Share OPML, View OPML

May 12th, 2006

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!

Share OPML

May 12th, 2006


F:ilename
(click name to browse)
OPML TypeIn OPML SearchCreated OnModified OnAuthor 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 Reading List 04/09/2006
3:30:13 PM 04/26/2006
8:10:05 AM allNightCafe

Share OPML

May 12th, 2006

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

May 12th, 2006

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
All my base…
Reading List 05/04/2006
6:45:01 AM
05/04/2006
6:45:01 AM
Smash
llfeeds
Reading List
Reading List 05/02/2006
12:25:48 PM
05/02/2006
12:25:48 PM
larryleung
mynewfeeds
Reading List
Reading List 05/01/2006
7:02:05 PM
05/01/2006
7:10:58 PM
ashedge
mytechfeeds
Reading List
Reading List 05/01/2006
7:05:39 PM
05/01/2006
7:05:39 PM
ashedge
myyahoo
Reading List
Reading List 05/01/2006
5:45:37 PM
05/01/2006
5:45:37 PM
ashedge
mymusic
Reading List
Reading List 04/26/2006
3:40:09 PM
04/26/2006
3:40:09 PM
rowntreerob
Open_All_Night
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


View 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


View 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


View OPML

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


ASPNETTipsAndTricks


View OPML / Edit Wiki

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


View OPML

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


CRIMINALINVESTIGATION101SAMPLECOURSE.opml


View OPML

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


juries_for_ASA.opml


View OPML

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


mediaeconomics.opml


View 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


View 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.

Search Engines

We’ve put a few popular search sites in the Search Bar in the
upper-right corner of Firefox. If you’d like to add more, there are
hundreds to choose from. Click on a Search Engine to add it to your
Firefox Search Bar:

A9
Amazon’s A9 search engine.
Ask.com
Better search results with keywords or questions.
BBC News
Search for the latest news on BBC.
del.icio.us
Search through most bookmarked sites.
ESPN
Get the latest sports news, scores, and highlights.
Expedia
Search for hotels by destination with Expedia’s Best Price Guarantee.
Flickr Tags
Search for photos on Flickr.
Food Network Recipes
Find recipes from your favorite chefs.
Hollywood
Search for movies and movie listings
IMDB
The Internet Movie Database.
LinkedIn
Search your LinkedIn network for the people you need when you are on any Web site.
Lonely Planet Online
Search through Lonely Planet’s travel guides.
MarketWatch
Stock quote look-up and financial information.
Merriam-Webster
English dictionary search.
MSN
MSN search engine.
Technorati
A real-time search engine that keeps track of what is going on in the blogosphere
Weather Channel
Enter city, state or zip code to find your weather information.
Wikipedia
The incredible free encyclopedia.
Yahooligans
Search engine for kids and teens.
Yahoo! Answers
Search real answers to real questions from real people.

Additional Resources

Special thanks to the Mycroft Project for their work on Firefox Search Engines.

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: