The Future of Blogging

Hugh at gapingvoid said this:

While I seldom quote Scoble or TechCrunch, I too am guilty of mostly just repackaging others' content.  Though after I started using del.icio.us, I've done less of that.  (And as a result, I've blogged less.)

PS! Writing this in Windows Live Writer.  In WYSIWYG mode (which I mostly love) you can't add a hyperlink to an image.  And you can't easily add an image from another site. AND font sizes are specified using the font tag rather than styles. What silly bugs...

Pre-Stolen Idea: Ad-Cars

My Idea: Create an auction based advertising system, similar to adwords, but where you sell advertising covering a car, rather than an online space.  The drivers of the cars would be regular commuters who live, commute through, or work (and park) in a high-profile area.  Drivers would apply by entering their home and work addresses, their average commuting route and time, and whether the car will be parked on the street or in some other visible location.

Upon successful match-up with an advertiser, each driver would be issued - for free - a brand new, low-cost, but noticeable car (like a Mini, a PT Cruiser, a  Beetle, or a Zap/Smart Car).  Each vehicle would be outfitted with a GPS tracking sensor so that the advertiser would have complete access to information regarding where and when their ad is displayed.  (Other minutia like keeping the car clean and in good repair would be stipulated in the contract.)

Their Idea: http://www.getanadcar.com/
Basically exactly the same idea.  Groan.

Idea: Cool Black Paint

Following up on Pre-Stolen Ideas and Truly Anonymous Search, here's an idea I've been kicking around for quite some time:

Create a (commercially available) type of paint that absorbs (the majority of) the visible spectrum, but reflects (most) everything else.  The idea being that black is a desirable color for many purposes (cars, clothing, etc), but it has the unfortunate drawback of getting quite hot in the sun, as it absorbs a large portion of the sun's energy spectrum, including infrared and ultraviolet.  This paint would look black to you and me, but by reflecting non-visible colors (i.e. energy) it should stay cooler than 'regular' blacks.

Specialized, spectrum sensitive paints, exist (like radar-absorbing paint, used in many military installations), so I'd think this should be feasible.

No?

Testing Windows Live Writer

Windows Live Writer is an interesting tool - MS is trying to keep the desktop relevant, I guess.  It certainly is a more "natural" feeling interface for writing than, say, Performancing's Firefox extension.

Though the default is to use Live Spaces, it appears to have downloaded my blogger css file and is using that to create a true WYSIWYG environment.  Very Clever.

Updating a previously published post is also as simple as can be.  Just open the post and type.

Bump keying
Scary... Details at http://www.toool.nl/bumping.pdf

Idea: Truly Anonymous Search

Ok - so this is goofy, but in the light of the AOL fiasco, it's worth considering:

Create simple wrappers around Google, Yahoo, and Live - call them Anonymoogle, Anonymahoo and Anonymive, etc. (all three .com domains are available) - utilizing the respective sites' API. (Start with free versions, then go with ads to support paying for additional queries if things take off.)

Keep it simple, don't try to add features beyond those of the original site - the only point here is anonymity. Since every search will originate from the same site there'll be no way to tell 2 searchers apart. Of course a privacy policy of not tracking the users of the anonymous sites will have to be strictly adhered to.

Shouldn't take more than a few hours of real coding. If nothing else it could spur some minor interest in the topic, and some cease and desist letters from the search giants' lawyers, which would only stir more interest in the blogosphere.

Pre-Stolen Ideas

I have had a number of ideas pre-stolen over the years.  From the aerodynamic pick-up truck tailgates to creating a marketplace for ideas.  My problem has always been timing (someone else thought of it first), or a lack of irrational excuberance - while I believe my ideas have merit, I so far haven't believed in them strongly enough to go out and do anything with them...


Technorati Tags: business, entrepreneurship