Month: March 2001

O'Reilly Network: Interoperability, Not Standards. Clay Shirky. To have standards, you need a standards body. To have interoperability, you just need software and conversations, which is good news, since that's all we have right now. The bad news is that the conversations are still so fragmented and so dispersed. [Tomalak's Realm]

Bloomberg News: SEC Chief to Enforce Standard. The rule, which went into effect in October, prohibits companies from giving important news to selected Wall Street analysts before they announce it publicly. It seeks to stop companies from giving briefings to a selected few on market-sensitive information such as earnings, new products and mergers. Laura S.… Continue reading SEC Chief to Enforce Standard

O'ReillyNet: Python Web Application Tools “Digital Creation's Zope is the most well known Python web application server. In features and maturity, it has no real competitors. When it comes to Python web application development, however, it does have some challengers. Chuck Esterbrook leads a project to create an application server more oriented to Python developers,… Continue reading Python Web Application Tools

Record Industry Plays Both Sides. The recording industry's defense of its copyright has brought the online music business to its knees. Now that the industry wants to launch its own MP3 business, it's asking musicians and publishers for a break on royalties. The irony of it all has not gone unnoticed. By Jeffrey Benner. [Wired… Continue reading Record Industry Plays Both Sides

“Hard medical evidence is beginning to accumulate supporting the contention (long intuited in medical circles) that Alzheimer's Disease is less common among people who engage in intense and diverse intellectual activity through most of their lives. In other words, the more you use your mind, the less you're likely to lose it. We're still arguing… Continue reading One study

Reuters: Senate clears bankruptcy overhaul. “This bill is a wish list for the credit card industry and a nightmare for vulnerable families and vulnerable citizens in this country,'' said the legislation's chief foe, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone. “Bankruptcy has been a safety net. It is being shredded.'' You don't see much sense of responsibility… Continue reading Senate clears bankruptcy overhaul

USA TODAY – GAO testers got into e-filed tax data. In a test last year of e-filing systems at the IRS, congressional investigators were able to tap into taxpayers' electronically filed tax returns, according to a government report issued Thursday. The report by investigators at the General Accounting Office says the breach uncovered “serious weaknesses”… Continue reading USA TODAY

Pay for play.. Salon: Pay for play. “Why does radio suck? Because most stations play only the songs the record companies pay them to. And things are going to get worse.”… [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

ZDNN: Microsoft nabs scheduling service for .Net. The start-up's WebAppoint service was launched in the fall of 1999. It allows people to schedule appointments over the Internet. WebAppoint links consumers and companies, and it provides extra capabilities, such as confirmation of appointments via phone or fax. [Tomalak's Realm]

IBM developerWorks: Debunking the myths of UI design. Software development would benefit greatly from extensive study by sociologists, anthropologists, and clinical psychologists. As we await such analyses, let's document some beliefs embedded in the culture of software development, specifically about user interface design. [Tomalak's Realm]