The essential difference between SmartTags and AutoLink
Grok Headline matches for The essential difference between SmartTags and AutoLink
AutoLink Again
AutoLink Again
03/14/2005 05:56 PMAfter a day of severe blogospheric battering, I went and spent some
quality time with the Google Toolbar beta. Summary: I went over the
top, was too nasty, and shouldn’t have fulminated about legal
action, and I’m sorry. But, I still believe this feature as
positioned now is either evil or stupid or both. But, it could be
fixed. But, it doesn’t matter that much because AutoLink is
actually kind of useless and anyhow, the Google Toolbar is doomed...
Google Toolbar AutoLink
Google Toolbar AutoLink
03/14/2005 04:24 PMI'm a bit wary about throwing myself in the middle of the whole Google Toolbar AutoLink business (Dan Gillmor has a good summary and lots of
trackbacks to opinions, pro and con), but I'm sort of dumbfounded that
so many people are so vehemently against it...at least for the reasons
being given. The three main points I've heard articulated by those
opposed to the feature are:
1. Browsers and toolbars should not modify the content or layout of
Web pages...they should render them only as stored on the Web
server.
2. Microsoft tried to do this with Smart Tags in
Windows XP and everyone hated it so why are we willing to give
Google a pass with a similar feature?
3. Google can unfairly use their growing clout to exploit AutoLink
users.
I'll address the second point first because it's sort of beside the
point and not an argument at all. One of the big reasons why people
were so upset about Smart Tags is that Smart Tags were on by
default in early preview releases of IE. The browser was
automatically rewriting every single page you loaded, adding links
here and there. I agree that this sucks (although users may become
used to things like this in the future and not think it's such a big
deal), but AutoLink is not on by default. It's optional...you have to
specifically push a button to make something happen.
But the main reason people seem to be up in arms about AutoLink is
that Google is modifying the content and display of other people's
content and that browsers and toolbars should not be allowed to do
that. Aside from the first part of that statement being factually
incorrect (more on that below), browsers and toolbars already modify
other people's content and no one really complains about it. In fact,
people love it:
- Firefox, Safari, Google Toolbar, IE, and several other
browsers/toolbars all give end users the option to block JavaScript
popups, which typically contain ads. This very much goes against the
intention of the content provider and is a clear example of software
that modifies a site from how it was intended to be displayed. But
users love it so browser/toolbar makers include the
feature.
- Browsers allow users to use custom stylesheets when
browsing sites, turn off JavaScript on pages, and browse without
viewing images or other multimedia files.
- There are tons of
bookmarklets and browser extensions that let people modify the page
they're viewing in interesting ways (this
one inserts links to Feedster on NY Times and WaPo article
pages).
- Since the early days of the web right on up to the
present, browsers have purposely misrendered badly written HTML so
that people could view the pages instead of getting junk or a blank
page.
All of these features break the supposedly cardinal sin of "thou
shalt not modify the content providers content from the way it was
intended by them to be viewed" and I don't hear anyone complaining
about it. The fact is, once a user downloads a copy of a content
provider's web page from their server, the page becomes just that, a
copy. As a user, I should be able to use whatever software is
available to me to manipulate, modify, or otherwise remix that copy
which I've downloaded for my own personal use. If I can, for my own
personal use, photocopy magazine articles, rip my CDs to mp3, make
backup copies of my DVDs, and scribble in the margins of books, surely
I can do the same with copies of web pages I've downloaded.
Now, if you're against AutoLink because you think Google is
becoming too big, they're evil, they're abusing their power, or they
bought another blog company instead of yours, then that's fine. Just
be up front about why you're upset. It's a trust issue. Do you trust
Google's software to do what it says its going to do and not take
advantage of you? If the answer is no, don't use it. But if you're
saying that Google should not provide this feature at all and that
consenting adults in the privacy of their own homes can't choose to
use the feature themselves, I don't think that's a good deal for the
users. As content providers, let's not try and reach into our readers'
computers and dictate what they can or can't do with the copies of our
content that they've downloaded for their personal use...let's leave
that sort of wishful thinking to the nutballs in
Hollywood.
