Secrets of the City

Rep. Paul Thissen has authored the bill H.F. No. 176, which would require the state of Minnesota to use open, XML-based file formats when writing and exchanging information. This would likely mean OpenDocument format (ODF). If passed in its current form, the bill would take effect July 1, 2008. [Via ZDNet]

Where do you waste your time online? (Other than MNSpeak, of course.) Personally, I’m a Digg junkie.

Videoblogger and occasional MNSpeaker Chuck Olsen, yes that Chuck Olsen will be @ The Walker Tomorrow as part of Free First Saturday…bring the whole family!

City Pages has just released a ‘Media Taster‘. I haven’t downloaded and installed it yet, but it’s a desktop program that allows you to listen to, keep track of, and buy music from local artists. Cool.

I was thinking of going to MinneDemo, but didn’t make it. Did anyone who went care to report?

Local eco-groovy organi-store, The Wedge, now has an online store. Keep your Volvo in the garage and let them deliver all manner of local and fair-trade goodies to your home. For the holidays, first-timers take 10% off at checkout.

They have their own Olympics.
They have several magazines (one based here) and TV shows.
Many members of Hollywood have been quietly talking about how they will be taking over for film.
They are video games.
This Friday, the PS3 launches. On Sunday, the Wii.
Ok, Minnesota…what have you got? Did you buy a 360? Are you a Sony Fanboy? Are you old school Nintendope?
I have already been told by a few of my students that I won’t see them after Thursday until after Thanksgiving. Anyone else planning on waiting out in the snow and rain to get the “hot” systems?
Finally…should we be worried that the average age of video game players in the United States is 29?
Final thought? up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, select…start.

The winners of the Vloggies — the best video blogs — were announced this weekend. Among the winners: Chuck Olson for MnStories in the “Best Community Vlog” category, and Chasing Windmills in both the “Entertainment Vlog” and “favorite entertaiment vlog” categories. I’d like to think that I had something to do with these victories, except, of course, I didn’t.


Sailor Martin refused to attend, as he was not nominated, and wasn’t invited anyway.

How big are blogs? That’s the good question Ben Tracy asked last night on WCCO. Video of MNSpeak was prominent in the story. What do you think? Ben cited a Gallup poll which showed that just 9 percent of Internet users read blogs frequently. 66 percent never do.

MPR’s social network website partner, Gather, was recently highlighted by an influential technology analyst. Analyst says “these are not necesarily loser companies, but I am not proud that they exist.”