bootstrapping.net

Commoditization!
Hardware is commoditized (intel x86 $1000), the operating system is commoditized (linux and others), applications servers are commoditized (jboss, zope, openacs and loads of others), most basic applications are commoditized (productivity apps open office, mozilla/IE, cms platforms, etc).
Even human labour is commoditized somewhat (manual labour, manual processing, etc.)
Where can you add value? Through real innovation? From capitalizing on the commidization existing vendors doesn’t understand? Through creating new paradigms? Turning products into services and vice versa? Using the commoditization on one level as an enabler to innovation on a level above?

Ideas?

Kaospilots: The future of the creativity of Denmark
Conference the 8th of December with loads of good people speaking and attending. Free signup at their site.

Stuart Henshall: To Comment or to Blog
“Jim asks an interesting question. To comment or to blog. Comments or Trackbacks. It’s an ongoing question. Like Jim I know of no guidelines.”

Rael Dornfest introduces MobileWhack
MobileWhack is all about that mobile handset, palmtop, hiptop, ipod, or laptop in your pocket, purse, briefcase, or dangling from your utility belt. It’s about squeezing every last ounce of mobility out of your mobile device.

eWeek: John Patrick on Weblogs
Great article by this IBM veteran and internet pioneer - just some of the great quotes:
“Knowledge management wasn’t overhyped. It was underdelivered. Blogs can potentially deliver the grassroots discussions and knowledge-sharing that top-down, corporate-sponsored efforts never could.”
“I think this blog phenomenon is one of those things that comes along every decade or so and gets completely underestimated by just about everybody. It’s very much like what’s going on with Wi-Fi now, and very much what happened with the Web ten years ago.”
“In the mid-1990s, some businesses embraced the Internet quickly while others waited to see where it would lead. Some, like the music industry, still seem to be waiting. Blogging is at that same early stage. Some will embrace it and others will wait and some will wait too long.”
“I think we’ll see blogging become the first derivative of the Web. It takes the Web to a higher level.”

Scobleizer: Atom or RSS, that is the question.
Robert Scoble from Microsoft challenges Evan Williams from Google on his choice of Atom over RSS 2.0. “Hey, since we’re gonna have to do two formats, why shouldn’t Microsoft invent a third? Yes, that’s a loaded question.”
Funny notion - we’re accepting that Google forks and goes with their “own” format, but hell would break loose if Microsoft did the same.