BurningbirdRecovered from the Wayback Machine.
Actually, I should realize that I would be wasting my time discussing RSS, as no one will care, and no minds will change, and it won’t stop people getting into flame wars if I happen to mention RSS in a posting.
Pictures. I should just stick with pictures.
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
I have been working on a series of essays and matching examples and implementations that combine art and technology, human communication and the Internet. Specifically they focus on RDF and poetry, of all things.
The essays will, hopefully, demonstrate where the complexity of RDF (Resource Description Framework) and ontologies shine and traditional keyword technology fails — within the metaphorical richness of poetry. I’m demonstrating how one can search on concepts, not just keywords, and get a listing of poems that incorporate the concepts, regardless of the actual words used in the poem.
For instance, the ‘bridge’ is many times used as a metaphor for a variety of complex concepts, such as a person facing change within themselves. By defining bridge as metaphor for this concept, one could attach the ‘bridge’ metaphor to a poem that doesn’t even contain the word ‘bridge’, but does contain the concept, though using a different metaphor.
After being burned out for so long, I’ve had a lot of fun working on what I call My “Poetry Finder” for want of a better term. What I particularly like about this work is it allows me to combine my interest in technology with art, particularly writing, something I’ve not been able to do before. I’m having fun. Rusty fun.
As an aside in the article, I was going to discuss, briefly, about my disappointment that so much about RDF is focused on RSS and FOAF, both of which I’ve referred to as ‘brain dead’ data models. I don’t use this term to insult these highly useful and popular specifications; but to demonstrate that using RDF for a simple hierarchy of items, parent to child, isn’t a good representation of the richness of RDF and an associated ontology built on RDF. The only semantics associated with either RSS or FOAF is from the data’s inclusion in a RSS or FOAF file — there is no other semantics associated with either of these specifications. I feel the points are good, and demonstrative.
However, lately, I’ve found myself reluctant to even mention RSS, because doing so invites a flame war into my comments that has little to do what I originally wrote.
When I write to this weblog, or elsewhere, it’s more than a collection of keywords randomly stuck together. When I use ‘RSS’ in a weblog posting, it’s within the context of the larger body of writing, not specifically associated with whatever one’s feelings are about RSS at that point in time. I’m reminded of a dog’s interpretation of how we speak, when I see the fixation on keywords within our weblogs at times:
blah blah blah, blahty, blah, RSS
blah, blah blah blippy blag ramble blah RSS blah blah
It can be more than a little disappointing when you write something and the comments take off on a tangent having little to do with what you write. Some would say that this is the richness of this medium — that it opens new doors to communication. True, and I’ve seen, and been pleased by, rich discussions in my comments that were inspired by the original writing, but not necessarily referencing it.
However, in the case of RSS, there is no inspiration involved — people see “RSS” and that’s all she wrote. Next thing you know, wars start, flames begin, and the whole thing about who ‘owns’ RSS, or who has ‘ruined’ RSS begins anew.
Not with my RDF and poetry work. I’ve spent too much time on these to allow them to be used as springboards for yet another mud slinging session. So I have two choices:
1. I can forego including anything referring to RSS in the essays. However, the inclusion of the material is demonstrative of some key points I want to make. In effect, by removing my writing on RSS, I would be censoring myself because I don’t want ill-mannered behavior in my comments. This is not acceptable.
2. Use a lightning rod. By this I mean get the discussion about RSS over and done with before going into the RDF and poetry writing. Make it clear that now is the time to discuss this things, get them out of our system. Not in my work on RDF/poetry.
So this is fair warning: today I’m wading into the politics surrounding RSS. Most of you won’t care, or will be tired of the discussion. You’ll most likely want to bypass my postings related to these topics. Fair enough. Please stop by after this weekend when I promise to write on other things, more pics, blogshares, and, especially, my RDF/poetry work.
I know that some people will be disappointed that I’m covering this topic. And I’m not going to bitch if it gets ugly, because I’m an old hand at this, I know what to expect. This discussion is a lose/lose, and most likely nothing will be resolved. However, my point isn’t resolution as much as it is exhaustion. Strike now, and then forever hold your peace.
More later today.
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Well, enough of the poetry stuff, let’s get back to the important stuff — blogshares!
I’m getting shares in weblogs as gifts from folks. I’m new to this subterranean culture — is there some etiquette to blogshare giving? Is giving a person one share of your weblog’s stock a new calling card of capitalism?
And I’m now the second best player for May, and I have no idea of why. It’s fun, though. Especially torturing Dorothea with lyrics from old 80’s shows, until she cracks under the pressure and sells me shares in her weblog. I am a ruthless entrepreneur.
I have something fun I’ve been working on the last couple of days I need to finish, but other stuff keeps intruding. There’s fun stuff, such as exactly what Evil Twin would do with a course called Nature, Nuture, Nonsense. And then there’s less fun stuff, such as an accusation about non-objective coverage of RSS on the part of O’Reilly authors. Such as myself. With this one, though, I think my best bet is to focus on fun, rather than tired, worn out fights.
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
I don’t know how Blogshares works. I don’t know how the stock market works so this isn’t terribly surprising. However, Blogshares is a bit of fun, isn’t it?
I’ve been gifted with shares by Indie Pundit, have figured out how to give shares with my first gift to Dorothea, and have had Brad Choate and Gary Turner buy shares in Burningbird. I’ve also bought some shares in other weblogs. Including Dorothea’s. Yes, D. I do own you.
Bwahahahahahah!
As Dorothea would say, “WOot!”
(Is that right? WOot?)
I’ve made money, too. Currently I’m the fourth best player for May. Considering that I have no idea what I’m doing, this will most likely change. In the meantime, I think I’ll have a little fun.
So, what do I do next? Anyone want some shares in BB?
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Today is May first, and the reason why you’re here now (other than I hope you like what I write, my photos, or that the Google search that brought you here isn’t too weird) is because generous and sharing people answered a call from another good friend and contributed to keep this weblog and my web sites alive.
As a thank you, I wanted to give all of you shares in Burningbird in Blogshares, but I haven’t been able to figure out how this works. So I thought I would give you all virtual shares, and to let you know that you’re all now a part of the Burningbird Shareholder’s Association.
I’d like to say that membership gets you special privileges, but you already have access to my writing, my photographs, my technology, my RSS feed, and my return regard.
I don’t want to get maudlin and mushy and teary, because the water will put out the flame and it’s a bitch to get going again. But I did want to say that the support I received from all of you went way beyond just the monetary help. I’m not sure if you’ll all ever know how much this meant to me. All I can say is, thank you. Thank you for your support online, in my comments, helping me keep Burningbird running, and most of all, for stopping by, spending some time with me.
Thank you.
Lee Harris
Mark Wallace
And to the others who asked to remain anonymous…
Thanks gang. You’re the best.
