Bruce Zimmer: Radio Fun

Elvis Has Left The Building

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 05:44:05 GMT

Let the word go forth to all my Radio weblog category sites. And let the word likewise be cast upon the RSS waters that those both near and far may hear the news.

This incarnation of Redwood Asylum has been retired. But let not the news weigh heavily upon thee. Know ye that nonsense and drivel spring forth anew in these TypePad locations:

Redwood Asylum: same old stuff with a new RSS feed
Random Analytics: web analytics and a new RSS feed

Oh, and the Elvis expression?

Upgraded TypePad Trial

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 07:24:54 GMT

Upgraded my TypePad trial account from Basic to Plus.

Spent a lot of time troubleshooting problems with Radio UserLand post exporting. Finally decided the issue was probably not in Bill Kearney's exporter tool, but in the Radio UserLand database.

Deleted several old posts from an unpublished category and deleted the category. Deleted several other old categories which were no longer needed. Ran the TweezerMan script to rebuild internal category story lists. Used the Radio application option to save a new copy of weblogData.root. Shut down Radio, swapped in the new copy of weblogData.root and restarted. Bill Kearney's exporter ran fine, dumping over 1700 posts into a Movable Type format file.

Re-worked the TypePad test site several times, dumping the earlier partial import and loading the full 1700 post file. TypePad isn't nearly as flexible as Movable Type, but I don't think I need extensive customization. However, I do have an account at Total Choice Hosting where I could test Movable Type.

Many have moved to (perceived) greener pastures after Radio UserLand. Will I follow The Shifted Librarian, TweezerMan and Phil Windley to Movable Type? I watched Ernie the Attorney move from Radio to TypePad. If my TypePad testing proceeds without major incident, maybe I'll buy the first year. If I don't like the Project Comet evolution, I can always jump to Movable Type later.

Time will tell.

TypePad Trial

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 07:06:12 GMT

After three and a half years with Radio UserLand, I'm testing something new. I opened a 30-day free trial TypePad account this evening, starting with the Basic version. Using Google, I located Bill Kearney's exporter tool for Radio UserLand. Although I'm having problems, I was able to export enough Radio posts to test the TypePad import feature. Time will tell.

Continued Radio Pain

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 07:16:37 GMT

I have not posted personal items here for a long time. There are many things I could mention, and back-date to their proper position in the weblog, but I won't. The Radio UserLand software does not provide this feature out of the box. A workaround exists, which I've documented before, but it is fragile and annoying.

When shut down, Radio still crashes 50% of the time. My hopes for increased stability in the new version went unanswered. This is probably an issue with the underlying Frontier kernel, since Dave Winer's OPML Editor does the same thing.

Although UserLand recently updated the Radio software, the company is getting by on a wing and a prayer. Much of the coding is now done by volunteers. On the other hand, the software is reasonably priced. A painful tradeoff.

When Six Apart releases Project Comet in 2006, I'll have a hard choice to make. I would not be the first to leave UserLand for SixApart, and certainly not the last.

Yahoo 360 - Disappointing Beta Release

Sat, 09 Apr 2005 19:17:04 GMT

Earlier this month, Dave Winer of Scripting News sent me an invitation to the Yahoo 360 beta test. As you'll see from my test posts, I'm not impressed.

Happy Belated Birthday, RSS

Thu, 17 Mar 2005 07:48:53 GMT

And the rest is history...

On this day six years ago Netscape unveiled their feed reader, my.netscape.com, and a format named RSS. [Scripting News]

Happy 9th Anniversary to Steve and Tammy

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 06:47:28 GMT

It appears that Maria and I share an anniversary date with Steve and Tammy Kirks.

9 Years of Wedded Bliss.

Today marks the official observance of my wedding anniversary (9 years this time) and I couldn't be happier. Tammy and I were actually married on "Leap Day", February 29th of 1996, so our real anniversary comes every four years, just like a US Presidential election. There's a long-standing joke that I'm "running for reelection" which means that I've considered taking campaign contributions.
[house of warwick]

Congratulations to Donovan Watts

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 08:08:22 GMT

A well-deserved honor for a gentleman working hard to improve the lives of Radio UserLand clients. Thanks, and congratulations, to Donovan.