Autolink URLs in MT Entries
Autolink URLs in MT Entries
08/16/2004 05:58 PMOne of the things I really hate about reading newspaper Web sites
is they often include URLs but don’t
link them. So you have to copy and paste to open them (or just
rightclick with the right Firefox
extension).
I don’t want my site to look like a big, dumb newspaper. So I
wrote a filter using Brad’
;s regex plugin to autolink URLs in
entries. It hasn’t been extensively tested but it has worked for
a the half-dozen or so entries in the Project X blog.
Install the regex plugin and then add this to the top of your
templates…
<MTAddRegex name="autolink">s![>
](http://[^<" ]+)!<a href="$1">$1</a>
!g</MTAddRegex>
Then add the attribute regex="autolink" to
your MTEntryBody and MTEntry more tags in your templates:
<MTEntryBody regex="autolink">.
Google autolink debate frenzy
Google autolink debate frenzy
03/14/2005 05:45 PMI'm too mired in book work to offer much besides pointers, but here
are pointers galore on the important controversy over the
Google toolbar Autolink
feature -- in which Google offers to overlay its own links to certain
types of information that it finds on everyone else's Web pages. In
2001 Microsoft proposed putting something similar right into its
Internet Explorer browser, and Walt Mossberg and many others blew the
whistle on it. Links should be considered part of the vocabulary of
Web content; inserting links is tantamount to tampering with the
content.
This time it's been Dave
Winer who's been blowing the whistle insistently. Here's Dave's case against
Autolink. The opposite point of view -- it's a tool, I should be
able to use any tools I want once content lands on my screen! -- is
smartly summarized by Cory Doctorow here and
here. Paul
Boutin in Slate, and Tim Bray, also offer good, careful perspectives.
Me, I think the issue is fundamentally political more than
technical; Google is now powerful enough that it needs to learn to
tread more lightly in areas like this. My hunch is the Google-ites,
encapsulated in their "let's bring all the world's information to
light!" mission, simply had no idea what an ethical morass they have
plopped themselves into. If the past is any indication, they're nimble
enough to step out.
Google Gets a Taste of It's Own Autolink
Medicine
Google Gets a Taste of It's Own Autolink
Medicine
03/17/2005 03:55 AMGoogle AdSense ad points to Toolbar
with Autolink Feature!
Google AdSense ad points to Toolbar
with Autolink Feature!
03/14/2005 04:35 PM
Is Google trying to piss me off? You
know I have been pretty outspoken on the Google Autolink feature so as
you can see this was a Google AdSense that presented itself to me
tonight. Talk about adding insult to injury!
Is PPC an Essential Tool?
Is PPC an Essential Tool?
09/22/2004 01:53 PMSource: Search Engine Guide - Is PPC now an essential marketing tool
or can honest SEO techniques still win the day alone?...
How digital became essential
How digital became essential
07/30/2004 01:29 AMNews.bbc.co.uk - Thu Jul 29, 04:59 pm GMT
Essential Budget 0.8
Essential Budget 0.8
07/15/2004 03:38 PMA personal finance manager with mature budgeting support.
New: Essential ActionScript 2.0
New: Essential ActionScript 2.0
07/02/2004 10:04 AMO'Reilly & Associates released Essential ActionScript 2.0 by Colin
Moock, which covers the new object-oriented version of the Flash
programming language.
P@d USB Essential Oil Spritzer
P@d USB Essential Oil Spritzer
05/10/2004 07:10 AM"The song of the cuckoo, on rustle of brook which one imagines the
trace of freshness in the heart of the scrubland, associated the odor
of the genévrier, make a quite simply magic unit when one is between
the four walls of his office." Such is the Babelfished translation
of...
Essential in Libraries?
Essential in Libraries?
