I wish I had a record of the early web sites I used to visit. You know one of those pages we had in 1995 that was a list of ‘recommended sites’. Of course if I was David Filo or Jerry Yang I would have been out celebrating ten years of my list of favourite sites list or Yahoo as they know it. Yahoo was ten years old yesterday. Yahoo! has always been my favourite search engine and with the advent of the new Yahoo! Firefox toolbar I have a renewed interest in using the site. There’s a rather cool Netrospective (10 years, 100 moments of the Web) but it doesn’t bring my own site list back to life. And to think that I could have maintained that list and been very, very rich right now.

Happy Birthday Yahoo – your childish years are behind you and your teenage years are ahead – that’s when things get difficult. You’ll get moody and spotty and you won’t want anything to do with us oldies but don’t forget you need us!!

There wasn’t too much spam ten years ago, although it was certainly around it wasn’t something that Yahoo would have worried too much about. Two years ago, however, there was considerably more spam. What amuses me looking back at this post from this day 2003 is just how much spam has changed. I get few mails about debt solutions now but I do get a good few offering me all kinds of new drugs to cure all the ills I don’t have.

Ten years or two – the on-line world is moving on so quickly.

On this day…

2003: Eggs and Spam (No Eggs)

You will know that Jason Kottke is a superstar blogger – and I don’t mean he wears a Seventies-style Addidas tracksuit (although he might and it would be very retro) [click here if you don’t get the classic British TV reference and go bow at the alter of David Vine].

No, he’s been (Kottke, not Vine) writing a personal web site (in the blog style) since sometime in 1998 which makes him – in web years – very, very old indeed (although he doesn’t look it in the pictures). If you haven’t read his site you should because he’s good at this stuff but now – in a nutshell (and the word nuts may be important) – he’s given up a job to spend his days writing great content for his site in the hope that readers pay him (read his reasoning in more detail) for writing it.

Anyway, to cut a ramble short, I just went to read today’s postings (like this one) and have come away feeling like a dirty thief. I haven’t stumped up the cash so I feel like the kind of person who walks out of WH Smith’s with The Independent under his arm and hasn’t paid (nor dropped a button in the honesty box to look like I am paying). The security guard hasn’t clocked me but my toes are sweating in fear. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be a good shoplifter which is why, mother if you’re reading this, I am not a thief. And, yet feel like one.

Damn, damn, damn .. I have to find a credit cards sans dust.

On this day…

2004: What Did You Say?

Last week I made note of Brian Brian Sedgemore’s comments in the House of Commons when the debate on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill was in place. I also suggested people may have lost interest in politics. Well, when politics is as blatently vote grabbing at this piece in the Sunday Times reveals, it’s no wonder:

This week a new bill giving Muslims protection against religious discrimination will be published, but there will be no equivalent right for gays, as had been planned by ministers.

Sunday Times: Discrimination bill snubs gays to save Muslim vote

I guess I should be angry and I should write to my MP or something but I am resigned to the fact that nothing will happen and it will make no difference. It’s the obviousness of the whole thing that frustrates.

On this day…

2004: St David's Day
2003: Haunted Castle
2003: Ben Affleck In Tight Leather

Somewhere in the past two weeks I caught the flu which put me in bed for a couple of days and has had me feeling very bad for longer than I remember having had the flu before. So, I am stuck with a series of half written posts – mainly reviews of things I wanted to talk about – which need some editing before I can get them online. So I must get myself back into shape. In the meantime, I note that I have not yet seen this year’s Best Picture (Million Dollar Baby) or Actor In A Leading Role (Jamie Foxx – Ray). Neither have I seen most of the other winners: Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Eternal Sunshine … maybe I need to get myself to the cinema.

In other news, “Opening statements were set to begin on Monday in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial, the start of what promises to be a long and bitter court fight that could end in prison for one of the world’s best-known entertainers” [Source: Reuters: Opening Statements Offer Preview of Jackson Trial]. I think it’s time to prepare yourself for wall-to-wall coverage on rolling-news channels and on those non-stop entertainment-news channels.

On this day…

2003: Dear Mr. Secretary

They say that the people have lost interest in politics, and maybe they have. But, every now and then, there are some great speeches in The House and I am very glad that the web makes them available to me:

They voted: first, to abolish trial by jury in less serious cases; secondly, to abolish trial by jury in more serious cases; thirdly, to approve an unlawful war; fourthly, to create a gulag at Belmarsh; and fifthly, to lock up innocent people in their homes. It is truly terrifying to imagine what those Members of Parliament will vote for next.I can describe all that only as new Labour’s descent into hell, which is not a place where I want to be [source: TheyWorkForYou.com].

It amazes me that this has not been picked up more by mainstream media. Yes, it gets some mention in coverage, but nowhere near as much as it deserves.

On this day…

2004: Changing Faces
2003: Spend Spend Spend (Online)

Tom has an interesting little post about Digital Media players over at plasticbag right now (plasticbag.org on the iPod and shortsightedness on the Microsoft estate…).

He is right and the quoted correspondence from internal Microsoft people makes me see red, it really does. In fact, Microsoft’s digital music policy, makes me see red whether the quotes are true or not.

• My set up: Long time Windows user, using Windows Media Player as my default player and buying a some music online via MSN UK (a Microsoft company). I have had mp3 players since I was given one in 1999 a leaving gift but, realistically, I’ve had a reasonable player since October 2002.
• Music 1: I have legally purchased music from MSN’s music store that I can’t play on my players because those players don’t Play For Sure (although they did when I bought them) and the manufacturers don’t upgrade the product.
• Music 2: I have legally purchased music from a Microsoft store that I can’t play on the laptop I just bought because I’ve exceeded my 3 licenses for media (and they don’t have any way for me to stream music from my PC which has a valid license). Of course if I’d bought a CD player this would be no problem. This is why I will stop buying music online right now (BTW, I might be able to get a new licence but this depends on the store allowing it. I shouldn’t have to go begging for a licence to play stuff I own).
• Me: I love playing with this stuff but now it’s costing me too much money and I have no faith in Microsoft’s ability to allow me to play the music I have bought in the future.

If I’d bought an iPod and used it on Windows none of this would be an issue. It’s one piece of hardware with a software upgrade path that is supported. I understand my hardware doesn’t come from Microsoft but if they don’t persuade their partners to upgrade existing products I (and I suspect many others) will switch to a product that right now is stable, upgradable and allows me to enjoy the music I buy.

And all this frustrates me because I’m happy with wma and don’t want an iPod just because everybody has. I just want to embrace digital music but I need some confidence that I’m not throwing my money down the toilet.

It’s no wonder Microsoft employees buy iPods – they don’t all have Bill’s money to be buying another piece of hardware to do the same job over and over and buy to music they already bought.

… and all this before we talk functionality!

If I am wrong in any of this and you know of a way around it, then please let me know.

On this day…

2004: Janet’s Malfunction
2004: Colourful Pages
2004: Alcohol Free
2003: Online Advertising Technology Issues
2003: An Email From Space

Jase doesn’t post as much as he used to but he has some gems in his random links section. My favourite right now is the Google Usenet Timelime which is fascinating on two fronts: firstly because it’s a piece of history and secondly for the selections they have made – the announcement of the web; Britney Spears and the first piece of spam. [via Jase Wells]

On this day…

2006: It’s Nearly Australia Day In W1
2003: Tube Train Crashes