Moon-Blog, who has done a traceroute from China to check the block, found that the traceroute failed at the backbone level in China, blocked by 202.97.33.110 IP. “This IP address is a main router of China Telcom. It’s confirm that the Greate FireWall’s IP blocking works,” he said, adding that “because Feedburner provides content from countless websites. It could conceivably carry some information the Chinese authorities think it shouldn’t. So they try to blocks it.” [Source]

Screenshots can be seen here and here.

No word yet from Feedburner nor China Telecom about the matter.

Post from: EveryJoe

Did China Telecom block Feedburner RSS Feeds?

The news was featured in the Financial Times – COMPANIES INTERNATIONAL: Sun to announcekey news first on the web by Richard Watersin, July 25, 2007. Excerpt or summary of the article can be read at the Sun Microsystem’s news site state:

… Sun Microsystems said it would start to release important corporate news first over the internet, in what is thought to be the first time a US company has used the online medium as its main channel for price-sensitive information. [Source]

Specific details and reason of the decision can be read in the post of of Sun Microsystem CEO Jonathan Schwarz’s blog .

Specifically, we will publish our results to this web site on July 30th at 1:00 PM (Pacific Time), which will in turn be disseminated via open syndication protocols (namely, RSS) to those who have subscribed to Sun’s news feeds. 10 minutes after publication to the internet, we will distribute this information via traditional news wires for dissemination to private news agencies and distribution vehicles.

Referencing a dialog we’ve established with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and its Chairman Cox, this will place, for the first time, the general investing public – those with a web browser or a cell phone – on the same footing as those with access to private subscription services. In effect, driving an open dialog directly with investors, rather than routing information through proprietary sources. Open is as open does.

I believe this change will increase the transparency of our business, fulfill our desire to disseminate information on a fair and equitable basis, and allow the network to be used for what it’s intended – connecting people and information. [Source]

These seems to be signs of things to come – the fast and reliable delivery of price sensitive financial information. Maybe in few months we will be sing more and more companies using the Internet and Web 2 applications to distribute price sensitive information.

Post from: EveryJoe

Sun Microsystems’ shift a sign of things to come?

The study looks at the RSS feeds and websites of 19 major news outlets in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Arab World:

ABC News
The Financial Times
The New York Times
Al Jazeera (English)
Fox News
Newsweek
BBC World Service
The Guardian
Time magazine
CBS News
The International Herald Tribune
USA Today
The Christian Science Monitor
ITN
The Washington Post
CNN
The Los Angeles Times
The Daily Telegraph
NBC/MSNBC

II. Why this study is a good read:

This is a good and reliable read because when you go to the website of the study nearly all aspects of the study is provided and gives the reader the means to evaluate the study itself. The main sections of the report provided are (i) study conclusions, (ii) Understanding the results, (iii) What is RSS?, (iv)study methodology and (v) authors. In other word the study is presented like a proper research study. And it is written in a style that is easily understandable.

The website also includes bullet points to further highlight the study. For example the criteria used in the research is discussed extensively in the main text and at the same time a bullet point chart on the left-hand bar gives a concise description of the criteria.

Reliability: Do RSS search results match website’s search results?
Inclusiveness: Does RSS offer non-staff & archived stories (if also come through website search)?
Key info: Does RSS give headline/summary, date, time, reporter?
Timeliness: Are RSS stories as timely as those from website search?

And aside from the ranking provided on a table if you clicked on the name of the news media it will take you to a page that contains narrative evaluations that further provided information and observations made during the study.

Lets read it and tell me what you think.

Post from: EveryJoe

A study on problems with news media rss feeds

“The RIAA was recently voted the worst company in America in a recent online poll, narrowly beating out Halliburton.” The poll was done at the Consumerist.

Now the folks over at BoingBoing have developed a flowchart to show how RIAA decides whom to sue. This is a very humorous look at a very serious situation. Perhaps through humor people will begin to see what’s happening. It isn’t nice!

