Skip to content

Douglas Comer's Internet Book — explaining the big, big context of mashups

I took a close look at The Internet book : everything you need to know about computer networking and how the internet works earlier in the week. To make my mashup book as accessible as possible, I've been looking for how others cover background information on the internet and the Web. Comer's book focuses on the Internet rather than the World Wide Web. That is, the World Wide Web is presented as a set of services on top of the Internet.

In my book and in my course, I need to figure out how much of the Internet I would treat as a black box. I will draw from people's concrete experience of the World Wide Web and the Internet and point out, for instance, things they are treating as a black box such as the networking that ties computers and desktop computers together. I will need to get into the issues of clients and servers.

2007 01 15 raymond.yee BackgroundReading Comments (0) Permalink

Notelets for 2007.01.15

Is there enough mashup-related activity at the Web 2.0 Expo 2007, April 15-18, 2007, San Francisco, California to justify the expense and time to attend?

Haas School News Release is an interesting article on how people buy and sell user reviews on eBay. No surprise there.

REST Web Services, a forthcoming book by Leonard Richardson and Sam Ruby, is definitely worth watching:

    We want this to be the definitive work on the real-world use of REST. If you're a REST fanatic, we need your input now: your best practices, rules of thumb, and folklore; your review of what we write.

I'd like to have such a great reviewing system for my own book as the one I see for Django Book. The comment points to Jack Slocum's Blog » yui-ext 0.33 RC3 – What's New?

2007 01 15 raymond.yee Notelets Comments (0) Permalink

geocoder.us sample query

I've written about geocoding using the Yahoo, Google, MapQuest, and Microsoft APIs but haven't mentioned geocoder.us yet. Here's a sample query: http://geocoder.us/demo.cgi?address=2430+Bancroft+Way%2C+94704

2007 01 15 raymond.yee geocoding Comments (0) Permalink

some academic research on mashups

M. Cameron Jones and Michael Twidale of UIUC have been active in the teaching and research sides of mashups:

  • Summary of Topic: Programming Web Mashups: This course provides an introduction to web programming and web application development. In addition to developing their own web applications, students will integrate existing web applications into their own through open protocols and APIs. Topic covered include: fundamental programming concepts, database modeling, web service infrastructures and protocols, server-side programming languages and tools. Students will gain an understanding of issues involved in designing and developing interactive, dynamic web sites and familiarity with existing tools and resources on the web. Sophomore, junior or senior standing.
  • Main Page – MashWorks, especially CSCW workshop papers – MashWorks

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to cover concerning research around mashups in the book; I hope to mention the topic at the very least.

2007 01 15 raymond.yee research
teaching Comments (0) Permalink

Flickr downloaders

I'm so used to using Flickr to host my pictures that I need to remind myself that the primary audience for my Flickr photos — namely, my own family and close friends — don't know about or care for Flickr the way I do. My sister, for instance, doesn't want to spend her time looking through tons of photos on the web; she wishes instead to be able to download a lot of my pictures into her collection.

That's where an application for downloading Flickr pictures would be useful. What does this have to do with mashups or information remixing? (BTW, I've not even explained what mashups are yet on this site!) Basically, the Flickr API (Flickr Services) that allows Flickr to be recombined with many other applications is what allows programmers to write downloaders for Flickr with relative ease. I've not had time to look through the list of downloaders but have found the following so far:

2007 01 10 raymond.yee Flickr Comments (1) Permalink

Let's see whether I get heard on the Yahoo DN suggestion board

Yahoo! Developer Network Suggestion Board is taking suggestions from the community. Let's see whether mine get heard:

  1. Fix error in the getCollection documentation
  2. bring out an API for the Yahoo calendar, which was announced almost a year ago.

I use the getCollection method in an example on how to create maps out of collections of interesting places compiled through the Yahoo local interface.  Not having to document an error in the official documentation would make for a nicer narrative in my book!

2007 01 10 raymond.yee Yahoo Comments (0) Permalink

Wanted: a technical reviewer for the book

One of the distinctive elements that Apress brings to the publication process is its use of technical reviewers that are clearly identified and listed in their books as major contributors.

We are looking for a reviewer to work on my book. The main job of the reviewer is to review the text for technical accuracy, to point out any items that you suspect may be in error. Ideally, I'd like to find someone who is knowledgeable about mashups. However, it's probably more important that this person be generally knowledgeable about the Web, specifically, the way web application are going today, including the use of Web services. Obviously, a reviewer has have good attention for detail. You won't get rich doing it, but I'll do my best to make it an engaging and worthwhile project for you.

if you are interested, please contact me: raymondyee AT mashupguide DOT net

2007 01 10 raymond.yee Apress
Publishing Comments (0) Permalink

What you will find on mashupguide.net

On this weblog, I will be writing about all aspects related to the writing of the mashup book, including many materials that won't ultimately get into the book itself. What's on my list of things to write about?

  • things I learn about mashups, including questions I have
  • the process of writing this book
  • mushy, early thoughts that I'm working through
  • updates on noteworthy matters on the web that merit (or don't merit) immediate comment
  • supplementary materials
  • answers to questions or responses to comments I get from readers

Over time, I expect to start posting early drafts of my book, ready for commenting. Ultimately, the completed texts, codes, illustrations from the entire book will end up on mashupguide.net.

2007 01 10 raymond.yee Meta Comments (0) Permalink

Hello world!

On this new weblog, I will write about my book in progress, currently entitled, Pro (Web 2.0) Mashup Development: Remixing data and services to make the web your own. My publisher, which has been wonderful to work with, is Apress.

Although I'm busily and intensely writing my first chapters to make my deadlines, I have been looking forward for a while to write even more stuff–though, in an alternative, supplementary writing space. I need a place to work out some thoughts and, more importantly, to reach out to prospective readers — such as you!

I have great plans for this blog and the rest of mashupguide.net, but like all great plans in my life, they may not turn out the way you expect.

2007 01 03 raymond.yee Meta Comments (0) Permalink