MyYahoo Adding RSS, OPML Support

Grok Headline matches for MyYahoo Adding RSS, OPML Support

Sun adding third-party support to JES

Sun adding third-party support to JES 07/27/2004 09:20 AM
Sun Microsystems Inc. is extending support for its Java Enterprise System (JES) to third-party operating systems and hardware platforms in a move aimed at gaining more uptake for the server software and throwing more weight behind its pricing model, the company said Tuesday.

Sony considers adding native mp3 support
to its players

Sony considers adding native mp3 support
to its players 09/23/2004 09:20 AM
While not planning to relinquish its own ATRAC format, Sony is mulling over enabling native mp3 support in its digital music players.

Add Your Library to MyYahoo!

Add Your Library to MyYahoo! 02/11/2004 02:36 AM

Keep RSS Free for All

"Cast your vote for free choice, and away from restricted, proprietary services, by using open RSS news readers and all feeds. Walling RSS up inside a proprietary garden is wrong. And expensive too!" [eWeek]

This one went through the blogosphere over the weekend, dusting up some controversy about NewsGator. However, what really caught my eye is this little image almost thrown away towards the end of the article.

Now, isn't that graphic waaaaaaaaay better than a button that says "XML"? Here's the URL syntax that goes behind it: http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://theshiftedlibrarian.com /rss.xml.

So now, your library can add this graphic to allow MyYahoo users to easily subscribe to your site! That would what is known as an "inroad" into the mainstream.

Request: I hope quickSub adds MyYahoo!

RSS beta test at MyYahoo

RSS beta test at MyYahoo 01/07/2004 06:21 PM
Adam Kalsey notes that Yahoo is beta-testing an RSS aggregrator. [via Scripting News]...

on OPML

on OPML 01/11/2004 09:23 PM

On my previous entry about Postel's Law, Danny Ayers made a comment, and to a part of it I said I'd reply in a separate entry. To make the question clear, I'll restate it here in a different way to involve the technology only.

Essentially, Danny was asking "If you have used OPML, would you agree that OPML does not follow this route you are advocating of adding as many constraints as possible to a spec, to make interoperability easier?" (Danny, if I misunderstood the question please let me know, but I'm pretty sure that was the essence of your comment, personal matters aside).

My answer to that question would have to be no, I do not agree. Let me explain.

I have implemented both readers and writers of OPML when used for RSS subscription lists for an end-user product (ie, clevercactus). And there is one main point that I've found frustrating, namely that the attributes used on the "outline" element vary between tools. I have previous ly noted, in another context the elements that would "complete the spec" by properly specifying these attributes.

However, I've come to the conclusion that this is not a problem with the spec itself, but rather a problem of what are we using it for. As far as I can read in the spec, it was designed to be a very simple and flexible storage mechanism. The first sentence in the spec says "This document describes a format for storing outlines in XML 1.0" (my emphasis). It doesn't say "This is a format for interchange of outlines" or anything like that.

That is, creating an interoperable format for RSS subscription lists was not part of the original "charter" of OPML.

Which is why I can't agree with Danny's statement, because the interoperability problems we all know about pop up when using OPML outside of its original intended domain.

As such, that is, as a format for local storage of outlines, the OPML spec might have done a good thing by keeping things very open. Note that the spec explicitly says, in its goals: "Outlines can be used for specifications, legal briefs, product plans, presentations, screenplays, directories, diaries, discussion groups, chat systems and stories." -- that's a big set of apps, and I'd be hard pressed to define a consistent set of common attributes for all of them. To be honest, if it was me designing it maybe I would have chosen a different path (like for example target less applications), but that's not really the point. Design is at its core subjective.

So. Given that OPML was not originally designed as an interoperable way to store feed subscription lists, the current situation is logical, almost predictable. It seems to me (given what I've seen--I might be wrong of course) that this is a use of OPML that grew in ad-hoc fashion and as such created some incompatibility problems. But is this a problem with OPML itself? I don't think so. Usage grew beyond its original intended target, and things got a bit messy.