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Post from: EveryJoe

RIAA’s Decision Matrix on Who They Will Sue Next

Michael Port at Book Yourself Solid has some thoughts on this too.

This is just another instance of huge companies holding us all hostage! Take a stand for net neutrality and read and take action over at Book Yourself Solid!

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Post from: EveryJoe

Take A Stand Against The Telecoms

NewsGator Go!, previously only available for Windows Mobile, is now available for Blackberries and Java-capable phones including models from Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung.

Now you don’t have to endure RSS withdrawl when you are on the go. Newsgator made this announcement last week but I don’t generally watch the mobile market.

Apparently other RSS/mobile solutions have been around for awhile but as far as I know, this is the first major aggregator to go mobile. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Check this out at Newsgator’s site.

Post from: EveryJoe

RSS To Go

After all, the phenomenon is about to turn 25–a dinosaur in Web years. The origin of the ASCII smiley face is typically traced to September 1982, when Scott Fahlman, a research professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Computer Science, suggested that the :-) symbol be used in the subject line of an online bulletin board post to denote a humorous or non-serious topic.

“Nobody ever guessed that this would catch on. I certainly didn’t,” said Fahlman, who is still on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon. But as he recounted, the trend spread, initially to other Internet-pioneering universities like Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then beyond.

“As the Internet grew, it escaped this little closed community of computer scientists and made it into first other universities, a much larger group, and then out into the general public,” Fahlman said. “It’s been interesting to see (smiley faces) trickle from place to place, and now it’s showing up in postings from Russia and China and all over the world. It’s been fun to watch that.”

So – Happy Birthday, Smiley and many happy returns!

[photo credit: KaCey97007 on Flickr]

Post from: EveryJoe

Happy Birthday, Smiley!

The newer startups like Pageflakes and Netvibes are not included but the statistic that got me was Yahoo’s domination of this market.

Here’s Michael’s take on it:

All Yahoo has to do is remain competitive, and their massive user base will keep them at the top of the pile. Their recent enhancements are a good first step. Now they need to focus on integrating their Konfabulator desktop widget platform into My Yahoo as well – widget compatibility is an area where they are noticeably lagging Microsoft and Google.

He also said, in response to a comment, that he just …can’t…test…any…more…ajax…homepages. I hear ‘ya!

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Post from: EveryJoe

Thoughts on Ajax Home Pages

Today’s issue of USA Today will sport a new look. Their blog, On Deadline, reports that there will be RSS feeds on the front page. They aren’t using the term ‘RSS’ (will that confuse people?) but they are calling them ‘automated feeds’. And, according to Kinsey Wilson, executive editor of USA Today, ‘And the editors are selecting the featured feeds; readers will not be able to add their own.’

Another new feature will be a personal page. The previous link takes you to a mock-up of what the page should look like. Don’t know exactly what this will be but it will reportedly gather comments you make around the site and put them on your page. You can create a friends’ list, your messages, and your discussion forums. A social network inside the paper.

They are also presenting a Digg-like page where you can see related stories by tags.

USA Today is generally ahead of the curve and this is just another good example of what they are doing to keep up with us!

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USA Today’s New Look and RSS

Users of Microsoft’s instant messenger can now get news alerts from Reuters.

Windows Live Messenger now includes the ability to display the latest news headlines to users, if they sign up for the service. Users can sign up at the MSN site.

The RSS feeds include world news, entertainment, business, sports and a category of strange news from around the world. The program can be customised so it only delivers news when required by the user, who can set ‘quiet times’ when they don’t want to be disturbed.

The info is here at MSN. It’s Reuters UK so far but worldwide can’t be far behind. The cool thing about this is that you can set ‘quiet times’ so you won’t be disturbed. That’s important if it’s on Messenger since with a normal feed reader you can check it at your convenience. IM’s appear when they want to appear unless you can control them!

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Post from: EveryJoe

Windows Messenger To Deliver News