OK, so I like the idea of my social network(s) revolving around my email but one problem (among many) that needs to be solved is the issue of ‘presence’ across all email platforms. My friends are spread across Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail etc. I am kind of experiencing Inbox 2.0 already in Gmail but those outside Gmail drop out of view when ideally they should be as visible as my Gmail contacts. The issue of cross-platform presence is nicely dealt with by Meebo so I’m sure it can be sorted by Gmail.

For someone like me who has conspired to run a very manageable email inbox, the idea of a social network around my email makes sense. Even more so given that I spend most of my time online inside Gmail/ GTalk and to some extent the better version of iGoogle - Netvibes. A year from now I can guarantee I will still be using my email but will I be so immersed in Facebook?

There’s a lot of talk at the moment about what Google is planning to do in the face of the popularity of Facebook. I believe that what Google will slowly roll out is exactly what they have been planning to roll out before Facebook exploded.

Their task is relatively simple - just let users join the dots between their existing products and keep the results nice and open - a la Google Maps. I can envisage people unconsciously rolling their own tailor-made networks, free from the silo-ed nature of Facebook, just by linking together their own personal combination of Google products. We’ll decide what combination of Talk, Desktop, Gmail, Reader, Video, Maps, Notebook, Jaiku, Shared Items, Blogger, Calendar, Orkut etc. etc - you get the idea - is right for us and our friends.

And it will happen slowly and gradually. One day we’ll wake up and suddenly realise Google is at the heart of our social network and we didn’t even notice.

Random thought: iGoogle - the place where it all happens.

Great post on cartooning by Hugh MacLeod which contains a great quote:

“Art is simply using the tools at hand to ask the question, “What is possible?” Painting, music, literature, it doesn’t matter what media one uses. What matters is the question.”

I’ve been an avid podcast listener for over two years and it’s only now I’ve started my own - a weekly music show called The Nick Reynolds Show.

Since starting barely two weeks ago I’ve had two offers to produce podcasts for two other people (one’s a company actually) which makes me wonder if there isn’t a service here I can sell over and above the podcasting I do for myself. We shall see.

Interesting Wired column. As a humanist, the author likens the devotion to Apple/ Mac products and the Steve Jobs keynotes as a form of emotive worship.

Speaking of good radio John Humphrey’s conducted three fascinating interviews with a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim in an attempt to get them to convert him. Fascinating listening.

Beyond Belief on BBC Radio 4. Shame it doesn’t come as a podcast.

At a time when I’m looking closely at my own beliefs this struck me as both true but immensely sad.

apple, belief, faith, religion

Just discovered this excellent podcast where two friends (one a Christian and the other an atheist) talk around issues relating to in Christian faith, god, morality and atheism.

faith, belief, god, meaning, atheism, christianity, morality

Why would anyone want to be the new Google of anything? Surely the idea is not to be the Google of anything.

google

The past few weeks have forced into sharp relief my thinking around belief, faith, atheism and agnosticism. When I’m asked about my beliefs the short answer is to say I’m an atheist because I don’t believe in a divine power.

However, when I say I am an atheist it is with the small caveat that ultimately I can never really know one hundred per cent whether the universe is Godless, but in reality I do believe and have a very strong faith in the notion that man created God and not vice versa. This view does not leave me wanting (much). I am happy and comfortable. It provides me with meaning. On the other hand the idea of God and much of what organised religions espouse makes me deeply uncomfortable.

My faith, such as it is, is in a world without God. This, however, does not mean that I am a champion of reason and cold scientific empiricism alone. Witness my recent decision to send my son to a Christian (Catholic) faith school. Why would I do this given my atheism? Although I do not have belief in a God or a creator, I do have a very strong belief in the moral and ethical values that religion has given us. If the Godless world of reason were able to provide such a strong moral framework indelibly interwoven into our society and culture then I would have no need to turn to a faith school to provide it. But a Godless culture is one in which these moral values need to be taught, applied and lived by a myriad separate entities (family, school, government, individuals) all of which do not necessarily interact well with each other. A Godless society tends to place the self, the individual at the centre. And while I think there are positive aspects to this position I feel just as strongly that we as individuals need to recognise our place in the world among everyone else. How we recognise and relate to others feeds into how we see ourselves. Being an individual and a member of a community are equally important and alas I have little faith in a Godless society to provide that context. One positive thing I think religion has given us is a strong sense of morality and community. While I am unable to believe in the underlying tenets of Christianity I have very a strong faith in Christian values.

I am reminded of a line from a film where an injured man is helped by a nun. The man is very grateful and wonders why she has helped him since he is not a believer. The nun replies: “We’re not here for those who believe, we’re here for those who don’t.”

Am I hypocrite? Perhaps. I feel that I am simply trying to find what is best and makes most sense in the world and use it to not only be a better person myself but give my son a good place from which to start his journey in this world.

To be continued. . .

faith, belief, god, meaning, atheism, agnosticism

I’ve just listened to a podcast interview with JG Ballard and he spoke about his most recent book ‘Kingdom Come’. Having recently enjoyed ‘Super Cannes’ it sounded very interesting so I decided to check it out on Amazon but I found some very negative reviews saying it was dull and he was repeating himself. Anyone got any other views of ‘Kingdom Come’?

jgballard, kingdomcome, review

Jason Calacanis recorded a conversation between himself, Dave Winer and Peter Rojas about the RWC media player. The most exciting aspect of the discussion was the focus on features that no other devices have like real wi-fi and podcatching. I want one so badly. Listen and yearn.

rwc, mediaplayer, jasoncalacanis, peterrojas, davewiner

The current discussion around the net about the Calacanis/ Rojas/ Winer white label, open source media player is getting really fun now. Everyone with an opinion or an idea for a feature is weighing in. It could go one of two ways. Splinter into peices under the sheer weight of input or actually get some traction provided there is some clear leadership to guide it. In this regard I can’t think of two more determined and willful people as Dave Winer and Jason Calacanis. If the project is to prevail Winer, Rojas and Calacanis will no doubt piss alot of people off but ultimately I’m hopeful and optimistic.

jasoncalacanis, davewiner, peterrojas

It seems that not a week goes by without some new social networking site coming out. But it’s the internet that is the social network not one, some or all of the myriad, siloed social networking sites. My network(s) transcend all of these services and even the internet itself. What ultimately holds it together is me; and I use the phone, email, sms, IM, web, mail and face-to-face interactions to hold it all together.

socialnetworks, internet

I’ve read and heard three ideas recently that have made crystal clear how the future creation of consumer products should, and hopefully will, be.

The first was the suggestion made to the newly unemployed and not unwealthy Jason Calacanis, that he should team up with Engadget’s Peter Rojas to design the Wi-Fi enabled media player the market place is crying out for, but the vendors are failing to supply.

The second was Dave Winer’s idea that ultimately we the users will control what we want by telling our peers who have the skills to make the products and services we crave (see above really).

And the third was an extended ramble by Doc Searls around the idea of Vendor Relationship Management (VRM) whereby we the users are in control of the relationships we have with vendors instead of the vendors controlling and telling us what we want.

Ultimately it all boils down to a market ecosystem where we the customers supply ourselves with the help of other customers who have the skills to fulfill our needs.

UPDATE:  Interesting post from Dave Winer.

jasoncalacanis, davewiner, docsearls, vrm

I’m going to do an evening class next year and my choices are between Painting, Creative Writing or Philosophy (and maybe History). Still not sure but I’m edging towards Philosophy.

Technorati tags: study, school, philosophy, ideas, creativewriting