Do you really want my hair to look like this?

So I just got back last night from watching Twilight with my wife and she turns to me and says: "Dear, do you want to keep your hair longer and restyle it?"

I tread with trepidation: "... (pause)... why?"

"So you can look like Edward - don't you think his hair is great?"

At this point, I agree with Eyeris that Twilight was High School Musical 3 with vampires. I didn't really fancy the show but my wife was gushing all over the eerie-looking but cool vampires. Oh, did I tell you how excited she was when Edward was sparkling in the sun - "Like diamonds, hoh, dear?" Apparently, for the ladies, vampires no longer melt in horrid ash when exposed to sunlight. No, they just sparkle like diamonds.

Well, I guess that's just the difference between boys and girls. And probably what makes my wife an exceedingly fun person to talk to.

But really, dear, are you sure you want my hair to look like this? *shivers*

No, we do not need a blogging code of ethics

So over the weekend, our Home Minister Datuk  Seri Syed Hamid Albar started the conversation going again: Do we need a blogging code of ethics?

The feeling I get is "here we go again." We've been talking about ethics, policing of the blogosphere and freedom of speech for years.

Personally, I'm all for ethical blogging. Bloggers need to be responsible for what they write - and most responsible bloggers should be. However, I also think that to just bundle everyone with a blog up into a group that needs to be governed by a "code of ethics" (and we don't yet know which institution will be setup to enforce this) is plain narrow-minded.

Firstly, we need to differentiate between a "code of ethics" and a legal mechanism. You can still sue a blogger that posts something libelous as long as you have the grounds within the laws of Malaysia today. You don't need a code of ethics to do that.

The code of ethics come into play when an institution (National Institution of Blogging?) is set up to tell bloggers how to behave online. I have an issue with this on two levels. Firstly, who is anyone to tell me what I can or cannot or even, should, do with my blog (unless its illegal - then send the police after me).  Having an institution puts a committee ahead of the individual when it comes to determining content anyone can produce - even if its individual, personal content.

Secondly, the idea of having an institution (whether its the government or an body setup by bloggers) simply mis-implicates blogging as a profession rather than as a technology platform for personal expression. Not all blogs are mass media. Not all blogs aspire to be. Some blogs are. Most blogs are just some single individual's thoughts and online journal. So, do I need to subscribe to a blogging code of ethics if I'd like to blog about dogs? Do I need to register with a Department of Blogging and sign my agreement to the National Code of Blogging Ethics?

Are we on the verge of dictating conditions under which people can use this very useful technology?

Lunch time

I protest against the over-priced food restaurants are charging at shopping malls today. How do you justify RM 16.00 as a "Lunch Value set meal"? Why would you pay that?

So, while the office workers enjoy their meals in the restaurants upstairs, I plunge into the depths with the masses.

Pick a meal.

And enjoy it for just a fraction of the cost. What's wrong with the food the masses have?

I'll wear your T-shirt. For some moo-lah.

I'm fascinated by the idea behind girlinyourshirt.com. The idea that a girl can put on a shirt, shoot some videos and convince a couple of companies to pay her for is pure Web 2.0 power.

The beauty is for a very low investment (yourself, an internet connection and a cheap camcorder to shoot videos with), you could start a business. I wonder if this is what makes Technopreneurs so addicted to the scene. Anyway, check out her pitch below.

Now, I'm wondering if companies will pay for a slightly geeky (but cool) chinese dude to wear their T-Shirt and shoot some videos and do personal ads for them as US$ 75 a pop. Any takers?

Why Windows must become Mac OS

There's been a bit of commentary lately that the next version of Windows (Windows 7) is starting to look more and more like Apple's own Mac OS. Of course, in one corner you'll have smirking Mac users thinking "we told you so"; but I'm seeing this as Microsoft's best move in a market where Apple has been steadily gaining ground.

The idea is simple. Microsoft needs to make its move now while it is still the majority operating system bar none, and if users are switching to Apple for the swish "dock" interface, slick shortcuts and cleaner looking design, the it just makes perfect sense for Microsoft to defend its turf by providing the exactly the same.

If the Mac OS is what people want, Microsoft seems more than willing to give people the Mac OS - with all the same compatibility and familiarity of Windows that so many people have grown up on. Windows Seven already looks packed with Mac genes by the bucketloads.

Of course, the die hards out there will argue that Windows needs to retain its own DNA and be different from Apple. I disagree.

By reducing the feature-set differences between Windows Seven and the Mac OS, and adding new ones in most cases, Microsoft leaves very little room for people to see the differences in the operating systems. This equals less reasons for people to want to go down the Mac OS route.

