Thinking about extensions and microformats in OPML

• In response to a part of what I wrote in "Why XOXO?", Dave responded:

  • I think that's wrong Les. In OPML 2.0 you can add data to outlines in namespaces. How is it any more "core" in XOXO?

• He's got a point there, because I think I mangled my thinking of what's "core" for a format. Because, in fact, thanks to namespaces I could see dropping any microformat data (ie. hReview, hCard, hCalendar) into an OPML outline node.

• I was thinking of these microformats as "core" to XOXO because they're being developed by the same people along the same principles, but there's nothing in the XOXO spec itself which loops in other microformats directly. So, they're not literally any more "core" to XOXO than they are to OPML.

• Of course, there's the spirit of the thing - mixing OPML and XHTML microformats might seem like a gross hack to some, kind of like mixing RSS and Atom elements in the same feed. But, it's possible, it's parseable, and it might just be useful.

The comment system here is a bit flakey and easy to get out of sync when I revise the page and someone happens to see an older entry via RSS. I assume that's why Dave's comment doesn't show up anywhere here.

Okay, this sucks: I left my PowerBook's AC adapter at home today, and its battery has degraded to the lifespan of a sad capacitor. I'm running the OPML Editor on my work PC, which is how I'm writing this now. But, I had to copy down today's outline to this computer manually. If I recall (shoddily, since my notes are on the laptop), there's a getFilesChangedSince() method of the OPML Community Server API - I wonder if I could throw together a tool at some point to keep all my OPML Editor instances in sync?

During the course of working on these two books, I've learned that I can program while listening to people talking - ie. fiction or discussion podcasts. But, once I start actually spewing words myself, I have to switch over to music. Otherwise, I just can't get anything extended and coherent done with that part of my brain.

Imagine if you walked down the street talking to yourself, and someone from another state answered. ";->"

A little trick I've been using more lately, since I got a cell phone with decent text messaging: Since I don't carry a PDA and often forget a pen-and-paper, I email myself short little ideas from my phone. It's got decent predictive text entry that tends not to annoy me overly much, so I'm pretty quick at tapping things out. I always come back to email eventually, later, when things are calm - so this is like IM-ing myself, one-way into the future. (Too bad I can't respond!) Although it looks like it's down now, I can actually see a conceptual use for Dave's old Mail to the Future service. Sometimes it's just so handy to defer a thought into the future, yet getting it out of your overloaded head.

Am I the only one who's disturbed by the Sherwin-WIlliams logo and "Cover the Earth" slogan? Actually, it does look like I have some company. I see this logo on delivery trucks from time to time, and it just kind of hits me with a shock. Like... Cover the Earth? Did they mean Pave the Earth? Is that paint? Or is that blood? Or maybe world domination? It reminds me of that TV series revival of "War of the Worlds," where upon coming back from commercial breaks they'd depict a giant three-fingered hand creeping over the top of the Earth.

TGIF, and thank goodness we have coffee again - Arabian Mocha Sanani from Starbucks. Pretty good stuff!