The fight about the best Content Syndication Platform
Seems that the battle on content syndication is getting bigger and bigger: Google has integrated its Google Reader with Gmail and Microsoft’s new Windows Live, currently in Beta version, is integrated into the Hotmail passport account and MSN network news. With both publishers, I like the use of AJAX controls on the page which makes it [...]
Seems that the battle on content syndication is getting bigger and bigger: Google has integrated its Google Reader with Gmail and Microsoft’s new Windows Live, currently in Beta version, is integrated into the Hotmail passport account and MSN network news.
With both publishers, I like the use of AJAX controls on the page which makes it very easy to use. Microsoft has too many pre-defined options, whereas Google is typically neutral and allows you to add your own RSS feeds. Also very cute the Google keyboard short cuts that remind me of the good old VI editor on Unix, probably unknown to the new kids on this blog 
. I wonder, how much Microsoft has paid for the live.com URL…but then they will x-charge it when the new OS is coming out in 2006.
In the Middle East, AME Info has done a good job with its currently launched Media Center on www.ameinfo.com/mc/ which also re-distributes content from this blog.
I guess this is the future: Reading information (content) when, where, from where you want. Getting information customized at your finger tips, integration into e-Mail notification (like AME Info’s watchlist), and synergies with Chat applications such as MSN Messenger will also have an impact on the online media industry, especially when it comes to user behaviour models and customized advertising, e.g. showing certain communication messages to users that subscribe to certain content.
Most likely, the ones with the biggest market (and user) share will win, as you need a critical mass in order to survive. So go on, AME, and sell to our friends from Google one day…
comments
dotone
December 9th, 2005 at 8:00 pmA long night, still feel stoned… checkin’ ma live feeds… n woap! flip’s folder is blinking.
I tried to figure out wich shortcut in Gmail matches VI’s, feel weired not finding even one, anyways.
Yesterday when first I saw RSS entries on top of my Gmail inbox page I got really annoyed, I thought it was some new ads put up on top of the page. I was so close to give up on Gmail after a year. Minutes after I noticed the red link on top that shows new features “New! RSS feeds and more”. Okay a neat thing, okay cool live data fetching with AJaX. What’s the use of it? I personaly can’t find any use of that. If u needed a portable RSS reader then u got a collection of all kinds of good looking websites that offer that… u name them! If it’s a bout an aggregating-client then Firefox, Safari, and Opera already support it in built. Not to forget Google’s reader. So it’s just an add-on in my opinion. Not that of a big deal.
That’s not true. Web Clips used on Gmail is a stand-alone add-on not connected to Google Reader in anyway.
Microsoft’s Windows Live is a complete different thing. You could compare it to the way News.Google.com is constructed if you wish. Windows Live is an aggregation component that ships with a passport account which is like Google’s Reader so to speak.
Forgetting all this market talk, IE7 is gonna look fresh like a million bucks… i hated IE6 after getting used to FF’s tabbed browsing but missed the way it looked and worked all the way. IE7 with tabs, grouped tabs. Btw Google seems to be given up on the news they announced a year ago about building a new web browser. I missed the watch on that….anyone out here with updates? What a day imma have tomorrow, i mean today.
Angelo
December 14th, 2005 at 3:33 pmDon’t know why Google calls RSS Feeds Web Clips - but anyways, its another great way of serving up paid ad content into gmail, rss advertising
And then again if rss advertising doesn’t appeal to one, you could always turn off the web clips feature, however, I’d love to keep the web clips feature turned on and not receive adverts - i can unsubscribe from unwanted pre-defined feeds and subscribe to the ones I like best but I haven’t found unsubscribing from rss adverts - I guess there might not be an option to have those turned off since it all goes down to being a part of Google’s cash cow.
And web clips is also a good PR tool for raising awareness about newly-launched Google products/services.
BTW, I still use VI, except now it’s VIM, an improved version of VI for ruby on rails coding. It’s really flexible and great on editing all types of stuff from our usual tweaking on code to IMs.
“I guess this is the future: Reading information (content) when, where, from where you want. Getting information customized at your finger tips, integration into e-Mail notification”
Let’s take that a bit further - personally email integration is sorta’ slow, obviously it is somewhat different if you’re talking about mobile email, but along the lines of mobility, sms/mms integration. But why do people most often tend to think content should be read? Is it because it is usually felt that information is digested in its best form while reading? Not quite sure about that (haven’t done much research on it in the ME). Why not listen to content? Let’s go VOIP-style with accessing real-time customized content on the go!
Re Google’s browser development - well they haven’t given up on it, in fact they’re going full speed ahead, 2 weeks ago they were hiring mozilla developers to work on firefox integration into their products/services. It’s a Google + Firefox dev project thats been around for quite some time. They’ve already got a browser built up for them upon which they’re extensively tweaking (don’t quote me on this pls).
The best way to stay abrest of the browser project is to have a look at google jobs ever week or so - location would be Google Zurich, Bangalore and Kirkland.
Love this blog! but how come, you folks at Flip Corp aren’t podcasting yet? Looking forward to it
Chris? Dinesh? anyone?