I have a shared items feed from google reader, but I've been struggling with how to share that content more broadly through my main blog feed. I didn't like mirroring my shared items since it felt like content stealing and I share more than I write, but at the other extreme I don't generally like blog posts that are links without commentary.
Today, while at the CSDC, I wrote a simple Live Writer Plugin that pulls feed items from RSS or Atom and can clip a summary. I'll release it later this week, but for now I'll leave it as a tease and just tell you that this post was created with it. 
Let me know what you think of the formatting as I'll be adjusting things during the week.
Via Engadget – Debunk: new Zunes will not have text messaging, but Microsoft's Zune Social community site will
We've gotten a small flood of emails from readers today concerned with a certain page found in last night's leaked Zune support training manuals.
I'm personally hoping to see them leapfrog Apple with the whole "Social" concept. They have a real powerful opportunity even if it's not yet enabled in the client. I know one person who would agree with me.
Via All Facebook – Tim O’Reilly at Graphing Social Patterns
Dave McClure just posted the video of Tim O’Reilly’s keynote at the Graphing Social Patterns conference.
Another step towards creating rich visualizations of data that's pretty much public. I picked this post because the video was timely with what I'd been thinking earlier in the week.
Via Penny Arcade – News: Dunder Mifflin Spokane
Gabe: I'm pretty frustrated with the Dunder Mifflin Infinity ARG. The site functionality is just trash. The biggest offense is the piece of *** forum they've got. It's the one way for the whole branch to talk together and it's absolute crap.
That just about summed up my experience. I'm still waiting to be hired.
Via MSDN Blogs – Rising Above the Email Swarm
In todays age of receiving dozens to 100s of e-mails a day, quickly processing these is critical.
This post both sums up what I've been attempting for e-mail triage and also ads a few great suggestions. I highly recommend it.
Via Techmeme – iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks expanding, dropping to 99 cents (Jacqui Cheng/Infinite Loop)
iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks expanding, dropping to 99 cents
I don't need an iPhone. I'm not jealous of people with those things. I don't pretend to swipe my finders across my blackjack screen. I can hold out… at least until the 16gb versions come out.
Via Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Team Blog –
Announcing the Community Kit for SharePoint: Internet/Extranet Edition Forms-Based Authentication solution!
As many of you know, one of the best new features in WSS 3.0 (and consequently MOSS 2007) is the way it leverage's ASP.NET 2.0 to support for forms-based authentication or FBA along with the ability to support multiple authentication providers.Announcing Community Kit for SharePoint: Virtual Earth Maps on SharePoint
Microsoft's Virtual Earth technology powers the maps on Live Search and many other web-based applications, but many people have wondered how to get VE maps to work on SharePoint.Announcing Community Kit for SharePoint: Windows Live Authentication!
Ever since the Windows Live ID Web Authentication SDK was announced a couple of months ago, many people have asked when there would be a solution for WSS 3.0 or MOSS 2007 to authenticate Windows Live ID users.
Some big releases for a cool codeplex project.
Note: Below here I made the titles non-bold. Let me know what you like better.
Via VentureBeat – YuMe, Blinkx latest video ad companies to make splash
With all the video content online, the video advertising market is booming.
How many ad networks can surve?
Via Digging My Blog – Dan Hounshell – Professional Community Server Themes
I had the pleasure of working on a great project earlier this year with two very talented co-workers: Wyatt Preul and Ben Tiedt.
This book was anxiously awaited at the CSDC. I don't think the preview copies showed up in time, but I know there are going to be some people, for which, this becomes thier bible.
Via Simpable – Ditch Confirmations
James Avery wrote a post, "Modals or No more popups" inquiring about modal solutions.
I'm going to try and keep this plugin both configurable, but fast and decision free for the users. I'll see how it goes.
Via Seth's Blog – The truth about Radiohead
1.2 million albums sold, $8 each, no middleman, one week: Radiohead Kicks the Middleman to the Curb.
This answers a lingering question I had after hearing about this promotion. How much money did they make per album. I guess, since they don't have a label, that $8 goes much more directly to them as well.
Via Read/WriteWeb – Microsoft's "Me Too" Strategy: Can the Tortoise Beat the Hare?
Microsoft has lifted the lid this week on a number of products that compete to various degrees with popular Google services.
There is a lot of truth to the theory held by one of my former co-workers that Microsoft as been very successful by never being first, learning from the mistakes of others, and being either a cheaper or better second.
Via Dare Obasanjo aka Carnage4Life – Social Networking Site Platforms: How Developers Should Evaluate the MySpace platform (and others)
I’ve been reading recently that a number of social networking sites are rushing to launch [or re-launch] a widgets platform given the success of the Facebook platform.
I tend to agree.
Via Seth's Blog – The wikipedia gap
I wonder who the first teacher was who said to his class, "Okay, we have ball point pens now. No need to use class time to learn how to use a fountain pen."
I always hated the teachers that wouldn't let us use the advanced functions of our TI-85's. It saved time and made me smarter. Same with a resource like wikipedia. What people are going to have to learn is how to better quickly evaluate the degree of tint and accuracy to the information they are looking at.
Ok, I think the first test post went well. I found at least 10 things I want to make better with this plugin before I share it with any other users.
