Category: zettel

The buzz about an Apple iPhone has hit the streets. Personally, I’d like a new cell phone, but I don’t like much of what I see. I want a phone, but I’d like much more. I carry an iPod, a Palm and a Cell Phone, that’s two devices too many. The Treo tries to do all three — but isn’t quite right. The issues around CDMA and GSM (Apple + Cingular) are very interesting as well.
The problem is one of narrowing the user interaction to the set that hits the utility needs and desires of the largest group of consumers. I’m a terrible example, I like Palm’s PDA because I can SSH in to my Web space — not exactly a feature that the market is crying out for. But some method of mobile blogging or Web site content updating is part of the killer app for a mobile device.

Techmeme’s new advertising model is perfectly organic to the site’s presentation and content. In a sense, it’s as significant as Google’s text ad model. Although, as Dave Winer points out, it may be difficult to blog about a new product for a whole month – or even more. But I can imagine a whole new gig for talented bloggers as guest bloggers on a sponsorship blog.
The creation and acceptance of new advertising formats is critical for the survival and growth of new Web-based small businesses. We’d all benefit from fewer display ads on Web sites — especially sites that offer text as their primary content. Imagine TechCrunch with out all those graphic ads.

Happy birthday John. A genius of musical imagination.

This thought has been rattling around in my brain for a while. When will we transition away from transitional doctypes in building Web sites? What will we gain and what will we break? It seems others are thinking the same thing.