http://www.popfly.com/


You'll have to sign up, and install a small software program,
and though I didn't look real close, what I did see looks real cool.



Microsoft Rolls Out Mashup for the Masses
Microsoft's new Popfly, a tool set and social network, lets users build and share mashups, gadgets, Web pages and apps.
Heather Havenstein, Computerworld


Microsoft Corp. Friday announced the alpha release of Popfly, http://www.popfly.ms/ a combination tool set and social network that can help nontechnical users build and share mashups, gadgets, Web pages and applications.

Built with Microsoft's new Silverlight 1.0 Flash-like rich media tool, Popfly is the company's latest pitch to nontechnical programmers, wrote Soma Somasegar, vice president of Microsoft's developer division on his blog.

"Today's generation is seeking an easier way to build, customize and share experiences with their family and friends -- to express themselves in creative ways through software," he wrote. "Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions was the first step in this direction."

Popfly, which he positions as an easy way to begin using Silverlight, is the next step in that evolution, he added.

The Popfly Creator tool enables users to connect "blocks," or pieces of code for retrieving data from a Web site or performing other tasks like getting their photos from Live Spaces or Flickr and displaying them like a slide show -- all without writing code, Microsoft said. The tool also allows users to drag and drop blocks and connect them to build applications.

In addition, the Popfly Space Web site is an online community where users can host, share, rate, comment and remix creations from other users, Microsoft said. Microsoft is inviting a limited number of users to test the alpha version of the tool.

This announcement comes on the heels of Yahoo Inc.'s February launch of a prototype tool that would let users create mashups without programming skills. The unforeseen popularity of that site forced Yahoo to shut it down the same day it was launched so the company could boost its capacity.

Great. Another flash-like product, but it will only work on Windows.

That's MSFT's business model -- take the ideas of others and re-do them in software which is incompatible with everything except your own product. Then offer them free to users of your product, screwing the provider of the original software and any alternative operating system at the same time.

Bill Gates -- before he bills you.

Why would Microsoft have any reason to promote a product useable on another platform?
If this bothers you, then send e-mail to your Linux code makers and ask then to write one up for you.

They don't. It goes against the business model they have set up, which is to eliminate competition through ubiquitous incompatibility. Remember when Netscape was an up-and-coming company? Their business model was to give away the current version for free, put in a big "N" button that goes to their portal, and maybe charge for future versions. MSFT introduced Internet Explorer which was not only as cheap as Netscape but pre-installed in Windows, completely undercutting them. They tried (and failed) to kill Java with "Dot Net".

Now they're out to kill Flash, which runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Say bye-bye to video, Mac and Linux users.

But there is a price. The Windows OS has been getting more and more expensive with each release. Windows Vista is almost $300. Windows 98? Sure, you can install your old copy on your new computer, but if you connect it to the Internet you'll be hacked the same day, and there are no fixes available.

Nothing personal, Sky. You're just promoting a company I hate with a passion.

Spud, did you pie bill?

I'm still waiting for my chance.

Oh I do understand, and given the opportunity buy software other than MS.

However, if you wanna Pie Bill, a much more ffective way would be to push the pro-corporate lawmakers out of office and seat progressive populists who will propose legislation that will reign in the money makers.

Until this happens, we might as well be pissing into the wind.