Okay, that's my answer to Danny's question, but I just want to be clear on what I think about OPML given the current situation, as what I said above might seem a bit too ... err... "theoretical".

That is, we still have the interoperability problems for feed subscription lists.

However, now that it's clear that it has become accepted for that use, I noticed that Dave recently put up a short RFC that clearly states "Using OPML to exchange subscription lists". My comments from October last year would, then, apply in this new context, and the new RFC already covers part of them (the most important in my mind, which is the issue of standard attributes).

This new spec of "Interchangeable OPML Subscription Lists" plus the OPML spec itself (which doesn't necessarily need to change, since it is still relevant in its original intended domain) make a simple combined spec that is useful and already deployed (granted, some aggregators might be generating different attribute names that those on the RFC, but that's a tiny change, and none of the other items under discussion that I'm aware of are in any way "deal-breakers").

Hence, OPML applied to the domain of feed subscription lists in particular is a good solution, simple and to the point. And to me that's what matters: if something does what I need, it's simple, and it works, I'm all for it.

XML-OPML-0.1.4

XML-OPML-0.1.4 02/17/2004 10:32 AM

XML-OPML-0.1.6

XML-OPML-0.1.6 02/19/2004 06:06 PM

XML-OPML-SimpleGen-0.02

XML-OPML-SimpleGen-0.02 03/23/2005 03:44 PM

"Share your OPML"

"Share your OPML" 01/04/2004 03:53 AM

OPML Revisited

OPML Revisited 03/14/2005 05:44 PM

OPML is a simple, widely used, yet often misunderstood, XML format created by Dave Winer.  IMHO, misunderstandings stem from overexposure to traditional ways of using XML.  I must admit, I also laughed at OPML when I first looked at it years ago.  But when I cocked my head (a technique anyone can learn from their dogs), it began to make a lot of sense.

This is what I saw:

Infoset:

• An OPML document is a collection of objects.
• An object may have properties and contents.
• An object's properties are unordered map of name/value pairs.
• An object's contents are ordered list of objects.

Syntax:

• Objects are encoded as XML elements named 'outline'.
• Properties are encoded as XML attributes.
• Content objects are encoded as child XML elements.

Once you get this picture in your mind, you start to appreciate OPML more.  Throw in display and interaction semantics builted into the format along with distributed object linking and embedding Dave often raves about and you got quite a beast of a language.

As to the question of who defines the properties, the answer is everybody does.  OPML is a kind of Emergent Markup Language in that common properties are expected to emerge through industry practices rather than standardization through committees.

There are some shortcomings with OPML though which I would like to see addressed.

OPML Wiki

OPML needs a wiki for OPML developers to interact with each other and to document how each of them are using OPML so that standard or type-specific properties may emerge.

Structured Properties

One weakness of XML is that, while elements may be structured, attributes may not.  Since properties are encoded as XML attributes in OPML, (semi) structured properties (i.e. HTML fragments) have to be encoded at the cost of readability.

I think the need for a wiki is far more serious than the need for structured property support.

XML-OPML-SimpleGen-0.01

XML-OPML-SimpleGen-0.01 03/23/2005 09:32 AM

ScriptingNews2 and OPML too

ScriptingNews2 and OPML too 10/28/2003 11:06 PM
I've added ScriptingNews2 and OPML versions of my feeds.  If anybody has any interesting applications of these feeds, please let me know.

logos OPML directory

logos OPML directory 12/30/2003 12:06 AM

Oskar van Rijswijk has a great collection of OPML files on his site. Just browse his OPML directory in FeedDemon, then click any of the OPML links to create a new FeedDemon channel group.