04/27/2004 10:48 PMSMS an
Essential Communication Tool
"The Mobile Data Association (MDA) reports that 2.1 billion text
messages were sent in March 2004 in the U.K which is a 25% rise on the
total from the same month last year.At present, on average, around 69
million text messages are sent each day in the UK.This article from
the BBC states.'It is evident that in the last five years texting has
grown from a popular craze among teenagers to an essential
communication tool.'
Text
messaging reaches new high" [Smart Mobs]
Essential Blogging
Essential Blogging
01/14/2003 02:16 AMUnix Review takes a look at the book:Essential Blogging: Selecting and
Using Weblog Tools."The book covers Blogger, Radio Userland, Moveable
Type, and Blosxom. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover the gamut of free
software blogging platforms that are available like phpWebLog,
PostNuke, Slashcode, or Scoop. It's not surprising that Slashcode
didn't receive much coverage, considering that O'Reilly already has
another title devoted to the topic, but it's really a huge omission to
fail to cover the
Essential utilities
Essential utilities
12/22/2003 11:28 AMReview - Essential Blogging
Review - Essential Blogging
12/21/2002 08:09 AMWebmasterBase Dec 21 2002 7:09AM ET
Essential eMail Etiquette
Essential eMail Etiquette
07/10/2004 06:21 AMEssential eMail Etiquettehttp://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=510&top
icid=5Overview of the key elements of e-mail etiquette such
as thinking of an appropriate subject line, addressing recipients
properly, selecting an appropriate tone and editing your message.
Additional Sources for eMail Etiquette:Fixing Poorly-Formatted Emailhttp://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?articleid=180&top
icid=5Using E-mail Effectivelyhttp://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?articleid=118&top
icid=5Using Email as an Advocacy Toolhttp://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?articleid=184&top
icid=5What Can Email Do For You?http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?articleid=193&top
icid=5How to Create a 'BCC' Email Listhttp://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?articleid=262&top
icid=5Overcoming E-mail Overload htt
p://www.overcomeemailoverload.com/advice/TopTenTips.htmlAn Introduction to E-mail Listservs and Internet Mailing
Listshttp://www.techsoup.org/articlepage.cfm?topicid=5&ArticleId=147Listservs and e-newsletters that focus on issues relating
to nonprofits and technologyhttp://snipurl.com/7l6m[
Net-Gold George
Lessard 07-05-04]
Essential ASP Hints and Tips
Essential ASP Hints and Tips
09/24/2002 10:35 PMWebmasterBase Sep 24 2002 9:27PM ET
Essential Mac OS X Server Administration
Essential Mac OS X Server Administration
06/17/2005 03:47 PMEssential Tech Skills for Every IT Pro
Essential Tech Skills for Every IT Pro
06/20/2004 11:11 AMEssential .NET is not for the
faint-of-heart
Essential .NET is not for the
faint-of-heart
02/21/2003 02:11 AMCNET Feb 21 2003 1:25AM ET
Essential Business Tools
Essential Business Tools
09/06/2004 09:16 AMvnunet.com Sep 6 2004 1:15PM GMT
'All-but-essential tool'
'All-but-essential tool'
06/20/2004 11:07 AMChicago Tribune Jun 20 2004 3:09PM GMT
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
06/14/2004 07:39 PM“For ergonomic reasons, you’re much better off using an
external mouse (or other pointing device) and keyboard when
you’re working on a notebook. Why? Check out my column on
notebook ergonomics.The problem is, you can’t easily use
notebook peripherals when you’re on a plane, train, or other
public conveyance. But you can learn some keyboard shortcuts. Using
shortcuts is a far more efficient way to work than clicking a mouse
and dragging a pointer, and it’s much easier on your
hands.”Read more…
What To Do With Essential Large Images?
What To Do With Essential Large Images?
01/15/2003 05:45 AMWhat to do when images are huge and also essential for the site?
PHP Functions Essential Reference
PHP Functions Essential Reference
06/09/2002 06:15 PMFor those that are looking for good PHP documentation that explains
more about the purpose than just the usage of PHP functions and
extensions as it is available in the official PHP manual, this book
can certainly be a good acquisition.
