We are experimenting with Twitter here in the office. It started off with me trying to figure out why it is so popular and has since degenerated into comedy and some scary conversations, especially viewed out of context. My initial thoughts were that Irish people would be too cynical to use this, but we will see.

You see my Twitter posts here just in case you are curious: http://twitter.com/naoise_g

I am using the spiffy app Twitteriffic on the Mac to keep it updated and it also updated the status menu on iChat.

I am starting to see how it could be useful, but it seems mostly a fun diversion so far.


Update:
Video explaining Twitter.

Dave Shea posts about what options are available to designers to produce something by themselves that they can sell. A product! I love this quote from the article: "Hey, I’ve got these visual design skills, what can I do with them that will result in a product I can sell to people?"

Here at Marino we have taken the collaborative approach, working within a team to create products. It can be hard but rewarding work if you are passionate enough about what you are producing. I have tried the on my own approach before but found it frustrating trying to spread my skill-sets across so many technical areas.

Of course the lure of creating a financially successful product with little maintenance overhead is compelling.

Found this useful Google Maps setup while browsing shared feeds in my Google Reader. I am finding Google Reader great. I have used the now free NetNewsWire for Mac for years which is also fantastic RSS client but am finding the integration of the Google apps very useful these days. Also really like the way Google are slowly integrating more social elements into their applications. Far more useful than the viral application clutter on Facebook etc.

Irish WiFi Hotspots using Google Maps. Setup by Eirepreneur and updated by many...


View Larger Map

Blue Flavor have posted a list of laws and how they apply to web design and development.

My favourite of the bunch is Conway's Law "Any piece of software reflects the organizational structure that produced it."

Full post here...

Looking at the proposed merger of Yahoo and Microsoft I am reminded of the merger of Time Warner and AOL.

I worked for Netscape up until 1999 and saw Netscape get swallowed up in AOL and then the merger of two huge companies. It didn't work at all. In fact very quickly the Time Warner people wanted their old shares back. It still hasn't worked and the share price will never get back to its old levels.

Another example was the HP Compaq merger, while it has worked out ok long term it slowed them down for the first couple of years.

If the deal goes through it is inevitable that someone will pay the price, whether its Yahoo or Microsoft it will most probably be in some way the shareholders. Pulling the two companies together will take time, time that Google will enjoy. If you take two large companies that can't beat Google, I don't think putting the two of them together makes a company that can beat Google.

Also, the ethos at the two companies is miles apart right now. Yahoo runs on Open Source and champions open source projects, I don't have to mention how MS sees this hippy stuff.

If you look at this deal in light of the level of cash that Microsoft has left, it looks like a huge gamble to get in on the internet game by Microsoft. One that I can only see backfiring.