DISQUS

http://twitter.com/mario/statuses/126309462

I'd be very interested to test it and report back. I've once started backing up mi iTunes library to S3 manually, but the entire process would have either taken about 20 days (by throttling upload rate) or else rendered my internet connection useless while it was uploading at full speed. If bandwagon can help address this issue intelligently, I'd be more than happy to give it a go!

Merde!

I'd beg to disagree on two points:

- email losing relevance with the younger generation is _not_ baloney. My 12-year old daughter and pretty much all her friends' primary communication device is not mobile, it's their PCs or laptops. And they don't use it for email (or hardly at all), but for IM. I'm am 100% certain that email has very little relevance with that generation, and am equally certain that this has nothing to do with their communication devices being mobile.

- while companies' primary communication method right now may be email, there is nothing that says that this is set in stone. It's not a one-way street: while it may be true that once these youngsters are getting jobs they may be forced to use email, I think it's at least as true (I'd would say more so) that these youngsters will change the way corporate communications work.

Paul, I can see your points WRT handset manufacturers and operators, as both of these could potentially limit my access to the web at large. But mobile content providers? How does a content provider who optimizes a site for mobile use stop me from accessing the web if I like?

Hi Paul,

I've had a weekend away from the computer so thought I'd return to our little twitter discussion :-)

I still don't get what you're trying to say though, I'm afraid. Who is this aimed at?

So... I tried to answer your questions...

[Q] If you had a mobile which stopped you from accessing the Web, would you care?

[A] Yes I would. But nobody's stopping me from accessing the web on my phone. Certainly not developers of mobile-optimised sites.

[Q] Would you be happy to only view the WAP sites that your Operator forces upon you?

[A] No I wouldn't, but again, that's not what's happening. I'm with Vodafone, and if they stopped me from accessing any web or wap or imode or whatever you call it-site I'd be switching provider. Is that your point - that there should be no walled gardens? If so, I don't think many people would disagree with you.

[Q] From a customer point of view, you buy a mobile so you can surf the Web as you do from your desktop computer. Would you be happy to learn that you’re only able to use iMode, Live or other WAP sites?

[A] Again, it'd be totally pissed off. But... why is this an issue? Does this happen? Who exactly stops me from viewing any site I like, be it web or WAP or whatever? Even if this did happen, who would be to blame for this? Developers building mobile-optimised sites? Or walled-garden operators? If the latter, then I feel your arguments are pointing in the wrong way. If the former, please explain how, as I quite genuinely don't understand..

Cheers,
Mario.

Sorry - for UBC, read UGC, of course..

I have to say I think you're picking on the wrong term - I find "consumer" infinitely worse than "user". Consumer expresses a completely passive attitude, while "user" at least doesn't preclude the possibility that I am actively doing something myself, rather than consuming some predigested morsel of information or entertainment.

Having said this, I do dislike UBC as well, but not only because of the U, but more because of the G - I don't "generate", I create.. at least last time I checked.

Hi Martin - yes, you're not the only one who thought the twitter bot using the news front page feed was a bit overwhelming. I've added some additional bots for the main individual BBC news feeds, see here: http://menti.net/?p=89

Congrats! I know what it feels like :-)