If you have been following my tweets lately, you might have noticed that I’ve been fighting over which service I would prefer to use: Flickr or Picasa. This has resulted in far more headache than I would have initially thought, and I still don’t feel any closer to coming up with an answer. I thought by sharing my opinions, maybe you could toss some feedback my way that might help the decision making process. You may also ridicule and taunt me, as it pleases you.
I am not a photographer. I enjoy taking pictures, and I believe that I take relatively good ones, given my amateurish state. But I admit that it’s just a small hobby. Until now, I have used a Coppermine powered gallery that I kept on my personal server for managing and sharing my pictures. This works relatively well. To be perfectly honest, the only real reason I even care to switch is because I’d like to connect to more social tools through my photos. My own hidden little gallery site doesn’t do that. I also don’t have a lot of interest in keeping the software maintained, so I end up with older software that is a pain in the butt to update. But, I’m also not looking for 100,000 people to drool over my pictures. Mostly it’ll be stuff from plays I work on, or trips I take, things none of you care about (even though you try to act interested).
And here’s the matchup. Flickr is clearly a more socially driven web site. It’s purpose is more closely linked with my goal, I think. But, they lack a good desktop app for organizing pictures like Picasa does. They have an uploader application, which seems to work well enough, but I’d like my offline archive to basically mirror what I have online (at the moment, my photos folder is a pretty big mess, I admit it). Flickr is also pretty crippled if you don’t spend $24.95 a year on a pro account. Without it, you only get to use three sets (albums), which is, frankly, useless to me. You also only get to upload 100MB of photos a month, which if you are trying to migrate to their service, is also pretty useless. I said I’m not a photographer, but I still have a solid 2GB+ of photo (not that I need to share them all, but if I can, I probably will share most). However, with pro, you get unlimited everything for the most part. Storage, bandwidth, sets, collections, even video (if you care. I don’t).
Picasa has a slightly different purpose. It is geared more towards what Coppermine did for me; simply provide online gallery/album functionality. It’s desktop app is nice for organizing offline, and it integrates right into web albums. You get unlimited albums out of the gates, and a full gig of storage with no upload limits per month. But, extra storage (10GB) starts at $20/yr. Cheaper than Flickr Pro, but Flickr Pro gives you unlimited storage for five bucks more. Alternatively, you can do more for free through Picasa, just at a loss to some of the social networking features Flickr has. If you need more than 10GB, the price starts hurting.
My problem is basically that I can’t easily decide what kind of user I am, or what my goal is. I fall right in the middle of one big gray area, like Nick-at-Nite TVLand poop. Ideally, the systems should just merge into one super warehouse, like my crappy Photoshopped graphic above intimates. $25 a year isn’t much, but a lot of what I’d pay for I could have through Picasa for free. And using Flickr leaves me stuck managing stuff offline through something else. I could use Picasa as a purely offline file manager, but that’s like using it and wasting half the purpose of it. Half a dozen of one, six of another. I sure as hell don’t want to do both, I’d like one solution that answers my needs.
You could solve this problem for me, of course. Just sponsor a Flickr Pro account for me, and that will make up my mind for me. It’s not that I’m cheap, it’s just that I’m cheap.
Update: I almost forgot to mention; Brad Ward has a nice blog writeup on Flickr over at SquaredPeg on Flickr, and using it to manage your photos. I read it the other day and it was really what got me thinking that Flickr might be the way to go.
By now, you might have heard of the new Adobe Integrated Runtime, otherwise known as AIR. AIR is aimed at allowing developers to create rich internet applications that are capable of running on a user’s desktop, regardless of operating system. Think Java, but geared more towards self contained web applications. It also results in comparatively superior looking applications. I mean come on, anyone else think Java is generally ugly?
The Adobe® AIR™ runtime enables you to have your favorite web applications with you all the time. Since applications built for Adobe AIR run on your desktop computer without a web browser, they provide all the convenience of a desktop application. Companies like eBay and AOL are using Adobe AIR to create exciting new applications that allow you to use their services on your desktop. In short, Adobe AIR means applications that are easier, more powerful, and more fun to use.
