What’s the Browser Matter?

I’ve been pondering a redesign of this website for a while now. As it should be, it’s way down the bottom of my Things To Do, but it’s there.

I’m writing this in MarsEdit, I’ll read it in NetNewsWire. According to my server logs, some of you are reading this within your Google homepage, Newsgator account, email client, or something altogether different.

So, who would I be redesigning the site for?

Robots? They don’t appreciate interesting typography or color choices.

This is why the default WordPress theme is so popular – the value isn’t in the CSS. The value of a website is in it’s reception.

I’ve half-joked about rebuilding Amazon.com to make it friendlier to my Treo. Using their E-Commerce Service – it’d be a decent effort, but not outrageous. Completely do-able.

37Signals recently opened up the Basecamp API to developers.

ProgrammableWeb’s Mashup Matrix says there are 89 other APIs available.

If I can get the data from those services within applications I’m already using and comfortable with – what does it matter what their website looks like? I won’t see it.

Let’s say, you loaded up this page and found just a link to the RSS feed. Let’s say we got really real and just released the API of a web application. Leaving the interface design to the customers.

UPDATE 11 May 2006:

“The browser will explode into a thousand fragments, will spawn a thousand specialized offspring” – Stowe Boyd

Reorganizing Apophenia

For those of you reading this via RSS, I’ve redesigned the site. Tweaking and torquing Scott Wallick’s VeryPlainTxt theme.

I’ve also re-org’d the sections, and generally make the site more extendible, while also pulling in my writing from other sites into the sidebar.

One of those sites being my account on Flickr. In the sidebar of garrickvanburen.com, I’m pulling in 2 randomly selected photos. I think it makes for a fun diptych and a nice way to dance with apophenia.

Cars Shouldn’t Smoke. I’m Sure of That.

Last Thursday, as I come to the end of the exit ramp off Hwy 100, the Neon started smoking.

Knowing this is generally a bad sign, I called up Stinson Auto and they sent over a tow truck. The tow truck driver took one whiff of the car and frantically disconnected the battery.

“I don’t want it bursting into flame on me.”

Guess I should grab my laptop from the passenger seat then.

Early Friday morning, Matt from Stinson Auto calls – says the driver’s side front brake line collapsed. End result – brakes could be applied, just not released. The smoke was the wheel fighting with the brake when I hit the accelerator.

On the plus side – the Neon and it’s lack of hauling capacity was out of the way during the move.

American Children Helping Uganda’s Invisible Children

Jen found out about the horrid plight of Uganda’s night walking children via Daily Candy featuring The Name Campaign.

Hell yea we supported the effort – and got the dog tags to prove it. Mine reads:

Yakobo Atidi
Age 12

To raise more aid money and expose this global atrocity to more Americans, our own children will become night walkers this Saturday, April 29th.

Tim Stay’s 12 year-old son gets it. That’s important.

Might be the most effective use of MySpace I’ve seen.

First Crack 78. The Trouble with Business Models

As I promised, here’s the second half of my conversation with J Wynia on geeky stuff. (The first half is at GlassTooBig.com)

Here, we talk about making money, keeping overhead low, income diversification, and making sure an idea needs a business model.

Listen to the Trouble with Business Models [39 min]

Duh. Advertisers are the Customers, not Viewers.

Listening to Tod Maffin’s latest Todbits (made my Podcast Picks as well) and pondering his bit about American Idol running 3 minutes after the hour to thwart PVR-watchers and encourage live-TV-watchers.

Honestly, I feel a little silly. All this time I was wondering why it felt like broadcast media outlets despised their customers. Switching up schedules, starting programs late, splicing them into a million pieces between commercial breaks. Follow the money. It stops long before it gets to the viewer or listener or reader.

I still don’t get why newspapers, radio, and television aren’t 100% ads. The honesty would be easier on everyone.