Donovan Watts: Radio's Librarian.

This was an exciting day for me. My iChat and Skype call with Steve Kirks was the highlight. I look forward to sifting through the Radio knowledgebase, helping the documentation settle into a helpful, easily accessed entity.

"After watching the many outstanding entries at Donovan's Radio: The Missing Manual, UserLand made him and offer he couldn't refuse: Radio's Librarian

Welcome aboard, Donovan--and thank you!"

(Via house of warwick.)
[Donovan Watts: Radio UserLand: The Missing Manual]

Trouble in RSS Paradise?

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 01:14:45 GMT

I mentioned earlier that we activated RSS feeds at work. I referred our stakeholder to a vendor for implementation before I went on vacation. I hope I don't regret the decision.

I let our stakeholder consider them because the vendor:

has an RSS analytics approach that speaks well of their vision
already "has a clue", instead of having to purchase one
was priced acceptably
has a non-trivial showcase customer
can use another well-known corporate client
is local
can be replaced by inhouse implementation if they screw up
"yadda, yadda" - Seinfeld

Sadly, beta test issues indicated they might have less of a clue than I'd hoped, or maybe just lacked attention to detail. Teething pains typical of any implementation? Maybe. However, an issue discovered after production release, with a disturbing response from vendor management, has me wondering.

No RSS? You're Fired!

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 00:16:48 GMT

"It's medieval to make your customers come to you"
- Martha Rogers
coauthor of "The One to One Future: Building Relationships One Customer at a Time" (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1993)

"You should be fired if you do a marketing site without an RSS feed."
- Robert Scoble, Microsoft

"No Shit, Sherlock!"
- Bruce Zimmer

"Do you have an RSS feed?"

"No, this site is for non geeks."

... That demonstrates an utter cluelessness about how hype gets generated. If you don't have RSS, how will anyone who is a connector build a relationship with your site?

"Why don't you get your non-geek friends to link to it then?"

I think he had heard that lots of press was reading blogs and wanted to get Walt Mossberg or Steven Levy to talk about this marketing site and figured he'd use me to drive traffic.

Sorry, if you do a marketing site and you don't have an RSS feed today you should be fired.

I'll say it again. You should be fired if you do a marketing site without an RSS feed.

Saying that RSS is only for geeks today is like saying in 1998 that the Web was only for geeks...
[Scobleizer: Microsoft Geek Blogger]

RSS Feed Customization: Audio Interview With Mark Carlson, SimpleFeed

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 03:54:39 GMT

RSS Feed Customization: Audio Interview With Mark Carlson, SimpleFeed. RSS feed customization could become one of the hot RSS topics in the near future, but right now there are just too few companies doing it … and too few providers offering RSS feed customization solutions.
By rss_feedback@lockergnome.com (Rok Hrastnik). [Lockergnome's RSS & Atom Tips]

Tips on RSS Marketing, Online PR and SEO

Thu, 17 Feb 2005 04:09:23 GMT

Tips on RSS Marketing, Online PR & SEO. I just recently interviewed Lee Oden, a search engine marketing and PR expert, on using RSS for search engine positioning, as well as on online PR and little-known search engine optimization tactics.
By rss_feedback@lockergnome.com (Rok Hrastnik). [Lockergnome's RSS & Atom Tips]

RapidFeeds.com Launches its RSS Publishing Service

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 03:59:21 GMT

Choices choices choices ... RapidFeeds.com Launches its RSS Publishing Service. RSS is becoming all about choices. End-users can choose from dozens and dozens of different RSS aggregators, and it’s becoming very much like this in the RSS publishing solutions market. It would seem that “almost every” company is starting to see opportunities in the RSS space, and it remains to be seen how many are actually going to achieve more than marginal market penetration. This week, the free RapidFeeds (Beta version) hosted web-based RSS publishing solution joins the market.
By rss_feedback@lockergnome.com (Rok Hrastnik). [Lockergnome's RSS & Atom Tips]