With AIR, you can slap some XHTML and Flash together, and create an application on it that can run independent of a browser. It’s finding wide adoption among crowds like Twitter users. Groups that are looking for applications to plug into a web site’s API (Application Program Interface). Check out Twhirl for an example, it’s what I use to keep up on Twitter. So, this is all super neat, right? Applications install with little more than a couple clicks, and can auto-update themselves to boot. Nice in Windows, but this could be invaluable in the Linux world. Can you guess why?
I run Ubuntu 8.04b on my laptop (I love installing 20 updates every day!). My desktop dual boots XP/Ubuntu (it swings both ways). I’m slowly transitioning to the geek side. But, I fall far short of calling myself a Linux guru (you may still refer to me as Sir, though). I can do anything in Windows, but in Linux…well…I’m like a sixteen year old boy on prom night. Actually, I’m getting much better than that, but for years the largest barrier to entry for me has been installing software. It has gotten easier with RPM’s, apt-get, and Ubuntu’s Add/Remove Applications interface, but if something isn’t listed you might find yourself jumping through a number of hurdles to get things going. And let’s be honest, how many “average” users could master the art of ./configure, make, and make install? Easy for a geek, hard for Grandma Jane (don’t hit me grandma!).
That’s where this whole AIR thing caught my attention. Turns out, Adobe has got an alpha version of AIR for Linux released. Keep in mind, it’s only for testing and not fully functional (like your mom), though I’ve only noticed a little graphical quirkiness so far. First off, the install is fairly painless (though must be done through the command line):
user@system:~$ wget http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/air/linux/adobeair_linux_a1_033108.bin
user@system:~$ chmod +x adobeair_linux_a1_033108.bin
user@system:~$ sudo ./adobeair_linux_a1_033108.bin
The installer pretty much does it’s own thing. From there, you can now find and open up an .air file for an application that you want to try out. Sizlopedia has got a nice list of 10 good AIR applications that you can start with. That’s where the whole gap bridging takes place. It’s almost like running your basic install.exe file. The browser will ask if you want to open it with Adobe’s handler (hint: you do), and it runs and installs like a Window’s app would for the most part. Painless. Simple. Easy (hint: also like your mom). And what makes it more perfect is that the process doesn’t differ between using Windows or Linux, so if you’re transitioning, it’d be completely familiar to you.
Which is why I ask the question: could this be part of the key to really mainstreaming Linux? It has always been my opinion that application installation has been the single largest barrier to entry Linux has faced in the general market. If this concept could be passed along to general application installation (like an RPM, only better), I think things would change rapidly. Naturally, that’s just my opinion. But it does make the OS and AIR based applications immediately useful, without any guessing, and that’s really what the install.exe-bred users need to smooth a transition to a new and foreign OS.
The great part about today’s blog, is that the people most likely to read through it won’t get much out of it because it’s all old news, and the people that would benefit the most probably will skip it because usually my tech blogs aren’t so entertaining. So, if my tech stuff normally doesn’t interest you, take the time to read this one. The rest of you, read it anyway. You owe me. You know why.
I’ve been thinking a lot more about the social web lately. Hopefully, it’s been thinking about me too (Why won’t you return my calls?!). My experiment with operating solely through NetVibes was neither a success or failure. You could call it a “failcess.” Some things worked, some didn’t, which I think is to be expected. After all, Facebook doesn’t want to reveal their whole system through their API (Application Program Interface), since they want you to keep going to their actual site so they can show you ads. Heck, MySpace hasn’t even opened an API for use (shame on you MySpace, you’re in danger of becoming the next Netscape as it is). So as a social web consumer, there’s really only so much that you can do effectively. As a social information provider, however, that’s a different story.
How many sites do you have accounts on? MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube, Digg, Hi5, Beebo, Flickr, LiveJournal, Technorati, Last.FM…? This list can go on and on. The great part is that there are sites making a good effort to help you centralize ownership of your web identity. SocialThing, Profilactic, FriendFeed, Tumblr, and plenty of others. The best part is, not only do these sites help you mashup feeds and information from friends, they can help you take some ownership over your own identity (they know how to make a mean chocolate shake too). More than any other time, potential employers and clients are doing background checks on you through things like Google. Imagine for a moment your name was John Wilson. Are you confident all the hits would be right if someone was looking for you? Turns out, John Wilson is not an uncommon name. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could send someone somewhere, where you maintain (the appearance of) full disclosure, and can provide correct, confident links to sites about you?
