Finally someone has taken up the baton to give Dave Winer his due for being .. in my book at least .. THE DRIVING FORCE behind what we now know as Blogging, PodCasting and the tools that make them valuable: RSS and OPML.
I've known Dave since the early days of February 1995 when I stumbled upon his very first DaveNet. From that first open commentary I've been hooked. Not just on Dave as a pioneer .. but on the whole concept he showed us that could be done: Personal Journalism.
I'd been searching for two (2) things since 1970:
I've known Dave since the early days of February 1995 when I stumbled upon his very first DaveNet. From that first open commentary I've been hooked. Not just on Dave as a pioneer .. but on the whole concept he showed us that could be done: Personal Journalism.
I'd been searching for two (2) things since 1970:
- Some way to live - as I put it - in Gofungobotswannaland (my name for anywhere-on-earth) - and be able to communicate with anyone else - anywhere on the planet - with text, images, video and audio.
- To have a universal platform for publishing both my textual and visual ideas, concepts and notions.
I discoverd my dream was shared by others far more capable of bringing it to a reality in 1990 ... and in 1994, it became the Internet. Then in February of 1995 I found DaveNet and realized I now had the 'potential for a full-house'. Since then I've been dealin' the 'cards' like a mad-man to get that hand.
I could say I 'followed' Dave since then - but, alas that would be inaccurate. I couldn't follow - for I was not able to fully comprehend the technology he was employing. So, I became a serious 'watcher/observer'. I attempted to employ Frontier .. but failed at it miserably. I lacked the skills to manage the server and scripting. But I was not deterred. I just kept watching, observing and plowing forward. Then came EditThisPage .. VOILA! I could do this.
I played with EditThisPage through a number of windows. I learned what could be done on a very personal level. But found it was missing the 'marketing tool' I knew it needed - but just did not know how to do it. I wanted to be able to 'sydicate' my writings through and to 'other publication'. But aside from getting people to make a 'link' to my work there was no way to actually 'publish through a marketing tool'. Then along came Radio.
At once I knew this would make a big change in how I and a lot of other folks would communicate. Boy, I didn't know just HOW MUCH of a change it WOULD make! Then when Dave brought RSS to the fore I knew then that I have access to the 'full-house hand'.
And since then it's been nothing short of sensational.
Yes .. there have been many others along the way who have added to the current bevy of choices. But the fact remains, had Dave Winer NOT taken the initiative and stepped-to-the-plate first .. then we would have had a different outcome. And for me, watching the run of this 'history maker' from the start, I doubt very seriously if anyone else would have done it any better ... or as good.
So I'm very pleased to prominently display my "THANKS DAVE" button. Use it to connect yourself with the voice of a pioneer. And from one who has been on the front-lines as a personally embedded observer ... don't believe the condescending descriptions of Dave. I find that most of those who are so free with using them, are merely overlaying their shortcomings onto what they 'perceive' is Daves.
Thanks again to Brian Bailey for starting this. And thanks to Dave Winer for making it possible for Brian and me and thousands of others to build this Ring of Thanks.
CiAS@BeyondTheRipples
Know Ripples, Know Change. No Ripples, No Change.
I could say I 'followed' Dave since then - but, alas that would be inaccurate. I couldn't follow - for I was not able to fully comprehend the technology he was employing. So, I became a serious 'watcher/observer'. I attempted to employ Frontier .. but failed at it miserably. I lacked the skills to manage the server and scripting. But I was not deterred. I just kept watching, observing and plowing forward. Then came EditThisPage .. VOILA! I could do this.
I played with EditThisPage through a number of windows. I learned what could be done on a very personal level. But found it was missing the 'marketing tool' I knew it needed - but just did not know how to do it. I wanted to be able to 'sydicate' my writings through and to 'other publication'. But aside from getting people to make a 'link' to my work there was no way to actually 'publish through a marketing tool'. Then along came Radio.
At once I knew this would make a big change in how I and a lot of other folks would communicate. Boy, I didn't know just HOW MUCH of a change it WOULD make! Then when Dave brought RSS to the fore I knew then that I have access to the 'full-house hand'.
And since then it's been nothing short of sensational.
Yes .. there have been many others along the way who have added to the current bevy of choices. But the fact remains, had Dave Winer NOT taken the initiative and stepped-to-the-plate first .. then we would have had a different outcome. And for me, watching the run of this 'history maker' from the start, I doubt very seriously if anyone else would have done it any better ... or as good.
So I'm very pleased to prominently display my "THANKS DAVE" button. Use it to connect yourself with the voice of a pioneer. And from one who has been on the front-lines as a personally embedded observer ... don't believe the condescending descriptions of Dave. I find that most of those who are so free with using them, are merely overlaying their shortcomings onto what they 'perceive' is Daves.
Thanks again to Brian Bailey for starting this. And thanks to Dave Winer for making it possible for Brian and me and thousands of others to build this Ring of Thanks.
CiAS@BeyondTheRipples
Know Ripples, Know Change. No Ripples, No Change.
