heard from a fellow Radio user who lost his radio.root file.  Have you backed up yours lately?  If not you should.  When that file goes down then you are pretty much hosed.

Who Me?  Yup.  Backed it up, zipped it and moved it onto a different box, in a different state.  Paranoia thy name is me.

2:32:58 PM    

Gotta Read New Web Site Architecture

This article from the Center for Technlogy in Government, "XML a New Web Site Architecture" definately fits into my category of Gotta Try or Visit. This short 25 page paper is one of the most concise and clear explanation of why all web site operators should be taking a close look at making the shift from html to XML.

Particularly for organizations that host huge volumes of complex information on their web sites, and which involve potentially hundreds of content owners. The creation and maintence of this information using the old "hand coded" approach to web sites, where content and presentation reside in the same html file are a recipe for very expensive creation and maintence costs.

That in essence is the major rationale for the shift form html to XML, the separation of content into one XML file that is maintained by the content experts, while the presentation of that content is the responsibility of the communications designer who designs the layout for print and screen products. While the web developer formats conetnt for display using XSL stylesheets.

So in essence the workflow could be author the content in one XML, and the presentation logic in XSL, then if the content changes you only makes changes to that one XML file. This logic extends to interactive database oriented content as well.

All this said, the Center for Technology in Government's 25 page document does a much better job of explaining this, and is well worth your time reading it.

To obtain this report, go to the CTG web site at:

http://www.ctg.albany.edu/

11:05:08 AM    

Real Radio Blog Power

one of the key advantages of the Radio Userland technology is that it has the potential to put the power of web publishing squarely in the hands of the content owner, regardless of content area. In that way, it is disruptive technology in that it breaks down the chain of, dare I say unnecessary intermediaries, that convert the information from the content experts into a web consumable format. In the old style mass media approach we see still as the norm, stories are picked up various news clearinghouses, and franchised through the various news channels, so that in essence, a lot of papers you pick up, run the same stories, only are published for different local markets. The same danger, exists with the Radio blogging technology, it is so easy to use the news aggregator function, and simply post, what everyone else has posted ad nauseum. So in future, I will try to do a lot less of this, in a foolhardy goal of populating my blog with more content, and instead will try to focus on content more worthy of your attention.

An example of two unlikely sources or examples of powerful use of the Radio Userland technology, I would have to say that the State of Utah is the best single demonstration of what I would say is a more deep and strategic thinking about how to use Radio Userland technology, two blogs that demonstrate that are, David Fletcher's at:

http://radio.weblogs.com/0110120/

the other key example is Phil Windley's radio blog at:

http://www.windley.com/

when I was in the private sector I  met with government CIOs across at least one country in North America, from that experience I would have to say that the insight I saw expressed in Phil's blog, and how the state of Utah has implemented Radio blog technology is truly outstanding.

This technology is deceptive, because you can have a non-techie like me empowered to publish within knowing html, while at the same time the technology supports powerful technical standards like XML, XML-RPC and SOAP, with incredibly powerful capabilities around the corner.

The two government oriented blogs above, are demonstrating the potential the Radio Userland technology has to serve public interests in an very inexpensive, but effective manner!

As the Aussies say: "Good on you!" to both Phil and David.

8:55:01 AM    

NEDSTAT Webcounter

while checking out Sjoerd Visscher's weblog I noticed a good free web counter from NEDSTAT in the UK

their web address :

http://www.nedstat.com/uk/

6:34:01 AM