I carefully control my google email and will analyze the OAuth contextual gadgets before considering any just as the recent features like Buzz. But, again, we can\’t expect google to approach Yahoo or other email groups and say, \”here is what we\’re doing and how, do you want to participate?\” I think Yahoo is pretty smart in their own right and if they are interested, they will particicapte also.

I don\’t think Google owes anyone more than that. If an app looks good, I can turn it on, and if I don\’t like where the apps are going, I can take my data and go somewhere else.

Personally, I don\’t use gmail or google apps. No benefit. Lots of downside.

Hopefully more people will catch on, as they did with MS.

In the end we, collectively, as a whole, throw out was doesn\’t work simply by neglecting to use it, while continuing to refine and tweak the things that do.

I work on several research projects and participate in various ISOC groups. It takes forever to go that route, what some claim is the \’correct\’ route.

If we step back for a minute to think about how HTML and related aspects of our everyday computing got to where it is today, with all of the capabilities we take for granted, we have the Netscape wars to partially thank for that.

When pointing out that Microsoft attempted to take us on a ride, unsuccessfully, with regards to much of what they proposed and introduced, let\’s also look at what we did actually adopt.

I recall reading what Lincoln Stein said about trying to maintain CGI.pm while the NetScape wars ensued, How it was so much work on a daily basis to make sure that you could take advantage of all the developments via his module.

But then after the dust settled we had all these kewl capabilities, some which we used, and some which were relegated to the annals of forgotteness (sic).

If someone (doesn\’t matter who) introduces a concept that really takes off, then the standards bodies aren\’t far behind in adopting.

Even more importantly, is the fact that regardless of whether they are found to be useful, something else new is usually dreamed up as a result that becomes a part of everyday life.

My daughter once told me, oh, around third grade or so, that she wasn\’t learning anything in school. I asked her a few questions, and then asked when she remembers learning those concepts. At that point she came to realize the cumulative knowledge that she had actually amassed, and how easy it is to overlook what you have, when you don\’t look at where you once were.

Let\’s take a look at that again. In the article we talk about Pine, attachments, and the handling of eye candy in Linux clients just a few short years ago.

Now let\’s project where we might be in five more years with respect to our communications methodologies – coupling new software innovations with virtually unlimited bandwidth and CPU potentials.

Staggering. Will it look like it does now? hm…