Dudu Mimran Blog

Is Web 3.0 The Right Name for The Next Internet Uphill?

I get to see here and there the term '3.0' used in reference to the next internet/technology revolution and somehow it does not feel right to me. I am not sure about this but for me the coined term '2.0' was a metaphor belonging to the concept of software versioning. If the the first internet era where infrastructure was established is called '1.0' implying the first version of a product then what we had recently was a '2.0' where the product, hence the internet, has become more streamlined towards users in terms of services, ease of use and diversity. As in software there are always other versions such as 3.0 and 4.0 etc... but none of these compares to the unique characteristics '1.0' and '2.0' have.

In software usually the 1.0 includes basic infrastructure for enabling core functionality as well as diverse set of features coming from the delirious minds of the developers and maybe potential customers. It is usually very spread out and less focused though very appealing thanks to the creative sense of it. The 2.0 usually is an organized effort to address the needs of specific audiences after getting real feedback and real experience with the 1.0 version. I believe the internet did behave in correspondence with this lifecycle during last two uphills.

If we try to envision the next uphill (assuming there will be one, hopefully) then it can come in two flavors (or more I have to be humble): The '3.0' style where the product/internet becomes less creative and spread out while maturing current capabilities and extending them to address more perfectly different users' needs. The second option is to have a spinoff on the '2.0' product series but actually to create something new which can and should be called '1.0' again.

I personally prefer option 2:)

Bad YouTube Experience

Yesterday while I was viewing a video on YouTube I was aggressively interrupted by a video/flash based commercial with sound. I am not sure whether that was a glitch but someone need to pay attention to the fact that people can not hear two different soundtracks at the same time. Two videos is easy since you can focus your eyes on a certain area but two sounds is too much for me:)

What is wrong with Microsoft? Adobe Air vs. Silverlight

The new war on the rich desktop client is being won easily! by Adobe Air. You would expect Microsoft to win it swiftly  with all their expertise and real estate on desktops but somehow it is being played by them so cumbersomely. Microsoft first tried to chase the flash in-browser capabilities with their own version of Silverlight while at the same time Adobe was already crawling into the desktop. While still being stuck at solving the rich in-browser puzzle Adobe is becoming a very cool first mover to the rich desktop market. 

Few weeks ago Microsoft launched something called Out of Browser experience which looks like an unplanned feature aiming to strike back. SSB or Single Site Browsers are nothing new (see Fluid, Bubbles and Prism as examples) and a shortcut to a website is nothing even close to really installed client.

Maybe it is the cross platform portability aspect that holds things back, an issue within Microsoft that is not solved strategically yet (and should have been a long time ago after noticing that Windows is not the only operating system in the world). 

Actually their platform conflict raises an interesting strategic problem: on one hand their milking cow which is MS-Windows has to be advocated ferociously, on the other hand they look into other areas for growth and these areas potentially address users that are not feeding their cow but their rivals. And now to the big question: should I admit the existence of other users and support them and by that indirectly affect badly my cows condition in comparison to others. Or should I ignore them in hopes that others' cows will die without our support or at least not get stronger. I think it is a question of balance. First, how old is your cow? Every cow will die at the end and knowing when it is over the top is a good thing. Second, Is your cow really threatened by others and how the threat affects it in terms of making her life shorter. Third, has the business changed to chickes and eggs and you didn't notice it?

Sorry for the animals metaphor but I got into it:)

The Web Crawls Silently into the Desktop

Recently I got deeply interested into rich Internet technologies such as Adobe Air and Microsoft Silverlight and it is hard to not see the trend of returning to good old desktop applications with one big twist - the web included. These rich desktop applications are naturally integrated into the web with its rich services, content while enjoying UI breakthroughs achieved by browsers and site designers. It is great to see unique and smooth UI concepts being delivered across different platforms without being restricted to each platform's local UI structural constraints.

Although it is just the early days of Adobe Air and others still the trend of providing users with new rich and broad user experience is exciting.