"Least Essential Albums of 2003"
"Least Essential Albums of 2003"
12/10/2003 10:15 PM"points us towards one key difference "
"points us towards one key difference "
04/23/2004 04:28 PMHow Big is the Difference Between
Websites?
How Big is the Difference Between
Websites?
01/18/2004 10:26 PMWhat's The Difference Between DRM And A
Virus?
What's The Difference Between DRM And A
Virus?
06/23/2004 11:06 AMOver the past few days a number of sites have commented on the fact
that the new Beastie Boy album
comes with
copy protection (though, apparently not in the US or the UK,
according to some). While this set off the usual
argumen
ts about
why DRM
is bad, The Register has rewritten the story as if
t
he DRM is a virus or similar malware. They may have a point. The
DRM is silently installed without alerting the user as soon as they
put the CD into their computer. It prevents their computer from
functioning the way it was designed to. In fact, the article suggests
the fact that it's installed without asking the end user or getting
permission may constitute a crime. I'm not entirely sure, but I think
the CDs do note on the case that they come with copy protection, so it
is possible that sticker could be considered "letting the user know."
Still, this does raise some important questions about DRM and whether
or not it will violate any anti-spyware law that's being discussed,
since most of them focus on the fact that they're installed without
explicit permission.
Speed Difference
Speed Difference
06/30/2004 10:42 PMI finally decided to run internet speed tests between my Airport
Extreme, 802.11G, wireless connection and my wired ethernet
connection. I ran the DSL Reports...
vive la difference
vive la difference
02/17/2004 08:47 AM She
claimed to be a sporting champion whose brave and public battle
against cancer turned her into a national hero across France.
But when
Florence le
Vot was asked to become the patron of a charity to tackle the
disease her conscience finally got the better of her.
Difference of Opinion
Difference of Opinion
07/18/2004 03:12 PMLast Sunday's column, about the entertainment
industry's latest effort to restrict our ability to make use of the
copyrighted material we've purchased, took the technology industry to
task for a belated response. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the
Consumer Electronics Association,
challenged me on that, saying the response was as quick and effective
as he's seen from the industry to any challenge.
Shapiro was, indeed, quick to jump into the fray, but the bulk of the
tech industry didn't wake up nearly fast enough.
Meanwhile, I'll take this opportunity to ask you again to
contact your U.S. senators and
express your strong opposition to the bill in question, S.2560.
There's no time to waste.
The text of Shapiro's note, edited slightly with his permission, is
posted below.
More...
Top Tip: Difference between L2 and L3
cache?
Top Tip: Difference between L2 and L3
cache?
02/10/2004 03:00 AMWhat is L2 cache? What is L3 cache? What is the major difference
between the two.
ISU Interfaces: What is the Difference?
ISU Interfaces: What is the Difference?
08/17/2004 11:34 AMMaking a Difference
Making a Difference
01/01/2005 06:54 PM
New Year's
"see if you can work out the difference"
"see if you can work out the difference"
09/27/2004 02:37 AMThe difference between POST and GET
The difference between POST and GET
10/29/2003 12:12 AMHow important is the ability to tell the difference between data
sent by POST and data sent by GET (i.e in the query string) when
developing web applications? Some web frameworks (such as PHP) provide separate
mechanisms for accessing POST and GET data. Others (such as Python's
cgi
module) provide a single interface to form information that
doesn't distinguish between the two. I already have a strong opinion
on this but I'm going to leave it open for discussion here for a bit
before weighing in.
Labor flexibility essential to induce
FDI
Labor flexibility essential to induce
FDI
05/13/2004 06:35 AMMaekyung Internet May 13 2004 11:03AM GMT
Rumsfeld: More U.S. Troops for Iraq Not
Essential
Rumsfeld: More U.S. Troops for Iraq Not
Essential
06/27/2004 09:43 AMReuters via Wired News Jun 27 2004 1:41PM GMT
Grok Description matches for The essential difference between SmartTags and AutoLink
GrokA matches for The essential difference between SmartTags and AutoLink
The essential difference between SmartTags and AutoLink
