Wired Parish Blog

Google Gears, Google Reader and Newshutch

Newshutch is my default RSS Reader. It works just fine and dandy for me, and I've never spend any time looking for something better.

But with the Google Gears Beta release and its interface with Google Reader, I thought I'd give Google a try.

The benefit to using GGears with GReader is that you can actually take your unread posts with you offline. So if you are about to jump on a plane, you can catch up on blog reading while you're in the air.

This, of course, is glorious. GLORIOUS.

However, I gotta stick with Newshutch as my default reader.

If I'm headed away from WiFi for an extended period of time, I'll fire up GReader, but
Newshutch--and this is going to freak you out--is just cleaner than GReader.

Here's the thing:

When I mark an article as 'read' in Newshutch, it disappears. With GReader, it grays out but stays. Since I keep track of 60+ blogs, and since I get a grand sense of satisfaction when I'm up to date on a blog, this feature in Newshutch is REALLY helpful.

As far as I can tell, GReader doesn't allow for this.

(Am I right about GReader not having this functionality? If it does, I could be persuaded to switch, even though Newshutch's interface is cleaner and prettier.)

So for now I'm sticking with Newshutch and using GReader out of the bullpen when I'm away from WiFi.

Problem Solved

Gotten a few emails from people having trouble accessing casts in the last few days. Those problems have been corrected. If you are still having trouble, please email us as soon as possible so we can get your account corrected.

Rock on,

Jay

Google Stalking

Check this out!

Of course, there is NO ONE in Miami, San Francisco or Manhattan who would ever use this for ill purposes.

Quick To Listen

Check out Quick to Listen. QTL is a new blog network my friend Gordon McClellan has helped put together.

Some of you may remember Christian Network Journal from the not too distant past. Fantastic magazine that allowed opposing viewpoints of hotbutton issues for Christians to be expressed. Gordon ran the magazine and just did a fantastic job.

(I'm pretty sure the latest buzz over Tinky Winky never made it into an issue, though. A real shame. Maybe QTL can pick up the ball on this one.)

What I Dig:

• The lineup of bloggers is extremely sharp, and the posts I've read so far are very, very well written.
• The current category list is pretty darn hot--sciene and faith, pluralism, conservatism (make sure you read the current article in that category.), war. I like.
• I LOVE that each category has its own RSS feed. I'm subscribed to the entire blog, but if you're only interested in, say, pluralism (no, that's not a lung disorder), you can get the low down only on that subject delivered to your RSS reader. Very cool.

Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

MyLiveSearch and Google

Interesting article on a new search engine named MyLiveSearch.

My guess is that this one is snatched up by Google by the end of the year (end of Q3?).

MyLiveSearch indexes and searches in real time. So you end up with the freshest possible searches.

The engine is apparently built so that it can be integrated into another existing search engine (read: someone buy us now please.)

The beta launches in mid to late June, and you can sign up on their site to be a part of the beta test.

I dig.

Jigsaw Frightens Me

Jigsaw.com has an innovative idea:

• Anonymously input contact info for business people.
• Then buy or trade for contact info that you want.

So let's say I have email and phone info for Jim Smith. And you want/need that info so you can contact him about buying a widget your company produces. You can buy that contact from me or trade me contact info for Bill Jones.

Now this seems like a spectacular idea for sales people, recruiters, etc.

But for people who are routinely contacted by those in the sales industry, etc., this seems like a COLOSSAL pain in the rear.

Do I really want virtually anyone to have access to my business email if I already get 50 solicitation emails a day? Uh . . . no.

Contacts through Jigsaw are going to be cold, unsolicited sales calls.

Again, if I'm a salesperson, I probably think is a WONDERFUL idea, and at $25 a month, that's a really good deal.

But for those who like to avoid sales people when at all possible, this is decidedly anti-wonderful.

Think about this: The typical user of Jigsaw is likely to be relatively young in their profession so that they NEED an anonymous network to help them make contacts. They don't have a broad enough network on their own to pick up the phone and say, 'Hey, I need to get in touch with Jim. Can you help?'

That means less savvy sales calls. That means more irritation.

Gotta say . . . Not a fan.

In the Ears

Vigilantes of Love - VOL
DJ Tiesto - Panma (yes, that's the way it's spelled. great trance stuff.)
Zero 7 - The Garden (different than their previous stuff. absolutely love it.)
At the Foot of the Cross - tremendous worship album from the late 80s/early 90s
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

Feedback: New Categories and New Hosts

So we have some ridiculously cool projects cooking here at the WP, and I need your feedback, input and ideas to help us shape the projects. More details as I get the green light to release them . . .

Two questions:

1. What are some categories of podcasts that we currently DON'T offer that you'd like to see?
2. Who are some podcast hosts that we currently DON'T have who you'd like to hear?

No right or wrong answers. (Although Pat McCrotch from the comments in my last post will probably be disregarded.) Give me your thoughts!

In the Ears

Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long (Was REALLY skeptical after the first single, but this is a FANTASTIC album)

Mat Kearney - Bullet

The Polyphonic Spree - Lots of stuff

Gym Class Heroes - Can't quit listening to 'Cupid's Chokehold.' . . . 'She even got her very own ringtone. If that ain't love, then I don't know what love is.' Indeed, Gym Class Heroes. Indeed.

The Killers - Sam's Town (Seriously . . . If you don't have this album. Stop what you're doing and download it right this instant.)

Rural Louisiana and Possible Worlds

I'm home in Louisiana for a few days to be at the side of my dear mother who was abducted by her doctor and forced to stay in the hospital for a few days so that she will actually follow his orders.

Sat in a coffee shop this morning . . . yes, they have those here in Louisiana . . . and I immediately realized I had stumbled onto a veritable gold mine of blogging material.

A couple of choice quotes from the same guy . . .

'Christopher Hitchens shouldn't be allowed to stir shit up in this country. This country was founded on the Bible, and if people don't like it, they can get the hell out of my country, dammit!' (I PROMISE that's a direct quote.)

Directed at me: 'You can't tell me that this country's problems don't go back to the government telling parents they can't beat their children.' (I responded with . . . and I quote . . . 'Well, it's certainly a possibility that could be a factor.')

I pray there is more to follow . . . I'll definitely reconnoiter the coffee shop for additional material.