More to come... (and who can say it is not exciting time in tech world:)

P.S. I am mainly talking about Adobe Air since it seems the major platform (for now) to catch up upon users and developers. Having said that I have to mention, Silverlight Out of the Browser experience (horrible name as only Microsoft knows to invent), JavaFX (which they promise to have a big comeback this year?), Titanium (I think mostly enterprise) and all SSB (Single Site Browsers) and local browser enhancers (Google Gears).

UPDATE: Just saw this article Adobe AIR Turns Web Developers into Desktop Developers which is an excellent prespective. The mass of professional now can cross the barrier thanks to this web-desktop technologies.

Israel's Mistakes Since the Disengagement from Gaza

The disengagement from Gaza made few years ago was actually the moment Hamas started getting stronger below the nose of Israel until they have become the authority over there. Eventually the extremist voices in Gaza won over the more rational ones such as the Fatah and that was certainly not on Israel's plans. Many voices are heard nowadays in Israel mentioning the disengagement as a big mistake and that the only way to maintain a quiet zone would be to control them tightly as we did in the past.

I personally do not agree with this since it takes us to an "endless" road and I don't believe that occupation as a way of life can last. There are people there that deserve the basic right of freedom and we, most of anyone else in the world should not take it from them. Anyway, it brings us to the dead end again where if we don't control them there is (or at least was) a fertile ground for the extremist to take over. So, what could have we done differently or even do after the current war to prevent this from happening and help get out the extremist out of the picture without brutal intervention.

If we take a look at the rational for why the people in Gaza selected and support Hamas then based on Hamas's propaganda they are the fighters that will bring back the land of Israel to the Palestinians and they are doing the holy war (forgetting for a moment they have been hiding for the last two weeks and that they used the civilians as human shelter but anyway). I don't buy this cause. I think this cause is something that smells like Tehran and if I assume normal people from Gaza are the same as you, I and everyone else, then it just does not sound logical. What I "buy" more is that the people over there are desperate mentally and financially for a long time now and Hamas has been helping them in the very basic stuff while preaching their extremist propaganda meanwhile. As a very hungry person you don't really care about what you need to vote once candidate brings you food. And this principle goes a long way towards fundamentalism and other areas extremists find benefit in.

If I am right on this then the logical step for us following the disengagement was actually to help the people in Gaza. To help them live better, work more, own more stuff and have "more" to lose in the face of a potential conflict. I think we tried for a while but with the first fist we got from them we said, well, they can manage it own their own and if they don't need or want our help then we won't give it to them. That was wrong! The fist aimed at us hurt only our pride and its sender, Hamas instructed by Tehran, aimed exactly at that. To make us leave them alone so they can stay in their miserable lives so Hamas can be their heroes and save them with small peanuts. That was our mistake! We should have kept on making their lives better, build factories, build hospitals, build universities and more so that Gaza people could get strong enough to say no to the extremists. Clear thinking is something possible only when basic needs are satisfied and you can not expect the hungry man to think in an enlightened way. To emphasize I do not suggest they would have started falling in love with us, no no, they have a long long history of hate with us and this does not go very fast. Still, they would have been given the option to select to either live in some kind of comfort and stay more moderate in their actions or go back to where they were in order to serve foreign interests of the extremists.

Just take a look at the west bank and although there are a lot of bad vibes still their better living standard makes them be more rationale and that is all we need. At least at the moment.

This logic also explains why Hamas is disturbing the humanitarian aid, since it is easier to control poor and hungry people then the ones who eat and are full.

This approach requires a big leap of faith from us since at the mid and short term you are actually helping people who really hate you at the moment. But on the longer term that is the way to create good relationship with people in general and especially neighbors.

This thinking takes me to a few days after the fighting will end and I think that we as a nation should do all in our ability to help them and adopt it as a national long term strategy. It may take years until confidence can be regained but I expect that the "responsible" voices within their people will rise up much faster and become counter force to the extremist. I personally do not see helping them as a point of weakness for Israel though some may perceive it as such for a while. It is actually a real vote for self confidence and strength.

I do not think we have some kind of genetic difference not allowing us to become good neighbors. We are doing it quite well with the Israeli arabs. It is not that it is all roses between us and the Israeli arabs but at least there is some co-existence and civilized discussion among us. I think also that once Israeli arabs will see that their brothers the Palestinians start to live better then our co-existence will improve.

