Example interface

I couldn't resist and am demoing up an example interface for a hypothetical web-based RSS reader.
Features to note:

• Filters on the right work just like Google's tag concept. Each RSS feed can have multiple "tags" associated with it
• The major filters are at the top with more specific ones listed at the bottom.
• Specific filters can be joined together with the current filter(s) displayed at the top
• The current feeds to display will be shown in a two column format with the source and date listed
• A link to the original URL should exist on the main heading of each feed item
• All of this would be dynamic - no page reloads
• If a feed has a new listing, it will magically appear via XMLHttpRequest (or perhaps mod_pubsub)
  

The bottom right (where I have left the links) will probably house some utility functions such as; manage feeds, manage tags, export feeds

PS: Notice the similarities in design? ;)

The demo is here

New tsunami pictures

New tsunami pictures have been found and are up on CNN. They show the wave as it approaches Khao Lak, Thailand. Unfortunately the couple died during the tsunami.

CNN Pictures

RSS (Again)

Just to follow on from my previous post about RSS. I'm currently using SAGE, which appears to use Firefox's bookmarks to store links to my RSS feeds. When I click on the feed it downloads it and applies a style to the XML from my local machine and displays it through a tab in Firefox.

It actually seems a bit silly for me to use this application, when I could get the same functionality with a very simple web application. Perhaps www.myfeeds.com/chris would display a nice interface with all the latest headlines from my feeds - that would update automatically without reloading. This would allow me to read my feeds from any computer and also export an XML file of all my feeds!

... I might just go register that domain ;)

5 minute update after post: A quick google search came up with the following services that already exist:

1. http://www.bloglines.com/
2. http://www.newsburst.com/
3. http://www.rojo.com/

Oh well - I may have to at least try a couple out

15 minute update: It appears that (as I suspected) these services do their job, but not brilliantly and there is a lot of complexity. Bloglines was ugly plus it used frames. Rojo was a little better offering a nice pre-determined list of feeds, but was overly complex and appeared bloated.
Maybe I could hack together a prototype of a Rich Blog App on a weekend.

New Blog - Welcome

Welcome to my new blog.

Why another one when I host my own already? I feel left out in the bloggersphere and want to use the same tools as most other bloggers. I have been doing a lot of work lately on my projects; QWAD Framework, QWAD Chat and now in search of a cool project to put these tools to use (At least the QWAD Framework)

I have a theory that if I use blogger and other similar "trendy" web applications/solutions that I will find problems that may require fixing or think of a cool way to bring together various young technologies.

This brings me to my new adoption of RSS. I have finally succumbed and started to use an RSS client to track blogs and other feeds (news/sport/tv guides). Perhaps I will finally start interacting with the various members of the web community instead of pilchering their ideas and hacking out my own code (that no-one knows about and uses)

While setting this up I had two thoughts:

1. Is it self indulgent to subscribe to your own RSS feed? (And no I haven't done that)
2. Maybe I should setup an RSS feed so that others can see what feeds I have subscribed too? (A different XML format would probably be more appropriate)