First step, buy your name as a domain. Vanity domains are becoming increasingly popular (and occasionally sexy), and can be valuable as a tool in promoting yourself professionally (I’m looking at you, Midwest Melissa). It also keeps someone from trying to be a fake you, like your evil, goateed twin that keeps trying to take your place. Suck it up and spend the $7.95 to register it, then spend a few more bucks either on hosting or point it at a blog or whatnot. Step two, I mentioned Profilactic, which is what I am using here to handle my social identity control. Granted this domain is not a vanity name, but it’s still the one I send people to. On the sidebar, I created a section called “My Stuff” and plugged in the code Profilactic gives you:
Now, I have an instant gateway to my sites, and my visitors can be confident that anyone else out there with my name can be distinguished from me-me. Not only that, but it also creates a convenient way for me to get to my own stuff as well. In effect, what you are creating is your own social portal type of page. A page that becomes a central repository of links and gateways to the things you want people to identify with you (you might leave AdultFriendFinder off that list, just a suggestion). Providing a resource like that will also discourage people from looking elsewhere. If you have two MySpace pages, one nice and professional, and one that you made three years ago that you forgot the password to where you have…sexy pictures…having this kind of portal you can preempt a search and send someone to the current page.
Hopefully you see the obvious value this would create to you as a web site consumer. Centralization is the big thing now. Finding ways to simplify and streamline access to your data, wherever it might be located. Having your own site also opens up additional centralized solutions, like using your own blog/site URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) as an OpenID login (I recommend MyVidoop as a provider). Not everyone is on the OpenID train yet, but it’s growing fast. It never hurts to have options like this available to you should you want to leverage them, and it all starts with taking control of your identity. Know the size of your digital footprint. It’s easy to forget just how much stuff you put out there and make available. It’s also easy for it to get out of date. The better job you do controlling it all, the better you ultimately serve yourself.
Hot on the heals of the initial release of my Grayplicity Wordpress theme, I’m presenting you with v1.1. I wanted to get this one out quickly to address a couple small issues, and improve the usability of the theme. 1.2 will be a little further out probably, as I’d like to do some more AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript And XML) work with it, which will take more time to build in (commenting, integrated ThickBox, search, etc).
Full details and a download link can be found on the Grayplicity project page. You can find it by clicking that link, or by hitting the button at the top of the sidebar, or by going through the Projects page link in the header. Some of the changes for this version include:
If you are using 1.0, I recommend upgrading to this version. You shouldn’t notice any breakage, and will find several things have been improved. If you have questions related to this release, feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me (though comments can benefit everyone and are encouraged). Also, I will try to answer questions regarding the theme as they come in. If something looks out of whack, or you want to know why something won’t display properly, I will attempt to help. Some tweaks were made for 1.1 based on these kinds of questions.
Okay, the time has come. I am ready to release the first version of Grayplicity out into the wild. I even managed to release it right on time when I said I would, too! Grayplicity is the public release version of the theme that I am using on my blog here. I decided that I wanted to try my hand at making it into something everyone could use, if so inclined. This theme should have no problem working between Wordpress 2.3.3 and 2.5.
Feel free to leave me comments and feedback on it. Also please point out bugs. I will use all the feedback to improve and build a better theme. I’m sure a lot of you will be trying things I won’t have even thought of. I plan on adding support for a lot more of the more popular plugins, as well as building in some neat new features.
Also, if you download it and decide that it is something you’ll stick with, let me know. I’m curious how people will put it to use, and I’ll be sure to showcase the best ones on the theme’s page. You can get to it by clicking that big button on top of my sidebar or by going through the “Projects” page.
If you want to test it out, you might like to give it a run with my Wordpress Content Framework, which is designed to serve as a test bed for theme and site development. You can also use the WPCF when designing your own themes.
More secure than passwords.
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