A combined approach of educating the Gaza people on the real forces behind the scenes (Iran), helping them live better and recover fast from where they are now and presenting them a long term vision into the future can help us solve this never ending story and start a new better one. 

Iran is the Cause Behind the Israeli and Palestinian Conflict

Iran is the Israelis and Palestinians biggest problem. Someone has to put it upfront and turn the light into the roots of today's forces causing recent two wars and other conflicts.

In recent years Iran, lead by their new dictator, has been the most aggressive force in the middle east. They are relentlessly building capabilities to build weapons for mass destruction "playing out" the rest of the world into believing they don't. Their head of state is using an un-precedent aggressive voice preaching for extinction of Israel and the US - voices that were long gone from the face of earth since Hitler's time. They are leading and supporting Syria's extremist forces drawing in the rest of the country towards their camp. They sponsored, trained and nurtured Hizballa, ones a small militant group into the de-facto controlling force in Lebanon. Thanks to them Hizballa started a second Lebanon war where Lebanon and innocent civilians were hurt. They sponsor, train and nurture the Hammas group in Gaza. Same group that led to this war and again costs mostly in innocent civilian lives.

And still they go by as if nothing happens. Two months ago the exiting CEO of the International Nuclear authority was interviewed and said Iran has fooled them in last three years and still nothing happens. Everyone now eye the Gaza strip conflict as if it was the last problem on earth giving some "free pass time" to Iran enabling them to speedup their race for rage without no disturbance.

I really hope something is done about it behind the scenes but from the way it looks bad things are going to happen. Israelis or Jews did not hear these kind of threats and voices in a long time now and I feel it will be a huge mistake to let it be as if it was just talks. We've been there once and that complacent attitude towards our haters was a fatal mistake to our existence than and it would be the same now. I personally take Iran's threats and provocative calls to be very true and concrete as if they already have the power at hand. And I suggest other's to do so as well since madness has no barriers and it is not 1945 anymore where small bombs was the top of the line.

I believe once Iran will calm down most of our problems with the Palestinians and the Arab world will be solved since people in both sides have changed since 1973 and the only people who keep maintaining the conflict are those who get salaries from Iran.

My impression and understanding is that most Israelis would like to solve our conflict with the Palestinian people and to even compensate on hurts and sufferings caused to them in the past - it has been like that since Rabin's time for the last 12 years. And I wish the Palestinians will someday outsmart and escape the Iranian trap, whom costs them very dearly now, into dealing with us directly for solving this conflict.

If Iran was a near by country with deep past involvement with Palestinians It could have been somehow logical for me to understand how they stick to them, but how can the Palestinian people be so blind into not seeing they just serve the Iranian own cold interest. Iran is distant and has its own regional ambitions who has nothing to do with Palestinians and they use them now just as a card to draw attention out of them. Where were they before their new dictator has risen up? Palestinians had harsher times in Israel and I don't recall ever them sending food or money. Everything out of blind interest, interest that causes dear lives of simple people and living souls.

I have to give them respect, they have got us, the Israelis into two wars in recent two years without lifting a finger and zero casualties. How can we allow ourselves not respect what they promise to us?

Everyone focus now on revenues and efficiency as opposed to last year efforts?

End of year is full of posts about how all startups and CEOs (now after the market meltdown) are going to be focused in 2009 on revenues, efficiency, listening to customers, making better products and more...

Just the other day I read Some startup CEOs’ New Years resolutions where most resolutions sound like boiler plated stuff. It is not that I don't appreciate efficiency and revenues, don't get me wrong, but still one has to ask what was the focus last year? I understand the pressures these companies have on them, especially from some of their investors whom would like to see results (what are results when you try to build up something?) but these responses seem to only satisfy the eager investor ears and nothing more.

