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04 Aug 2010 10:39

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Politics: Slate breaks Sarah Palin’s Facbook Page comment deletion system

  • please dont let your daughter do a reality show : ( but i love your family and you ..hope thats just a rumor from the liberals.
  • A comment on Sarah Palin’s Facebook page • Which was subsequently deleted. Palin does this a lot – her Facebook page is immaculately vetted, something that seemed very likely to us when we noticed basically everyone on Palin’s Facebook page was pro-Sarah a couple of months ago. Palin’s staff deletes a lot of comments – good, bad, not really that bad at all – but fortunately for us, Slate devised a script that grabbed those comments so we could read them before they got deleted. Good show, guys. source

27 Jul 2010 09:24

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Culture: Luckiest man alive finds Ansel Adams photos worth $200 million

Rick Norsigian, a garage sale hunter, bought this negative (and many others) for about $45 a decade ago. He negotiated down from $70. They’re worth far more. source

28 Jan 2010 20:59

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Tech: Adobe’s take on the iPad: Apple’s totally being a DB about it

  • Without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web.
  • Adobe Systems Group Manager for Flash Platform Product Marketing Adrian Ludwig • Discussing the iPad and how lame it is that Apple has decided that – yet again – Flash was a poor fit for the device. He also takes issue with the company’s DRMed implementation of the ePub format. Our opinion? It makes sense that the iPhone doesn’t have having Flash due to screen size and battery life, but the iPad? Now it seems like the company’s getting petty. Then again, we’re kinda pissed it doesn’t support Hypercard. source

09 Nov 2009 21:16

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Culture: Critic: “Sesame Street” isn’t looking so hot at 40, in a midlife crisis

  • When we sat down to watch the screener of the first episode of ‘Sesame Street’s’ 40th season, Eleanor, 2, threw a mini-tantrum: ‘I want Dora!’
  • Boston Herald columnist Jill Radsken • Describing her daughter’s reaction to the new season of “Sesame Street,” which she reviewed. Radsken says that the show is not totally different and loaded with celebrities that the show never got originally, such as Michelle Obama (!). Comparing how it holds up to the original, she says: “Parents who grew up with ‘Sesame Street’ wouldn’t recognize – or like – much of the show these days.” Harsh. • source

02 Nov 2009 19:10

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Tech: Snap judgment: Threadsy isn’t ready for prime time. Hold off.

threadsy

How it could be a contender, but so isn't yet. In a lot of ways, Threadsy wants to be the central point for Facebook, Twitter AND your e-mail. If someone pulls it off, they rule the market. Well, we just got a beta invite. And well, here's our initial thoughts: Threadsy is a smart idea undone by myriad technical problems and interface flaws which we feel undermine its usefulness. And if Threadsy wants people to use it, they need to fix these problems:

  • Too much broken The private beta signup process was broken when we tried it. So was the front page. When it started working again, and we got to a menu to input our various accounts. Our GMail account didn’t take at first and gave an error. The Twitter login doesn’t use the password-protecting API. And Facebook Connect, which was buried within the interface, would keep dropping. Not to be harsh, but: Even for a beta, these flaws are too obvious and too disruptive. source
  • Too much broken The private beta signup process was broken when we tried it. So was the front page. When it started working again, and we got to a menu to input our various accounts. Our GMail account didn’t take at first and gave an error. The Twitter login doesn’t use the password-protecting API. And Facebook Connect, which was buried within the interface, would keep dropping. Not to be harsh, but: Even for a beta, these flaws are too obvious and too disruptive.
  • Too much control Threadsy asks for too much access. You feel OK with giving Threadsy your passwords at first, but then you realize you’ve given away the keys to a drunken teenager playing chicken. It decides which Twitter account you’re logged into on the Twitter Web site. Even if you log into a different Twitter account, it changes it back. Other similar services – HootSuite, Seesmic Web – don’t need to do this. Why should we hand Threadsy the keys? We’re not sure. source
  • Too much broken The private beta signup process was broken when we tried it. So was the front page. When it started working again, and we got to a menu to input our various accounts. Our GMail account didn’t take at first and gave an error. The Twitter login doesn’t use the password-protecting API. And Facebook Connect, which was buried within the interface, would keep dropping. Not to be harsh, but: Even for a beta, these flaws are too obvious and too disruptive.
  • Too much control Threadsy asks for too much access. You feel OK with giving Threadsy your passwords at first, but then you realize you’ve given away the keys to a drunken teenager playing chicken. It decides which Twitter account you’re logged into on the Twitter Web site. Even if you log into a different Twitter account, it changes it back. Other similar services – HootSuite, Seesmic Web – don’t need to do this. Why should we hand Threadsy the keys? We’re not sure.
  • Too much blend The biggest problem with the service? Everything looks the same. The visual cues, including faint quote boxes and service-signifying icons away from where your eye is drawn, aren’t loud enough and get lost within hundreds of rows. We like how it pulls icons, but don’t like the fact that e-mail doesn’t have a threading option. That seems essential. If Threadsy wants to be a mixed-media inbox, the design needs to be more adaptive. source