This is Not a Brain Surgery

02:24 pm - Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and MapReduce

1. MapReduce is a software framework invented by Google.
2. Hadoop is open source implementation of MapReduce, supported (in part) by Yahoo.
3. The most coherent description of MapReduce I read so far, could be found in the paper from Microsoft.

11:43 am - hashcash, Outlook Postmark

Without much fanfare Microsoft have included in OutLook 2007 a Postmark feature which is using "Math Puzzle" for SPAM control:

"A new Outlook E-mail Postmark feature aims to make it easier for other Outlook 2007 users to receive legitimate messages that might otherwise be classified as spam. When a user sends a “spammy” message, Outlook performs the calculations necessary to solve a simple computational puzzle and adds information about the puzzle and the solution to the SMTP message header. Because that computation takes only a little time for one message or a few messages but would take a very long time for a spammer sending millions of messages, the presence of an Outlook E-mail Postmark in the message header is a strong indication that the message isn’t spam."

01:18 am - Microsoft, RSS, Open Subscription Services

Everybody is very exited about Microsoft recent announcements about RSS. Many people trying to see where is the danger for open source and open standards community in their announcement. However they are looking wrong way. The danger is non in possible "embrace and extend" maneuver in direction of RSS. But in this game RSS is not really important. It is just another format. What they are after is whole subscription paradigm. In one of interviews with Microsoft RSS team they mention that they see subscription to all kinds of information, and what protocol and data format used is not really important. Today it RSS and ATOM, tomorrow some proprietary protocol. Users do not care.

I think their strategy makes sense. Like Google realized that SEARCH is the next logical step after BROWSE, Microsoft realizes that SUBSCRIBE is next logical step after SEARCH. If they are right, implications of such paradigm shift are tremendous. Just think what search engines done to internet. We are looking at the event of the same magnitude.

Now, what the first component of their "platform" they announced? Subscription List management of course! Like people who develop PIM applications for mobile devices know that whoever controls address book keeps the strongest hold on a user, Microsoft realizes importance of being "keeper" of user subscriptions list.

Now let us think what could be done about that. There are many services where you can host your DNS, blog, email in open manner. I am thinking about open service for keeping your subscriptions. Why should it be kept on local machine? What if I am using several aggregators and would like to share my subscriptions list between them? Of course user should have a choice what subscription service to use and have freedom to share his lists between them. Here I am thinking we will need some open format, like FOAF for subscription lists. This subscription service should not be specific to RSS. It could be any subscription. Perhaps even subscription to your cable TV in future. Some subscriptions may have expiration dates, and digitally signed payment receipts (for paid services). Of course some privacy and authentication features have to be built into the protocols and data formats.

Once such subscription lists management protocol and data formats are in place, simple wrapper could be made on top of Microsoft APIs, making their storage just one of subscription management services. Subscription-based services now can use open subscription APIs instead of proprietary ones from Microsoft and give user choice of controlling who will keep and who will have access to his subscriptions list.