Viewing lists of sites, blogs, podcasts and other rss sources is a powerful way to learn of new sources, to explore new realms of sources, and to engage new people and points of view.  Viewing lists is a terrific way to discover!

For example, check out the Open Irish Directory!

Sharing your own lists is a great way to meet other people, to express yourself, your creativity and your perspective, and to present information in a dynamic way.

Sharing lists is publishing them.  Published lists are web sites. They are elegant, minimalist web sites that create networks of ideas and people, and make them easily explorable.  For example, here is a course outline for a Harvard Law School course, Spring 2006, on Internet Law and Politics, by professor John Palfrey.

I would like to invite you to view and Share OPML at OPMLWorkstation.com!

Bela and her team have been working hard.  The site is still in early beta, but the community is lots of fun.  You will meet nice folks!

You will dig up cool stuff in the open directory.

OPMLWorkstation membership is free, and includes a powerful (perhaps too powerful) web-based editor, realtime conversion of PowerPoint files into OPML, and the ability to upload and/or spider remote OPML files.   Members have their own private OPML work areas and web-based storage, as well as one-click publishing of OPML from their private space into the commons.

Here is an “open OPML commons” directory of public OPML that is integrated into OPMLWorkstation, but can be accessed independently.

This directory for sharing OPML has a number of useful features:

1.  The diversity of contributions is remarkable. 

The directory can be filtered to highlight specific types of OPML.  For example:

There are video blog lists, including  strange stuff to show.

Here is a reading list of blogs from members of the “mindcamp”

2. Some OPML points seamlessly to other OPML.

Check out this wonderful tree by “gadabe”:

3.  An author has control over how his or her outline is published.  

Here “Spoiltfeeds1.opml” does it all:

By default the outline is published as a tree view, so that it can be read as a directory (in html). 

The outline is also published as machine-readable raw OPML, updated whenever the author makes changes.  This is useful because the newest generation of aggregators, such as Blogbridge and TopTenSources, can target remote OPML files be kept up to date by subscription.

At the author’s choice, the outline can be made editable by the public, and thus becomes a wiki.

4.  “Next actions” are built in.

For example, if the OPML is a list of website URLs, one click on the tree view takes you to a particular site. 

If the OPML is a list of RSS feed URLs, such as this outline on rythm and blues and jazz improvisation, one click takes you to a mini-aggregator so you can read the feed.

5. Authors can created complex, multi-dimensional structures. 

For example, here is a personal list that integrates reading lists, grazer sources, and a massive survey of Irish blogging.

Join us!  Welcome!  Share OPML at OPMLWorkstation.com

Thanks!

F:ilename
(click name to browse)OPML TypeIn OPML SearchCreated OnModified OnAuthor 1smash1_feeds.opml

Share OPML at OPMLWorkstation.com.

Here is a directory of public OPML.

This directory can be filtered for types of OPML, for example, a number of authors have contributed reading lists. Here is a sample:

Share OPML at OPMLWorkstation.com.

Here is a directory of public OPML.

This directory can be filtered for types of OPML, for example, a number of authors have contributed reading lists. Here is a sample:

Filename (click name to browse)	OPML Type	In OPML Search	Created On	Modified On	Author
1smash1_feeds.opml View OPML All my base…	Reading List		05/04/2006 6:45:01 AM	05/04/2006 6:45:01 AM	Smash
llfeeds View OPML Reading List	Reading List		05/02/2006 12:25:48 PM	05/02/2006 12:25:48 PM	larryleung
mynewfeeds View OPML Reading List	Reading List		05/01/2006 7:02:05 PM	05/01/2006 7:10:58 PM	ashedge
mytechfeeds View OPML Reading List	Reading List		05/01/2006 7:05:39 PM	05/01/2006 7:05:39 PM	ashedge
myyahoo View OPML Reading List	Reading List		05/01/2006 5:45:37 PM	05/01/2006 5:45:37 PM	ashedge
mymusic View OPML Reading List	Reading List		04/26/2006 3:40:09 PM	04/26/2006 3:40:09 PM	rowntreerob
Open_All_Night View OPML Open All Night Weblog

Others have converted PowerPoint presentations, using OPMLWorkstation.com, to create PowerPoint-based OPML. Here is a sample from the directory:

Syllabus.opml

PowerPoint Presentation PowerPoint Presentation 04/17/2006
8:30:18 PM 04/17/2006
8:33:06 PM jpalfrey

Distributed_Problems_iLaw_2006.opml

PowerPoint Presentation of Internet Law presentation on distributed technology problems, circa Spring 2006. John Palfrey and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. PowerPoint Presentation 04/17/2006
8:17:22 PM 04/17/2006
8:17:22 PM jpalfrey

Grokster.opml

  PowerPoint Presentation 12/11/2005
9:07:16 PM 04/17/2006
8:15:10 PM jpalfrey

ASPNETTipsAndTricks

Scott Guthrie’s ASP.NET Tips and Ticks PowerPoint Presentation 04/03/2006
3:46:49 PM 04/05/2006
8:30:11 AM blabovitch

realestate7.opml

PowerPoint Presentation PowerPoint Presentation 04/02/2006
5:40:17 PM 04/03/2006
8:39:51 AM maniactive

CRIMINALINVESTIGATION101SAMPLECOURSE.opml

sample PowerPoint Presentation 03/21/2006
2:26:58 AM 03/21/2006
2:34:34 AM francesvtaylor

juries_for_ASA.opml

Juries for ASA PowerPoint Presentation 03/14/2006
8:46:46 PM 03/14/2006
8:46:46 PM jmanzo

mediaeconomics.opml

Bubblegeneration presentation The New Economics of Media PowerPoint Presentation 02/13/2006
7:07:18 PM 02/13/2006
7:10:30 PM JanD

peerproduction.opml

Bubblegeneration presentation The Atomizing Hand: The Strategy and Economics of Peer Production

OPML is a format for lists of items, with outlining capability.

OPMl was invented by Dave Winer, who currently writes and continues to evolve the spec.  The acronym stands for Outline Processing Markup Language, a take-off on XML, or Extensible Markup Language. 

Note that the search engine landscape is de-consolidating again…perhaps analogous to the media world going from ABC, NBC and CBS, to moving to ESPN and a thousand micro-segmented, fragmented channels..

The rule that drives this thing is not economics and not technology. It is perception, perception of “chunks,” and perception of memes.  It is the association of one’s desire with a particular source..it is like retail. Yes, big boxes like Wal-Mart are still expanding, just as Google and Yahoo are expanding.  But the interesting action is in boutiques, in specialty, in focused experiences.  A world with only Wal-Mart would be drab.  We need Barnes & Noble, to bring us a “book experience” that Wal-Mart just can’t duplicate.  And that is just the beginning of the sub-categorization and focused provision of special experiences.  We enjoy sporting goods stores, Whole Foods, and car showrooms..And we go for the neighborhood bakery or coffee shop, as well as the high end Prada store that we just might visit the next time we are in NY.

The new edition of Firefox showcases some new search engines.  This is a nice expansion out from the (still extant) close tie between Firefox and the Wal-Mart of the web, Google.

Here is a copy of the new Firefox search engine directory.  Enjoy.

Oh yea, and check out TopTenSources.com for some of the most fun informal sources on the web–and check out globalvoicesonline.com for a taste of the world.

Sudan: The Passion of the Present activist human rights blog has a good
range of stories about the rally to Save Darfur this past Sunday:

• Historic Save Darfur Rally: Outstanding press coverage
• Thousands rally against Darfur genocide / Rally And Silent Vigil Observe “Day Of Conscience For Darfur”
• President Bush’s remarks after meeting with Darfur advocates in the White House
• Beautiful slide show of faces at the rally, Washington Post
• Silbatron photos: Save Darfur Rally – WDC, April 30, 2006 – a photoset on Flickr
• ABC News: Will Bressman’s reporter’s excellent photo blog shows the scene on stage