I can be a mighty dim bulb at times. But I finally understood what makes Napster so important, beyond the music: its architecture.
More in my Sunday column.
UPDATES:
Robert Black points me to DialupDNS.com. Interesting…
Jacob Levy writes to say that UserLand Software is getting closest to the vision. I wondered if Radio UserLand might be the beginnings of the new platform. Dave Winer replied: It’s a simple to use writing tool and music organizer/player, with an HTTPserver and programming system and database hidden behind a hood-lift.
It’s also an Internet-based “cloud” that connects the users together. Itis openly documented, so it can be implemented in any scripting environmentwhich knows about HTTP and XML, which is all of them, today.
At a user level, you are part of a community that explores music and writesabout it. People are connected based on common interests from a musical pov.
Napster is an application, so is Radio UserLand, but RU goes one stepfurther, because it is a platform, and where Napster uses a custom protocol,we embrace the existing standards of HTTP and XML.
We also are building-in support for Napster’s protocols now. Leaving nostone unturned! ;->
What’s Happened to ZDNet?
Is it just me, or are you also having trouble getting through to ZDNet? I haven’t gotten the site to respond in several days.