RICHARD [MADGE] HAVING A BAD DAY 

Richard, I hope your friend gets better. It sounds like you're having an awful day. Our thoughts are with ya both.

Also sounds like he's getting to grips with all the latest crazes ;)

LISTENING LISTS 

I'm thinking alot these days about 'Listening Lists' - alot like 'Reading Lists' but for audio :) In fact it's more like 'Attention Lists' as they can show what the list owner is 'tuning in' to at that time, be it text, audio, video or whatever.

Audio is so cool, because you can 'consume' it while doing other things with your eyes and hands. In that respect, I've come to think of audio is the most powerful medium, with the most reach (with deaf people as the unfortunate exception).

While looking for some pictures to cobble together to illustrate some ideas I am brewing here in my London 'cave', I came across this GREAT picture, which I think helps to illustrate the idea of an OPML listener/speaker tree :)

These lists can effectively and efficiently become the core applicaton for various 'podcast networks' which have appeared recently (and will no doubt multiply very quickly) for example, Todd Maffin's new 'FourSevens' network, Todd Cochrane's TechPodcast or PodcasterNews networks, or even the wonderul ITConversations (here's an OPML file to all the ITC feeds, btw).

The guy holding the big megaphone speaks with the voices of many.

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OPML EXPORTING FROM GOOGLE READER etc... 

I was just taking a look at the OPML imported and exported through the Google Reader...

NOT VALID!!! Apart from the fact that Google seemed to hide away the Export function (it's in the 'More Actions' drop down in the Edit Subscriptions panel) they are exporting invalid OPML. A quick glance at the simple OPML spec will show that you need to use the attribute 'text' for the text of the outline. Not 'title', as Google (and Bloglines) have used.

This would be a snap to fix. And it would make the world of OPML much better for everyone.

On a similar note, I have spent the past few days really working hard on a 'universal' RSS parseing script for a project I am working on. If you could see the MESS that RSS is in out there, mainly due to the iTunes namespaces etc! Alot of people just don't seem to care (or know) about the original RSS2.0 STANDARD. It looks like alot of people are hand hacking the stuff to get their podcast feed into iTunes, then forgetting the STANDARD RSS2.0 tags. This make me look very dimly at Apple and iTunes. Ans feel very sorry for newbie iPod owners who don't know any better.

It makes me want an alternative to iTunes (as a podcast 'directory' finder - sure it will always be the app required to get content to an iPod). I wonder if I am alone here? I'm amazed at how many people just don't realised that they are 'locked in' - a bit like early AOL users not realising that there were a big wide word web, outside the AOL walled garden. They had no idea. No one told them. They were in the dark - they didn't even know there was a wall!

Explaining this to early AOL users back in the day provided the same gleeful response that I get now when I tell people that they don't need to own an iPod to listen to podcasts. ;)

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MAC OCS 

I just had another pop at setting up the OPML Community Server on my Mac with a fresh install of the latest versions. (It's what Sundays are for, right?.... right? )

I just noticed that my test appears in Changes 'makosso's OPML blog'

Unfortunately, I have the same results as back in November. I asked before if Dave (or anyone) had tried an install on his Mac and had no replies yet.

I have proved that the OPML app on the Mac is not serving via Port 80. Therefore it is impossible for it to 'serve' pages from blogs. or hosting. [ Port 5337 is opened by the app though.]

Here are previous results

This could have something to do with OSX's built-in websharing service/apps - Apache. But disabling this appears to have no effect. I think we need an exprienced MacOSX geek to help us here.

Running a 'portscan' on the Mac machine shows up the OPML applicaton in charge of port 5337 and port 8081 (8081 seems to be the local frameset view - as seen in the main Windows version) - Though no sign of Port 80, for webserving.

So Dave (or anyone), have you tried the latest howto on your Mac? [I promise not to bite or flame ] - I just happen to know you have a Mac and also experience with the app. (natch)

I just need a simple yes/no to:

1: Have you installed an OPML Community Server on your Mac?

2: Did it work as expected?

3*: How did you go about proving if it worked or not? (Brief explanation required)

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Thankyou kindly

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