For those of you involved with search engine optimization as I am, you may have noticed that Yahoo has updated it’s Site Explorer program, which has become used as a more popular tool for examining a website’s backlinks than Google’s service. It shows how many other websites are linking to you and there are also plugins which tell you if the links are nofollow or not. These plugins currently don’t work on the new version, which looks slightly more modern and cleaner yet doesn’t seem as usable as before. Perhaps it’s one of those things you get used to.
I’d reccommend everyone uses it to track any worthwhile links coming into your website. Competition can also be examined in the same way. I probably prefered the old design - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Like this blog, I’ve noticed a growing trend of bloggers removing the rel=”nofollow” attribute from their blogs which essentially encourages users to comment on posts without loosing what might be a valuable link to their own site. However, as some people including myself have found out, this drasticallyincreases the level of spam following each of your posts. At first I accepted this and simply deleted them from my moderation panel before they were allowed to be set live, but after a while this became a very drawn-out and exhausting process.
The answer is definately an anti-spam challenge that each user must complete before submitting a comment. The challenegs are usually so simple that a monkey could answer them, but not a robot. The one I use is called Math Comment Spam Protectionand has worked a treat since adding to my comment form.
Download here: MathCommentSpamProtection.zip
Once up and running, I also reccommend adding one fo these U Comment, I Follow Icons to your blog to let people know instantly that your blog is nofollow-free, this will surely encourage interactivity among readers. It’s also treated as a ‘badge of honour’ among bloggers who believe users should be rewarded with at least a decent link for contributing quality comments to a post. That’s how I see it anyway.
With the recent release of the iPhone 3G I felt a post about the likely implications for the future of the web, regarding this device was relevant. Having been briefed about the iPhones capabilities, it seems apparent to me that this is the furthest point in pervasive computing that technology has taken us so far. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘pervasive computing’ or ubiquitous computing’, it is basically the post-desktop model of human-computer interaction whereby the computing system becomes integrated into every day life.
Whereas the traditional desktop HCI model was easier to predict how, when and why the device is being used, with a ubiquitous device like the iPhone, it is much more difficult to predict its use as it can be used for many more activities, interacted with in more ways, and vitally in practically any location. This throws up a host of HCI and usability issues that Apple appear to have controlled in a very smart way.
It seems apparent to me that interacting with the web in a pervasive way such as this will one day become the standard of computing, meaning web designers and webmasters will have to adjust how the web is generally presented. With the Internet wherever you go and in a much more accessible format - it is surely preferred to sitting at a desktop in an office or study and browsing using traditional methods. Why do we even need a web browser? The iPhone operates just fine without one, although admittedly the range of tools available is severely limited at this time. The difference is that Apple hasn’t tried to mimic the traditional web browsing standards, it has rewritten these standards and has just let us get on with it. No longer is an address bar needed when your favourite sites are located in an iPhone folder which need to be simply pressed to be accessed. Larger web 2.0 companies such as eBay and Facebook have released their own plugins for the system for improved and unique access.
Web browsing aside, the iPhone uses a wireless Internet connection for many other services, which are all located and stored on the same unit. GPS and location awareness, instant email access via cloud computing, news, stock prices and even additional features such as the ability to use the system as a remote control for your TV all add up to a device that you can centre your world around, except now the computer integrates into your world.
Arriving fashionably late on the cloud computing scene, Apple’s new MobileMe service appears to be the answer to integrated and unified information across a user’s Apple platforms. Rather than storing data individually on several platforms, it is kept on a single server or ‘cloud’ where it will keep all interconnected devices up to date with the user’s information. Also, similar to Microsoft’s Live Mesh which I have covered in some detail, MobileMe features an online desktop where the storage and sharing of files is possible and accessible by all deviced connected to the service.
Also similar to Live Mesh, MobileMe incorporates desktop Macs, MacBooks and iPhones together which is an ever increasing trend in web 2.0 technologies in today’s world. Web services aren’t designed for traditional desktop computers, but are intended to be accessed anywhere on people’s mobile devices. The term ‘MobileMe’ only strengthens the idea that the frequency of changing data to make it relevant is primarily designed for mobile computing.
Anyway, the main feature as far as MobileMe is concerned is the Push service which I have already touched upon, a service which keeps constantly changing data relevant on all connected mobile devices up to date. This primarily includes emails, contacts and calendar events. So id I was to add a new event to my calnedar on my iMac, lo and behold it will also appear on my iPhone. Useful, consistent and certainly a step in the right direction of unified and correct data sharing,but it makes you wonder whyit has taken so long for this idea to come to mainstream fruition?
Games consoles are also becoming interconnected. Look at the Wii-DS, PS3-PSP & XBOX360-PC connectivity. Perhaps it won’t be too longer before they’re all talking to each other. Regardless of the competition however, it’s good to see that Apple have created a simple and usable solution in MobileMe and there’s no doubt the loyal fanbase of Apple users will be hooked right in. But with so far limited options and the high prices that have become customary with Apple products, will it have the pulling power to detract from the mainstream and all-inclusive solution soonto be offered by Microsoft and Live Mesh? Time will tell…
With Microsoft’s ‘next big thing’ Live Mesh now firmly on the horizon, more details are becoming available about the system and how it will surely revolutionize the way information is shared globally. Introducing the idea of a web-desktop where the interconnection of web technologies and desktop operating systems provide a complete service, Live Mesh is surely the future of desktop computing. Here’s a brief overview of the services offered in the Tech Preview which is now online:
Interconnectivity
The online ‘device ring’ area shows all the devices that are connected to the Live Mesh network, giving you the option to add new devices. This could include the desktop in front of you, a laptop on the other side of the world, an iPhone or any connected mobile devices that you may have registered. Adding a device to the Mesh is as simple as clicking an orange button and selecting ‘install’.
The Web Desktop
Interfaced just like the standard PC desktop computer, the online web desktop incorporates all the usable aspects of traditional computing into an online interface. This means it will ooze familiarity to a much wider audience and would probably be much more usable to people who use PCs but aren’t that used to the Internet. On this part of the Mesh you can upload and download files and any changes to these files are then applied across the Mesh network.
Remote Desktop Access
The situation has surely arisen very commonly whereby you need a file from the PC at home when you’re at work or college. The remote desktop access service through Live Mesh allows you to securely access any devices connected to the Mesh meaning you’ll always have a way of using these devices, even if you’re in another country. Current programs that allow you to do this such as Beam2Support will become irrelevant as Live Mesh doesn’t require someone on the other side to connect with you. Similar to WiiConnect24, the service is always connected to the Mesh.
Social Mesh
A news feed section in the Live Mesh interface allows users to share news, view shows and send messages to other members who are in the same group. By sharing folders, any posts that you make can be read by other users which makes the possibility of using the Mesh as a collaboration tool a more realistic prospect.
These are just some of the main aspects of Live Mesh that have been revealed so far. However, with the tech demo now available and new things being reported about the service each day, there’s sure to be much more on the horizon.
