Month: July 2009

Well I never, it has happened.  Google  Operating System running from the power on the web side, called “Chrome OS”

I’ve been a user of GMail since its creation (just out of beta after 5 years), as well Google Spreadsheets and Google Chrome Browser. Love both of the latter, though I have to admit I’ve dropped back to the MS products, because I keep having compatibility problems in the otherwise MS world of real domestic and corporate life. Google Wave looks really powerful too.

I was a Blogger blogger before Google acquired it, but switched to WordPress simply because Blogger was behind on features I needed. I have to say that now, I’m not really satisfied with WordPress – it’s open-source development is so focussed on fashionable fads and cosmetic widgets that any “serious” content management development doesn’t get a look in. But hey, they are both web server driven so they are independent problems – there will never be any Google vs WordPress incompatibilities.

Doing so much with wiki products recently too, that MS Office authoring tools are really becoming redundant as a package. I think Google can pull this off. Look out for Google Chrome OS Netbooks in 2010.

Interesting, but not unpredictable behaviour.

Wow, almost two weeks since I last blogged – must complete the Soul Craft review.

Talking of graffiti – I’ve lived in places before with explicit zero tolerance of graffiti but where we live in Oslo at the moment, there appears to be a high tolerance of crude tagging as well as more elaborate “art”. To a Brit, Norwegian public behaviour can generally appear quite offensive – ignorant of personal space in public places – stepping out of doorways onto public side-walks, groups stationary or moving toward you taking up whole sidewalks, smoking in-your-face, standing or reaching between you and the goods in shopping aisles, as well as the ubiquitous queuing difficulties. Clearly just cultural differences of what is normally accepted behaviour.

Talking of queuing difficulties, we were back in the UK last week – in various bars in Keswick – and remarked on the contrast with recent Oslo experience. Even in bars three-deep with no formal (physical) queuing – the queuing actually happens in the heads of competent bar-staf and eye-contact amongst the punters with barely a word spoken – of course it breaks down if the punters don’t get the feedback on which to trust that the bar-staff are playing the game – then it’s every man for himself. No Norwegians to test it out on, but a couple of confused Americans in the mix. Of course the locals nudge the visible foreigners and whisper “you’re after him” and even “no, you were before me”. Americans of course have no trouble with politeness, but it can scare some.