Mobile Platform Wars Redux

Image credit: gow27 / 123RF Stock Photo

In Phone Platform Wars - Wasting Time on Trivialities, I expressed befuddlement at the unnecessary vitriol that people had been directing at others who do not use the same mobile platform that they do.  I have noticed in the past two months that this vitriol has become even more pronounced.  In one case, a person that decided to try an iPhone 5 received death threats from her Android-using followers (see Ashley Esqueda's Google+ post from September 11, 2012) despite the fact that she was and is an avid Android user and wanted to try the other platform for a second phone line.  In another case just this past week, William Shatner's announcement of new app initially appearing on the iPhone platform got beat up because there was no Android version yet -- only 5% of the comments were about the app itself (called Shatoetry); the remainder devolved into Android fans bashing the "i" products from Apple (see here for an example).  While later posts tended to be from his own fan base versus fans of Android, it was jarring to see those comments vilifying a person for not having an application on their preferred platform first and ripping apart the competing platform.  Android users do not have a lock on such lunacy, despite the source for my two examples:  Apple users can be just as bad.

A survey by Business Insider from April 2011 had an interesting statistic (as of that date, of course):  55.7% of Android users would never buy an iPhone because they "hate Apple," while 23.8% of iPhone users would never switch to another platform.  The survey questions did not list Google or any other company as a reason to not switch off the iPhone (iOS) platform and the questions may have caused some bias in the responses.  Nevertheless, it is interesting that there are people that would never switch to an opposing platform even if they provided superior functionality and/or services.

All of this leads me to the following question:  What would make someone decide that they would never switch to a competing mobile platform?  "Never" is pretty absolute:

nev·er
adverb \'ne-vər\
1.  not ever : at no time < I never met her>
2.  not in any degree : not under any condition < never the wiser for his experience >

Source:  Merriam-Webster, http://www.merriam-webster.com, accessed November 3, 2012

What happens if the platform substantially deteriorates, like Blackberry's did?  Would they still not switch?  What psychological drivers are at work here?  Perhaps there is some sort of platform attachment psychosis in play or perhaps some of these individuals were personally burned when using the competing platform.  Maybe they are just surer of themselves than I am.  As an eight year Blackberry user that switched to an iPhone earlier this year, I can tell you that Apple does not have a lock on my business:  if I find something better when my contract is up, that will be the next smartphone for me.

Another question:  For someone that would never switch to a competing platform, why would a subset of these individuals also believe they need to evangelize the platform of their choice?  Perhaps this is the more interesting question of the two.  I presume the corporations involved with these mobile platforms are not paying these people.  Does the relative anonymity and ease of creating comments on any topic somehow circumvent a more moderated response?  I have seen this in other settings beyond the Internet and social media (for example, on the phone versus in person), but what drives a person to turn off their self-regulation is still a mystery to me.

A New Domain for my Blog

Earlier this evening, I took care of something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time:  redirect a sub-domain on my web site to my blog.  I do not think there was any specific reason for it except to begin to "unify" some of my content (a lot of which is out of date, I might add).  As it turns out, the set-up was relatively straight forward and my blog remained where it has always been (on blogger).  There were four rather simple steps I took to get this working:

1.  Create a sub-domain

My first step was to create a sub-domain on my web site that can redirect to my blog on Blogger.  Since I was not sure if I would want to add other blogs outside of the software domain in the future, I chose the somewhat cryptic "swblog" as my sub-domain.  The URL for my blog, therefore, became http://swblog.jimkile.com instead of http://jimkile.blogspot.com with that one decision.

Note:  A step like this is very much hosting service dependent.  My web site is hosted by Modwest (and has been since 2003), so I merely used ssh to access my account and create the appropriate directory.

2.  Verify my new sub-domain with Google's Webmaster Tools

I confess that I did not do this step in the order in which I have it here, but I found out that it was a necessary step to complete the process.  All I had to do was add the new blog URL, place a small HTML file in its root directory, and let the tool validate the address.  Not doing this caused an error when I updated the blog address in Blogger, so take my advice and do it first.

3.  Forward my sub-domain to Blogger

Once I had my new sub-domain, I had to tell the Internet's domain naming system (DNS) that one part of my web site would be hosted elsewhere (in this case, Blogger).  That required me to add two CNAME records to my web sites's DNS settings, but finding out what to add meant I had to start the process on the Blogger side first.  I did that by going into the basic settings for my blog and beginning the process of setting the new blog address using the advanced version of that option.  I added my new blogger URL (A) and then selected the settings instructions link (B) so that it would give me the information I would need to create the CNAME records.

Blogger's Advanced Blog Address Settings

Once I had the CNAME information, I added the two records to my web site's configuration.

Modwest's DNS Configuration Settings (Fragment)

3.  Save the Blog Address in Blogger

After I made my changes to my DNS settings, I merely saved the Blog Address I had started to get the CNAME information.  In theory, that should have been it except for the next step, which was the hardest ...