"Share your OPML: Rankings"

"Share your OPML: Rankings" 01/04/2004 03:53 AM

Share Your OPML Top 100 Feeds

Share Your OPML Top 100 Feeds 01/07/2004 02:58 PM
Share Your OPML: Top 100 Feeds, of course, has a feed for the list....

Top 100 feeds, share your OPML!

Top 100 feeds, share your OPML! 01/03/2004 07:12 AM
I submitted my OPML feed tonight and was number 135 I submitted 399 feeds from my basic read list. This...

OPML, Book Authors

OPML, Book Authors 10/28/2003 11:07 PM

Just got back from a meeting with a bunch of book authors, here for the publishers' summit.  They're all under NDA, of course, but sometimes I am still surprised at how much some of these people know.  Robert Scoble is organizing a bloggers /authors dinner at Crossroads tonight, which I'll also be attending.

~

In other news, I finally admitted defeat in my effort to manually track all of the MSFT bloggers.  You will notice that my link on the left now points to an OPML file instead.  There are well over a hundred, and it was getting too difficult to keep up with it.  Now I can just maintain the OPML file, visitors to the site can import it to their news aggregators automatically, and it has an attached XSLT so that it renders nicely in the browser if you view it from my site.  I started with an OPML file that Benjamin Voigt kindly constructed for me, then merged with the OPML file from blogs.gotdotnet.com.  Strangely enough, I was still missing quite a few names after doing this (for example, Mark Fussell and Arpan Desai did not show up on the gotdotnet OPML, even though their blogs are hosted by gotdotnet; and Dare Obasanjo was not on Benjamin's list).  I suspect that there are at least 20 more MSFT blogs that I am missing, but this should be the most complete list available.

Note that the OPML file is rendered using the stylesheet at /blog/blogOpml.xslt, which is a ridiculously simple XSLT you can modify any way you like.  I would like to modify it to sort the blogs by most recent update, but really would rather not do that using XSLT.

share your opml subscriptions list

share your opml subscriptions list 01/03/2004 05:56 AM
ranking service

feeds.scripting.com
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OneNote OPML Import Tool

OneNote OPML Import Tool 05/03/2004 03:20 PM
Well someone has went and made a OneNote OPML import tool but how come they don't have an export tool....

Export Your NetNewsWire OPML List

Export Your NetNewsWire OPML List 10/29/2003 01:14 AM
NetNewsWire uses an OPML file for it’s backup/export means. This file has just enough information to do useful things with it. Go get PHP-OPML and upload it to a directory on your webhost. Export your NNW subscriptions and then upload...

XSL transform for OPML to Planet Roller
config

XSL transform for OPML to Planet Roller
config 03/14/2005 04:49 PM

Here is an XSL transform for converting a flat OPML file (like those produced by PlanetPlanet sites), to a Roller Planet config file (with all subscriptions in one group): opml2planet .xsl

Better Living Through Software - OPML
import for OneNote

Better Living Through Software - OPML
import for OneNote 05/04/2004 12:33 PM
the next version of OneNote will support importing OPML outlines .. Josh Allen wrote an OPML importer .. Wow, this is cool .. Netcrucible

netcrucible.com/blog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=57939c1e-9d53-4 d19-b9e6-7b6e2e852934
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Adding value to IT

Adding value to IT 04/13/2005 01:43 AM
ZDNet Apr 13 2005 5:35AM GMT

IBM Adding Almost 19,000 Jobs

IBM Adding Almost 19,000 Jobs 08/12/2004 08:20 PM

Adding Ads Adversely?

Adding Ads Adversely? 12/09/2003 02:37 AM

Does anyone else think it's weird that newspapers like the Chicago Sun-Times are using Google's Ad-Words program (current example, but I think you can see the ads at the bottom of most pages)? What an interesting way to get your ad in the local newspaper. Makes for some< /A> inte resting dichot omies, too! I wonder if they've really thought this through....

