Web 2.0

The dot com era is making a comeback. Last time it was e-commerce, this time the buzzwords are social bookmarking, tagging, folksonomy, rss, rich user interfaces, wikis, and, of course, blogs.

Tim O'Reilly's What is Web 2.0 and Wkipedia article Web 2.0 are good starting points to understand this phenomenon.

As expected, Google and Yahoo are the big players in this game. But the innovation is oft led by start-ups which are then bought by these big companies. Try searching for "Google buys" and "Yahoo buys" in news search and you will get the point.

Flickr and Google Maps are often cited as examples of the rich user experiences. And they also known for their extensibility by providing API's(Google APIs and Yahoo Developer Network) for other developers.

Some of the names which are oft repeated in Web 2.0 articles and discussions are:
- http://del.icio.us/
- http://www.digg.com/
- http://www.technorati.com/
I am still trying to understand what these ideas are meant to deliver.

Also, if you are a Yahoo user, try the My Web 2.0 Beta(I think it is based on http://del.icio.us/, which it bought in Dec-05). And Google members can check orkut.

We all are affected, directly or indirectly, by these waves of technological changes and it would be interesting to see how long Web 2.0 lasts and what if finally evolves into.

Btw, don't forget to check the Webby Awards 2006.

Posting in देवनागरी

A lot of bloggers are posting in देवनागरी - मराठी and हिंदी. Some of which I had stumbled upon:
मराठी साहित्य (Marathi Literature)
॥ उगाच उवाच ॥
Chayachitrakar - छायाचित्रकार

Superman - First Issue (1938)

Unbelievable. http://dixi.blogter.com/?post_id=45670

Chaplin

IMDB Plot Outline for Richard Attenborough's Chaplin - A film about the troubled and controversial life of the master comedy filmmaker.

After watching the movie, I disagree with the above - Chaplin's life was neither troubled nor controversial, as compared with so many from the entertainment industry. In the film, Robert Downey Jr. has done justice to his role as the great filmmaker. Anthony Hopkins plays the narrator.

Chaplin comes out to be a genius not only in filmmaking but also in managing his money (there is a reference where he says that he had sold all of his stock before the Wall Street crashed next year), managing the entertainment industry politics, managing his many affairs (he married four times and fathered 11 children), and managing his life. Born a British Jew, immigrated to USA, he refused to take up American citizenship and finally left the country in 1952 and settled down to a quiet and peaceful life in Switzerland. I didn't know anything other than his great movies - The Kid, Modern Times, Gold Rush, The Dictator among so many others. And this movie tells you what happened behind the scenes and much more.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

NFAK is one of my favourite artists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nusrat_Fateh_Ali_Khan
The range of music he has produced is immense - he has fused his qawwali with different genres and produced some mesmerising tunes. Here are few of my favourites (not in any particular order - but yes, the first two are special):

1. Tumhain Dillagi Bhool Jani
2. The Face Of Love (Dead Man Walking)
   
3. Tere Bin Nahi Lagda
4. Tu Mera Dil, Tu Meri Jaan
   
5. Yeh Shaam Phir Nahi Aayegi
   
6. Piya Re, Piya Re
   
7. Mere Haath Me Tera Haath
   
8. Mera Gam Aur Meri Har Khushi
9. Pyar Ka Diya
10. Aey Jaaneman
    
11. Ishq Da Rutba
    
12. Mera Piya Ghar Aaya
13. Afreen Afreen
14. Allah Hoo Allah Hoo
15. Tanhai
16. Tum To Na Aaye
17. Ab Kiya Soche
18. Shaman Paiyan
19. Soona Soona Din Lagta Hai
20. Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai
21. Allah, Mohammed, Char, Yaar