Month: October 2003

The eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The value of XML, and a particular application such as XBRL, is to provide data that is unambiguously encoded and can be easily isolated and manipulated by other programs and processes. In the case of XBRL, financial models and other tools can use the encoded data to automate vital analyses that formerly required much time and effort…OneSource provides a software developer’s kit and an Application Programming Interface that lets users access, manipulate and integrate the XBRL data with applications ranging from Microsoft Excel to high-end analysis tools such as those from Cognos and Hyperion. [Ideas in Technology and Publishing]

From IBM‘s Portal Newsletter…

WebSphere Portal Bootcamp for Business Partners

WebSphere Portal Bootcamp for Business Partners: Seven no-charge online modules teach the capabilities of WebSphere Portal, including developing portlets, application integration and customization and personalization plus other informative topics. Visit the WebSphere Portal Community within WebSphere Innovation Connection Online enablement support Web site for business partners to download these courses. (PartnerWorld Members only)

Register for the WebSphere Portal Bootcamp

SHOULD YOU CENTRALIZE OR DECENTRALIZE YOUR WEB PUBLISHING?. [A style guide] should cover style and tone, usage, glossary and references. Too many organizations create style guides and then never adhere to them. This is counter-productive.[cms~wire]

Yes. I’ve seen some style guides that focus heavily (or even exclusively) on the graphics and design details when written communication tips is probably the area where distributed web authors could really use the greatest boost.

I’m trying out NewsMonster on my home machine. Seems pretty cool so far. I like the UI. A large number of feeds is much more manageable using its folder metaphor than Radio’s flat list. I’m sure it’s got a lot of nifty features I haven’t stumbled onto yet. If someone just wants to aggregate feeds or doesn’t mind that the aggregator isn’t integrated with their blogging tool, this is just the ticket. Note that if you are using Blogger, you can right click on a news item and post to your blog. Maybe someone’s got an add-in that does the same for Radio.

Entopia Introduces Enterprise Social Networks Analysis for K-Bus. Entopia, Inc. unveiled Entopia Enterprise Social Networks Analysis, a diagnostic tool that enables managers to optimize information flow. By combining Entopia’s dynamic expertise location with its visualization techniques, Entopia’s latest application identifies the social networks within the enterprise related to a specific topic. These “people maps” illustrate the subject matter experts, information bottlenecks and disconnected communities with an enterprise.[Gilbane Report News]

IBM polishes the portal. IBM is catching up with traditional portal vendors such as Plumtree Software, thanks to a portal framework that combines a scalable application server, programs from IBM-owned Lotus Development, and homegrown and third-party portlets — Java-based Web components that make it… [cms~wire]

William Henry Channing

Rev. Hallman read this a few weeks ago and it really struck me. William Henry Channing was William Ellery Channing’s nephew, BTW.

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common–this is my symphony. — William Henry Channing