Adding SALT to the Mix

Adding SALT to the Mix 11/01/2002 02:46 PM
The voice technology standard for software applications continues to gain steam, but it's going to be a tough act to add it to the W3C plate.

Adding a Printer Connection

Adding a Printer Connection 09/07/2004 09:51 PM

Have faith in adding Linux to the IT mix

Have faith in adding Linux to the IT mix 09/20/2004 09:17 PM
Computer Weekly Sep 21 2004 1:21AM GMT

Adding a Default Printer

Adding a Default Printer 06/05/2004 01:09 AM

Adding FeedDemon to Opera

Adding FeedDemon to Opera 01/16/2004 01:04 PM

Rijk van Geijtenbeek saw the previ ous post and let us how to do the same thing with Opera 7.21 and higher. Just open the URL below in Opera:

http://people.opera.com/rijk/opera/ini/menu/feeddemon-in -linkcontextmenu.ini

This will add a "Send to FeedDemon" item to Opera's context menu which enables passing the URL of an RSS feed to FeedDemon.

Note for Opera customizers: this is the relevant line to add to the active menu.ini file:
Item, "Send to FeedDemon" = Execute program, "feeddemon","%l"

Adding USB Ports to a Pocket PC

Adding USB Ports to a Pocket PC 06/03/2004 11:42 PM
Add a Couple of USB Slots to Your Pocket PC

"A new CompactFlash adapter from Twin Paradox so you can plug any USB gadgets like printers, mice, digital cameras, hard drives, and keyboards directly into your Pocket PC (assuming you have the drivers for it). The SolarExpress PDA should be out next month. [Via Pocket PC Thoughts]" [Engadget]

So not only will patrons bring in their own USB flash drives to use in our buildings, but now they'll also expect to be able to hook their own devices up to a USB cable on our computers!

Adding Style To Substance

Adding Style To Substance 11/03/2003 08:55 PM
It used to be that only high-end companies such as Apple or Sony cared about industrial design -- the distinctive look and feel of their products. But in an age when hardware has become a commodity, many more tech companies are coming to realize that aesthetics matter. By Dean Takahashi (San Jose Mercury News via MyAppleMenu)

Adding a Printer Using VB Script

Adding a Printer Using VB Script 05/28/2004 12:27 PM

Ask Jeeves adding feature

Ask Jeeves adding feature 09/21/2004 09:08 PM
Techzonez Sep 22 2004 1:07AM GMT

Adding Comments to a .reg File

Adding Comments to a .reg File 07/13/2004 10:13 AM

Adding loops to GarageBand

Adding loops to GarageBand 01/22/2004 02:50 AM
PowerFX has announced a collection of add-in loops for GarageBand or Soundtrack. I haven't seen any instructions for adding loops to GarageBand, so here's how to do it.

Adding a New Supported Platform

Adding a New Supported Platform 07/17/2004 06:49 AM

Adding Bluetooth to MP3 players

Adding Bluetooth to MP3 players 10/31/2003 11:40 AM
A company called Infinite Range is working on a special Bluetooth add-on for MP3 players called RangeScan that'll let you wirelessly transmit audio to a stereo. The only problem is that right now all it does is take the analog audio signal from the players headphones jack, convert into a digital stream, and then decode them back into an analog signal at the receiver, which makes something like this only slightly more useful than an FM transmitter add-on like the iTrip. There are definitely some practical uses for having wireless networking built-into an MP3 player -- like swapping files with friends or wirelessly synching with a computer -- but Bluetooth is too slow to be off much use for those purposes. What we want Apple to do is to put AirPort Extreme into the next iPod. Read...

Adding Mail with Exim

Adding Mail with Exim 03/17/2005 02:48 AM
PHP must have access to the Sendmail binary during compile time if its mail() function is desired. However, Exim can replace sendmail as shown how in this tutorial.
Grok Description matches for MyYahoo Adding RSS, OPML Support
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MyYahoo Adding RSS, OPML Support

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