4.  Wait

I added this step because at first things did not quite work.  After about 20 minutes, though, the redirect seemed to be consistently working.  In fact, it should take about 24 hours before the name changes propagate throughout the Internet's DNS system, so 20 minutes was pretty good.

Other Changes at the Same Time?

Perhaps one thing that I changed that I probably should not have was the layout of my Blog.  In retrospect, had I known the results I probably would have left well enough alone for the time being.  While the blog is now using one of Google's new "dynamic" templates, the color scheme is currently rather bland.  When I had customized the background and colors, I found that they did not appear consistently across browsers and platforms.  For example, the background picture I selected was visible in Google's Chrome, but not Safari or Firefox (all of these on Mac OS X).  I will have to play with the settings and perhaps send some feedback to Google after some research to find out how to make their new templates play well with all browsers.

Traveling Can Be Interesting ...

While this does not follow my normal thread about software, it is interesting to me on a personal level (and I'll link it to software at the end). Those who know me well know that I have had my share of interesting travel experiences. From delayed flights to subsequent missed connections to natural disasters that have stranded me one place or another, I am never at a loss for a good travel story.

As I write this, I am experiencing something a little different from the past. As our plane was waiting in line to take off, it was called back to the gate to pick up a passenger whose bag made it on the plane, but they did not. Because of the return trip, they also need to refuel the plane. When the passenger came on board, air marshals accompanied the person.

We now await at least two things before we can push off from the gate again: first, the refueling needs to be completed (wonder if the late passenger gets to pay for that? Stranger things have happened); second, the person in my row that got up to go to the bathroom about 15-20 minutes ago needs to return. There are probably a couple other things, but those two would seem to be a must.

It will be interesting to see how long we will be waiting and how late we subsequently arrive at our destination. The flight is a long one already: 13+ hours from Newark, NJ to Beijing.

Getting back to software: The airline and/or airport knew they were missing someone whose baggage was loaded onto the plane, yet not soon enough prior to departure to do something about it and save a return trip to the gate. Enhancing their capability to detect this type of issue prior to departure could save them some money and possibly protect their on-time rating (not to mention keeping people at ease): a software enhancement worth thinking about.

Phone Platform Wars - Wasting Time on Trivialities

I have been reading with amusement as several people I follow and usually respect on G+ are bashing smart phone platforms that they did not choose for themselves.  I now have an iPhone, so apparently I have just become (overnight) an elitist snob after eight years of being neither hip nor trendy by using a Blackberry. Some don't like the closed platform of the iPhone.  Others think that Android is too buggy.  A lot of people think Blackberry must be going out of business (actually, that one could be close to the truth if they don't fix what's wrong with their technology and business model).

The underlying theme held by each person that commented was that the other platform -- the one they did not choose -- was not good enough or had some so-called critical flaw in it that should dissuade any normal person (read, like them) from even thinking about using it.

For me, I have used just about every computing platform out there at one point or another.  I have never been wedded to a single technology, though I do currently use a Mac and now all of a sudden have an iPhone.  Yet, I still use Windows too (2 machines in my house)...  and Linux, AIX, VM, zOS, etc.  I started with a Commodore 64, CP/M, and DOS.  I used VAX/VMS in college and had a Palm m515 that I used for a time near the turn of this century.  During the 1990s, I used OS/2 as my PC platform of choice.  Each one of these platforms had advantages and disadvantages and, yes, there are some platforms I like working in more than others.  But, my preferences are not everyone's preferences.

What I believe is key is that we have a choice, but can still communicate regardless of the choice we make.  This is one of the great things in IT that I have seen happen over my lifetime:  disparate computing environments that can communicate with each other pretty effortlessly.

So, for those that I follow and have fallen into this trap, please step back and think about what you are writing.  Are all those Android users you are bashing _really_ cheapskates (as I saw in one separate article)?  Are all those iPhone users so completed bought into the Apple hype that they can no longer think for themselves?  Have all those Blackberry users really made an inferior decision just to stay with a dying company with out of date technology?  You know the answers.

As I look to conclude, I realize that my title is tinged with irony, given the length of this article.  Humph.  Perhaps it is that new elitist snob attitude I just picked up ...

Photography Software: Missing Features and Frustrations

Photography is one of my long-time hobbies.  It started in my youth with a camera given to me by my grandparents—a Vivitar 110 with a built in flash—and continues to this day with my current Canon 7D digital SLR.  I am not sure what attracts me to the craft, but I enjoy being able to record events and interpret the things that I see in the world.  I purchased my first SLR camera about a year after graduating high school (a Canon T70 35mm).  Up until the turn of the century (that's 2000 not 1900) the one thing that most cameras had in common was that they used some form of film.

Canon T70 35mm Camera

Since switching to digital photography in 2003, I have come to realize that film and limited online capability did have at least one advantage:  you did not have to deal with image processing and upload software on a regular basis.  Instead, you dropped your film off at (or mailed it to) a lab where it was processed on your behalf.  As the web became more popular, you even had the option of receiving a digital version of your pictures on 3.5" disks or, later, CD/DVD for an additional fee.