RSS Metrics: Audio Interview with Stuart Watson, Syndicate IQ

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 04:03:38 GMT

RSS Metrics: Audio Interview with Stuart Watson, Syndicate IQ. In this audio interview, Stuart Watson reveals not only what publishers, advertisers and direct marketers can do with RSS metrics, but also shares some excellent RSS marketing strategies and his views (and tips) on the future of RSS advertising and tracking.
By rss_feedback@lockergnome.com (Rok Hrastnik). [Lockergnome's RSS & Atom Tips]

Thank you, Dave Winer, for RSS

Sun, 13 Feb 2005 01:19:11 GMT

Thank you, Netscape and Dave Winer, for the RSS infrastructure which supports the info-addict in all of us.

Today's an important day in the history of Scripting News, and as it turns out, the history of the web. On this day in 1999, Netscape went public with its RSS reader, the first-ever. It was called My.Netscape.Com, and it was something like a page layout program in a browser. You arranged boxes containing news from a publication or a weblog. They got their service to work with Scripting News (I knew because they were sending me questions about my XMLization). Anyway, the news of their rollout is in the archive for the day, six years ago, and in a DaveNet piece that explained the news to the industry. [Scripting News]

Radio UserLand Slacker Bug Strikes Again

Sat, 12 Feb 2005 22:23:49 GMT

Twelve-Step Intro: "Hi! I'm Bruce, and I'm a weblog slacker." I post when I feel like it, and I haven't felt like it for a long time. In addition, a new personal project is sucking up every spare minute of my time. Thus, I was pleased to note I'm not the only one who takes a one-month hiatus from time to time. Someone else in the Radio UserLand discussion group was bitten by "the slacker bug", and now I don't feel so alone. [grin] Maybe I should start a slacker club.

Scott Shuda of UserLand Returns to Radio

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 09:12:54 GMT

Donovan is sooo right about this. It is great to see Scott "eating the dogfood" again. Only good things can come of this. Welcome back, Scott!

UserLand CFO Scott Shuda Sees the (Radio) Light!.

I'm happy to read that Scott Shuda, CFO for UserLand, has decided to return to blogging with Radio. That can only be good for our favorite little engine that could.

"So another turn in my weblog journey and once again I am reminded just how thoughtful and powerful are the tools built by Dave Winer and his team during the early days at UserLand. I also have another basis for understanding why Steve Kirks is so enthusiastic about Radio as a product. I intend to continue adding to my personal weblog, and it looks like I am going to be using Radio to do it." (Via Scott Shuda's Radio Weblog.)
[Donovan Watts: Radio UserLand: The Missing Manual]

Steve Kirks DynDNS Tool for Radio UserLand

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:37:21 GMT

Something to explore in my spare time...

DynDNS Tool for Radio UserLand.
I've written a tool for Radio UserLand that automatically updates a DynDNS name with the IP of your PC running Radio. Would this be valuable to you? It's for sale, $1.99 a copy. If there are any takers, leave me a comment and I'll send you the tool.
[Steve Kirks: house of warwick : Radio notes]

Radio UserLand Feature Survey

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:32:03 GMT

My biggest pain point isn't on the list.

Radio Feature Survey. We're running a survey over on the Radio site to see what features Radio users want us to focus on. Please take a moment and choose your favorite.
[Steve Kirks: house of warwick : Radio notes]

Overture and Feedburner May Ratchet RSS Advertising Up A Notch

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:14:20 GMT

RSS ads head for the big time.

Overture and Feedburner talk RSS advertising. (via Steve Rubel) Paidcontent is reporting that Feedburner and Overture are talking about an RSS feed/ advertising tie-up that may well see inserted advertising on the feeds of blogs currently utilising the service shortly. [The Blog Herald: more blog news more often]