In general every time the market goes either up or down new mantras are invented - or reused. Usually when the market goes up you are required as an entrepreneur to make sure you see for the long strategic term, have a scalable technology that can cope with potential huge market adoption, build a solid and endurable team and infrastructure as a company as well as others. Actions whom usually take long time, cost a lot and do not bring near term financial results. When the market is down then you should forget about all the nonsense (just previously advised) and now refocus on making money and spending less.

Although the down trend creates suggestions that seem logical, I am not sure new companies being created, if one considers a new company as a growing living entity, can be bent towards people's wishes just based on the current weather or market trend. There are companies or products with no revenues in nature - twitter up to the moment, and there are those who require heavy investment in R&D. Sometimes, changing the strategic goals for venture at a certain point of time can mean end of life. Everyone wants a cash cow eventuallt but how can you milk a calf that was just born? Or grow him with minimal food?

Phoney faces everywhere over Israel's self defense

After watching quite a bit of the news from our little war in Gaza, both in local and foreign networks something has dawned on me. People, mainly in Europe but not only, treat Israel the country and its basic rights as if it was questionable. Somehow the critic level focused towards our country is disproportionate in comparison to what we are actually doing. It is not even comparable to what others being criticized for much bigger things with far less justified reasons. I know we are small country and rather new in comparison to countries who exist for hundreds of years but still we are a given fact as anything else on this planet! People or organizations in the western world who feel Israel's rights is somehow comparable to Hamas's the terrorist group or others who are considered terrorists by the same people who criticize themselves is just mistaken.

I am not talking about Palestinians or others highly affiliated with them who see the sufferings and sympathize with them personally. These have all the right and the same feelings that rise when see someone dead on our side happens the same there I guess. I am talking about people who seat in their convenient coffee shops and put themselves in the chair of god almighty.

I am also a bit angry at some of our spokesmen who take the strategic path of making "good" excuses to why we have the right to do what we do. Every western and so called "enlightened" country on earth would take far more drastic measures at some kind of terrorist group who sends missiles constantly at their citizens. That is the basic job of every government. Somehow the fact that we are lucky (god forbid but I can't explain otherwise our low casualty rate) is on our side does not make our rights less important.

I liked the interviewing tactic of Binyamin Nethaniahou our ex-prime minister whom instead of making excuses responded with the same questions directed at him towards the interviewer putting the other side in our place. Things such as missiles on London, Copenhagen, Ankara and any other big city in the world would have probably created a far more furious and very "non-considerate" response towards the offender. Regardless of the offender's "historical" reasons or ambitions for doing so. There are ways to communicate and missiles on civilians is not considered one of them in the western world.

Maybe it is our problem, our "Jewish" warm heart, big conscious and basic guilt that we even give an open stand to those who oppose what we do. In this war the cost for killing one terrorist while making sure we keep the lowest number of civilians casualties possible (what can you do when they hide within civilians) has risen dramatically. Before we bomb a building, where we know terrorists are there, we call each and one of the people living there to give them a 15 minutes notice. We also send a dummy missile just to make sure they can run away without getting hurt. This is unheard of in terms of being considerate towards the "enemy" But still people see us as the bully.

I remember from kindergarten a very basic thing, never be a bully but if someone tries to hurt you then you have to defend yourself in similar measures. There are those who attack first or respond very harshly but self-defense is a minimum.

Israel is a miracle to survive in this so much "unfriendly" environment where our "best" neighbor is the water in the sea and most of your "neighbors" just wish we did not exist. It would have been just reasonable to expect the rest of the world to help us sustain our western frontier towards the extreme Islamic world in our harsh location and instead we just get cold water at our face. Only when some opposer for our policy, seating in his/her safe haven in some calm European city, get a terror attack or some kind of threat then they start thinking of us warmly. Well, now it is cold for us!

I got myself a new blog:)

Well, after wasting some time with wordpress I decided to become a dumb user and use one of the services available and typepad was selected. So I got me a new blog.

Dudu

Firefox my new operating system

Firefox recently reminds me of MS Windows. Everytime it starts up it checks for updates. Then it checks for updates for the plugins. Then it loads some of the plugins. Eventually it takes around 10-20 seconds for the first page to appear and if this is not the sign browsers are the new operating systems I am not sure what is.