Working with image processing and upload software can be a frustrating endeavor despite the greater creative control it gives you over your photographs.  I think the way I work makes it even more difficult (perhaps I am the problem here).  Nevertheless, I use Apple's Aperture for processing and organizing my photos.  Once processed, I like to upload my master set (photos that I have not rejected, but are not only the best of the best) to Kodak Gallery and make any prints from there if I need something that looks professional or if I just want to create a book of the year's photos.  I also tend to share a sub-set of those photos on Facebook and, more recently, Google+ so that my friends and family are easily able to see the best of a photo shoot from the comfort of social networking account.

Canon 7D Digital SLR Camera

My current frustration is with exports and uploads for photo sharing.  The key phrase here is "lack of integration and features."  While I find Aperture to be generally easy to use and powerful with excellent general photo export features built into it, its integration with photo software sites leaves much to be desired.  Sadly, this seems to be the case with Adobe's Lightroom (a.k.a. "the competition") as well.  Both allow plug-ins, but none that I have tried do exactly what I would like them to do—some do things that do not seem to make any sense to a rational human being.  For example, Facebook integration within Aperture happily uses the version name of the photo as the caption (instead of the caption).  That means if you want to have a real caption you have to change it in Facebook itself.  If you do change it, though, it changes all of your version names to the new caption within Aperture.  Yes, you read that right and Apple has yet to address it.  In addition, none of the plug-ins I have tried seem to allow you to "build" your caption from metadata or file information (e.g. Caption + Version + date taken, etc.) and most of these services' upload software seems to have the same limitation.  Even third parties don't quite do the job.  Incidentally, one plug-in that that comes close for Google's Picasa is Übermind's Aperture to Picasa Web Albums:  it is fast, uses Aperture's export settings, but it does not allow a custom built caption, which is a shame.

What makes all of this worse is that the various photo sites also do not integrate well with the social networking sites.  For example, while I could share my photos to Facebook from Kodak Gallery, people would be redirected to the Kodak Gallery.  The result is that I cannot tag people and it becomes difficult to keep track of what I actually shared (e.g. my 'best of' versus the entire album).  While there are several plug-ins for the Chrome and Firefox browsers (like Move Your Photos for Chrome) that attempt to help, I found the ones that I tried to be feature poor and inconsistent with respect to maintaining captions, EXIF information, resolution, etc.

Unfortunately, I have wound up with a cobbled together and complex photo sharing workflow once I have made my adjustments and added metadata:

• I export all of my adjusted photos as JPG files.  (I would do this anyway so I have the final version of the photo stored after adjustments).
• I use Kodak Gallery's upload software to move my photos into Kodak Gallery.  It does not pull captions from the exported JPG files, so I have the pleasure of copying and pasting them.  To make my life easier, I export the metadata from Aperture and load it into Excel where I can manipulate the caption to also include the photo's version name.  I tried to use the automator, but let's just say that solution was less than successful.  (Note:  I used to use PictureSync, but that seems to have died forever now.  That was a nice program because it pulled in the captions and allowed me to append additional information like the version name.  I still weep its demise).  UPDATE:  It looks like there was an update to PictureSync that allows it to work with Kodak Gallery again.  
• I have been using Bloom to upload photos to Facebook.  It allows tagging from the software and you can create/manipulate albums before uploading.  Bloom also allows you to pull in EXIF data as part of the caption.  Unfortunately, it also puts the EXIF tag before it (e.g. "Caption/Abstract" and then the caption) and it does not allow for additional information outside of the EXIF like the file name.  I wind up deleting the tag information and adding the version name to the caption manually.
• I just started using Übermind's Aperture to Picasa Web Albums.  This is a plug-in.  It is smart enough to pull the caption from the photo, but it does not allow for caption manipulation.  One nice thing is that you can use a custom export that does not interfere with my normal exports.  Nevertheless, I have to edit all of the captions once it is uploaded to Picasa before sharing with Google+.

I could solve some manual manipulation by just putting the version name in with the caption, but that just doesn't seem like the right way to go:  it would just confuse things and cause me to type the version names into the caption instead of a sub-set into the upload software.

So, what do I want?  Perhaps the impossible, but here it is:

• A plug-in or set of plug-ins in Aperture (or Lightroom) that allow me to select the photos I want to upload, export them at the selected resolution, create or update a photo site or social network album with the requisite fields that the social network supports (e.g. location, date, album description, etc.), include EXIF information in the upload, allow me to customize the caption with metadata and file information, and set permissions/shares.

AND/OR

• An application that does the same after I have exported the data.

AND/OR

• A way to do the upload to one sharing site and have the sharing features copy the photos into the others in tact (that is, with captions, EXIF, etc.).  I would be happy to do the tagging separately.

In the end, I think my desires may not be achievable for some time.  Who knows, maybe I'll write a plug-in or set of plug-ins myself that does this someday.  For now, though, I'll keep looking for new applications and products and hope that one (or more) will eventually fit my needs.