GPL vs BSD

Hackers need to understand the software licenses that apply to source code that is downloadable from the internet. I will frequently grab code from here or there to try out. It is important to remember to check the license if you intend to do anything of significance with copied code.

I had to brush up on my license acronyms today, here's my summary:

GPL - "Copy Left"

Source code can be modified and redistributed, but deriviative works must also be Open Source.

BSD - "Copy Center"

Redistributions must:

1. Contain original copyright
2. The original contributors cannot be used to endorse or promote derivative works
3. Contain liability disclaimer that the software is provided "As Is"

MIT - BSD WIthout the prohibition on using the copyright holder's name for endorsment.

Wikipedia was the most useful source for summarizing the licenses.

Scobleizer - Microsoft Geek Blogger � Pittsburgh vs. Seattle in Super Bowl

Pittsburgh vs. Seattle in Super Bowl: I am a Seattle native, and I have fond memories of watching and listening to the Seahawks growing up. So, even though I don't follow football these days, and haven't watched a single game in several years - I had to watch the end of tonight's game. I'm very proud - however nonsensical it may be :).

But what struck me about the game tonight was the flags around town with the number "12" and what a part the fans play in the success of the team. This strikes me as a very Scoblistic evolution to the way the game is played. The Seahawks have passionate customers.

Auto-link service

I would like a service that parses my blog post just before I post it and suggests links for all the keywords. It would take my text and generate a form. For each keyword that matches, there would be five links to choose from. I check a box to hyperlink that occurrence of that term to the site.

Of course, advertisers could also sponsor terms - and the service provider and blogger could share a portion of the revenues.

I Predict Super News Radio

Isn't it about time for some kind of round the clock internet talk radio that re-caps everything going on online? I am imagining something like the digg.com podcast, but streaming.

Printable RSS

What is the best way to print out the latest items from a collection of RSS feeds? Ideally, my computer would wake up at 7:30AM, pull down my favorite feeds, and print out 10 pages. Then I could grab it on my way out the door and read it on the bus.

Which aggregator has the best looking printable output?

Will newspaper dispensers ever be obsolete? Shouldn't I be able to buy a customized newspaper from a vending machine?

Has anyone ever published a weekly print blog-zine, where a bunch of bloggers agree to have an editor choose their posts? This would be a fun project in Seattle or San Francisco.

eBay API Game

If I had time to enter the eBay developer contest, I would create a game where contestants try to predict the end price of auctions. Points would be awarded using a formula that rewarded guesses that were closest, but also made the earliest.

Feed Recommendations

Does a service exist where I can submit my reading list (an OPML file full of RSS feed URLs), and get recommendations for new feeds to subscribe to. It would be preferable if the recommendation was based on what other people are subscribing to, not just keyword matches.

Inject Javascript for link popularity

It would be great if I could inject some javascript into my page that would attach itself to all the outgoing links, and track what visitors click on. This would be similar to a web stats injection (like Urchin uses). Maybe it could throw a pretty bar graph around the link when you roll over it.

Sponsor this blog post (or page)

It would be great if I could inject a little javascript into a blog post that would allow visitors to buy ads and "sponsor this post". As a micro-advertiser, it would be great to buy ads on specific posts or pages as I'm surfing around. Especially, right after that post gets Slash-dotted, digged, or delicious'd.

Of course, the more your sponsor pays, the more obtrusive the ad could become.

Zoe's Radio Show

Zoe's Radio Show
Another great podcast - via Larry. This is from a 15 year old named Zoe with great taste in music!