Believe me, I've tried playing around with Ubuntu on my netbook (I know, Ubuntu isn't Mac), and I loved the interface I had configured  - with dock and all. It was very Mac like. However, after a couple of weeks, I switched back to Windows XP. The reason - I wanted to play Fallout 2 and getting that to run on Ubuntu was a tedious process.

So Microsoft, Windows 7 IS looking good. Don't let those naysayers whine about you copying Apple. Just do your thing and copy the Mac OS. Your consumers love it.

Going to be out for a bit.

Work's really ramping up these past couple of weeks, so I've really not had enough time to blog or anything.

But I'm not dead.

So, hang in there, you single faithful reader. I've got a good post stewing in my brain waiting to be typed out. Just not yet.

Sorry Jerry, it's too late.

At one point, Microsoft wanted to purchase Yahoo! at $33 per share. Jerry wanted $41. Today's stock price has Yahoo at $14.

And Jerry's telling BBC "To this day, the best thing for Microsoft to do is to buy Yahoo."

Good luck, but I think its a case of too little, too late.

Nokia Friend View 'experiment' up!

In the beginning, you had blogs. Then you had micro-blogs (like Twitter). Then you had facebook updates linked to your micro-blogs (which is why everyone replies me on Facebook, but I check only two weeks later.)

Now, Nokia's experimenting on tying your micro-blogging together with geo-location. The new experimental service, simply called Friend View looks pretty good and it's got me excited (and I'm not paid to get excited).

The cool thing is that in addition to the desktop / web access, there's also a cool app that allows you to access Friend View on your Symbian S60 device.

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up and add me: davidlian. :)

Disclosure: I do PR consulting for Nokia Malaysia. This post is in no way represents Nokia's opinion, only my own, in my personal capacity as a consumer.

Facebook wants you to translate it into BM

It seems localisation efforts for Facebook are already underway, and in times of economic crisis, who do you turn to? Why, your fans of course - for cheap labour.

So the latest cool Web 2.0 mechanism Facebook is letting you "participate" in is to help it translate the network into bahasa Malaysia. Want to contribute some of your free time, just click on here.

Personally, I'll be watching. I think its too much to ask of your average Facebooker. But who knows? Perhaps there'll be a hundred Facebookers who are more than willing to do this? Perhaps it'll just be the one?

Either way, this will be an interesting case to test the boundaries of "Web 2.0 participation." Yes, we know people want to participate. But how much? And in what manner?

Translating English to BM is just not my cup of coffee.

"Leaked betas", the new pre-launch marketing ploy?

I know of companies who've "leaked" classified documents, pictures and even videos on the net. Apparently, the new theory is that you can also "leak" a whole operating system to drive interest and market it.

Well, as far as marketing plans go, I think this might just work better than the US$300 million spent on Seinfeld ads.

No more 9" Eee PCs? What are they thinking?

Someone's got to draw the line here.

I'm really starting to get worried that the netbook phenomenon we've seen creeping into the mainstream might start bloating and turning into nothing more than overpriced sub-notebooks.

For starters, Asus just announced that it's stopping production of Eee PCs below the 10 inch form factor. WHAT? Now, I know most of you guys probably think this is a sensible thing to do: it only adds about 200 g to the weight, larger screen, larger keys and more space for a bigger battery / larger capacity hard drive. Probably worth it.

Well, I have a two points to make against this trend:

1. I own a Eee 900 and I love the fact I can get 1024 X 600 resolution on a very compact machine. One extra inch of screen size isn't that big a difference, but an extra 1.5 inches of width to accomodate that screen is. I want my netbookto be as small as possible.

2. Most 10 inchers add another 200g to the weight of the sub-1 kg 9 inchers. that's 20% extra weight and for you guys who say it's not a lot, well, 1 kg is the thresh-hold for me.

Now, I'm not saying 10 inchers are bad. Not at all. What I'm saying is I'd like to see the option for a 9 inch netbook simply because to me, this is the sweetspot between size (portability) and power (screen resolution etc.). What's disturbing me is that companies are talking about 11 incher and 12 incher netbooks with higher prices like that's the next great thing, and I starting to get the sense that pretty soon "netbooks" will no longer be that cheap, supplementary surf-the-net computer.

They'll be bloated, underperforming notebooks with small screens. Please, don't destroy this beloved category.

Disclosure: I do PR work for Lenovo who make the excellent Lenovo S10 (a 10 incher by the way). This post has nothing to do with them.