Re: issue: collection typing

[Dare Obasanjo <kpako@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Robert Sayre <mint@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Dare Obasanjo wrote:
> 
> 
> You usually stress that you don't represent
> Microsoft (and in the IETF, 
> you don't, at least officially), but perhaps you
> could clue us in about 
> MSN Spaces requirements. MSN Spaces is one of the
> more featureful 
> offerings I've seen, so it's a good test.

Based on the features we have I could imagine people
would want APIs for

1.) Creating, updating and deleting blog posts
2.) Creating, updating and deleting photos and/or
photo albums.
3.) Creating, updating and deleting lists (a list
entry is typical link, title & description)
4.) Creating, updating and deleting music lists 
5.) Changing the access control on their Space (we
allow people to specify their messenger buddies or
individual passports in their Hotmail address book as
members of their space)
6.) Posting comments to a blog post or a photo album
7.) Rating a persons music list

> Often, your arguments come off as arguments against
> the goals of the WG. 

Considering I haven't participated in this working
group this year I'm not sure exactly where this is
coming from. In the past, I've said I think the Atom
syndication format adds unnecessary complication to
the XML syndication landscape. This opinion hasn't
changed. 

Even if MSN Spaces were to adopt the Atom API it would
be highly unlikely we would replace our RSS feeds with
Atom feeds. 

> Doing nothing is always a valid choice, but I'd like
> to hear feature 
> requests from you--"this is what I need to make the
> APP work for me".
> 
> OTOH, arguing about ontologies for Photo Albums,
> "type lists", and 
> "structured blogging" seems unproductive. These will
> tend to vary from 
> vendor to vendor. I think we should focus on
> extension points and basic 
> tasks. For example, a client ignorant of the MSN
> Spaces photo album 
> features might still be able to interact with it as
> a collection of 
> "simple resources". Does that make sense?

Given that a number of major blogging tools already
support lists and photo albums (MSN Spaces, TypePad &
Yahoo blogs) I don't think it is wise for the APP to
ignore what are now fundamental aspects of the
weblogging experience. 

This is functionality that is literally being used by
millions of people so it seems somewhat confusing to
me that one would suggest that an API that plans to
position itself as the weblogging API for the Web
would ignore this trend. 

 
> So, how can we make this work?

Besides manipulating blog posts I think the APP should
also consider manipulating the following collections
of resources as well 

1.) photos 
2.) lists
3.) categories



THINGS TO DO IF I BECOME AN EVIL OVERLORD #222
I reserve the right to execute any henchmen who appear to be a little too intelligent, powerful, or devious. However if I do so, I will not at some subsequent point shout "Why am I surrounded by these incompetent fools?!"


		
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