What we need is a nice way for users to allow applications to their data in other applications. A common API and a common UX interaction element. Something like Facebook applications have ... you click a submit button, Facebook asks if you want to allow the application to do this or that, click "Allow" and BAM!
Call for a Better Web
51–60 of 68 posts
Re: Call for a Better Web
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Sigh...where to start?" I wish you wouldn't have started off with that. It's insulting and doesn't add to the discussion. Just because you see the author's conclusions as somewhat naive (which you've articulated) doesn't make it OK to belittle his effort. FWIW, Other than that snide start it's a thoughtful post.
SIGH...where to start? You're barely contributing to the conversation here. The world isn't lovey-dovey. If you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen.
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Re: Call for a Better Web
#53Sigh...where to start? First, I applaud your passion for making the web a better place, and for being willing to put yourself out there and be open with your views. That said, there's a number of problems with what you're saying and the proposed solution, but let me point out just a few: 1. Normal people don't care. Seriously, my mom uses a handful of websites and doesn't really care about any of the problems you men…
"1. Normal people don't care. Seriously, my mom uses a handful of websites and doesn't really care about any of the problems you mention. If a solution were offered and it was more convenient, she might use it, but it's just not a big deal to her." +1 The OP says why YC won't fund him (single founder, no biz model), but he's overlooking the doozy. YC has freakin' T-SHIRTS that say "Make something people want". Not is…
It's not a question of "normal people" versus ... well, whatever category you want to put here. It's a question of when it's painful: nobody cares about exporting all their data, until their online service loses their account. Then everybody cares.
It's a problem 99.9% of people don't have now, but could have at any time. Seatbelts are also a solution to a problem 99.9% of people don't have, but that doesn't mean I don't want one.
(Is it profitable? Maybe not -- look how few people make backups now. But that's distinct from not wanting to have had it.)
Re: Call for a Better Web
#54Hiya. Mind if I make some suggestions on how you can write better in professional communications? Lead with your strengths. Your first paragraph, which is the most important one you will write because it is the one that determines whether the rest of your piece gets read, is filled with self-inflicted strikes against you. English is not my mother tongue and I’m not a great writer, so I am borrowing the words JFK used…
I felt an honesty and openness in the article which your rewrite (which I'd probably have stopped reading right around "dreams of avarice") lacks. The article isn't a plea for funding but an attempt to start a dialog about how to solve the perceived problem.
It's not all about money, and "making very rich rich men out of everyone associated with the project" is antithetical to the motivations conveyed by the piece.
Re: Call for a Better Web
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is that the only reason? If so, would it be possible to offer a public place to view apps that was separate from the main page? Judging by the popularity of the "review my startup" posts, I bet tons of people would be interested in reading them.
Honestly, I don't know. That problem was bad enough that I didn't think further about what other bad (or good) consequences there might be of letting people make applications public. My gut tells me it would be a bad idea. I sure wouldn't have done it as a founder, and if only lame groups did this, there would be no upside, only downside. But I could be wrong; I haven't thought more about it than what I just wrote.
What if there was a high karma threshold for viewing the apps? Like 1000 or something.
Re: Call for a Better Web
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
now it's offending because people say "sigh"?
What do you mean now? That's always been insulting, even in person.
He/She spent 15 minutes to explain his thoughts. How's that insulting?
If he used that word alone then probably you could assume it's insulting.
Re: Call for a Better Web
#57The main problem I see is that there is so little detail that I'm not sure what's being proposed. Many of the commenters here also seem to have varying ideas about what's being suggested. To have a chance, you need a clear vision, clearly articulated. The hard part will be finding a realistic roadmap to where you want to end up from where the Web is now, but that can come later.
As an example of the vagueness I'm talking about, you write "We would have some kind of gateway that would act as an identity provider (think OpenID) and a system you would put your stuff on." This doesn't say how this system is run, who owns it, who pays for it, or what the difference is from similar proposals that have already been tried.
The passion for making things better comes through loud and clear but the solution conveyed isn't much more specific than "let's make things better".
Re: Call for a Better Web
#58I do agree with your thoughts.. Infact I m working on such kind of web model.
Re: Call for a Better Web
#59A lot of this reads like the FOAF, DiSo and Semantic Web visions. None of those has got much traction in the market: my gut feeling is that there is a market in portable identity somewhere, but no-one's worked out what it is yet.
I'd be tempted to start with the mobile companies, though: they already know who I am, where I am and how to bill me. Feels like a natural place to add authentication and identity broking...
Re: Call for a Better Web
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
What do you mean now? That's always been insulting, even in person.
He/She spent 15 minutes to explain his thoughts. How's that insulting? If he used that word alone then probably you could assume it's insulting.
It doesn't matter how well he explained himself, sighing is equivalent to rolling your eyes, it's the tone it sets that is taken badly. I actually agree with everything he said, I'm just pointing out that sighing is offensive; he basically said "you're ignorant, and let me explain why". The quality of the explanation makes little difference.