OPML: Gopher for a New Generation

UserLand's OPML-to-HTML capabilities are useful, but when Dave Winer describes them as a mindbomb, I can't help but smile. The bomb went off a decade ago and it was called Gopher!

Opml · Gopher · 2002/04/14 · 4 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

dave i can't help, but your bla sounds like that of an arrogant, presumptous asshole. the obligatory _peace to everyone_ doesn't make it look brighter.

#1 · duh · -1/11/30

He has a point though - every 'clever new idea' on the Internet has already been done by someone else, except most of them haven't worked for some reason. That doesn't mean they won't work when someone else does them, and it certainly doesn't mean that that person isn't allowed to make them into a revolution.

The whole idea of hierarchical information promoted by Radio and OPML is not at all *new*, but perhaps the world is ready to make something of the concept now. Perhaps Gopher was 'before its time' and *now* is the proper time.

#2 · phil · -1/11/30

"Revolution waiting to happen" was just a paraphrase based on my impression of the piece. I think it's reasonably comparable to "mind bomb" and "[m]aybe it's time for this rocket to blast off," however, I would've quoted you directly if I felt like I was posting criticism in response.

I'm glad this directory functionality is there. It just struck me as funny to see Gopher coming back in new form after it was almost killed off entirely by the Web.

#3 · Rogers Cadenhead · -1/11/30

I went ahead and rephrased it while the PyCS comment functionality was briefly dead.

#4 · Rogers Cadenhead · -1/11/30