FeedTier - RSS Web Feed Generator for Web Pages without Syndication

FeedTier - RSS Web Feed Generator for Web Pages without Syndication

FeedTier is a web feeds generator for web pages without an existing syndication format. FeedTier performs content analysis, picks-up the most prominent cluster of hyperlinks and automatically generates RSS web feeds from web pages without existing sydincation options. FeedTier is an experimental service and free for personal use.

snippy joe

Looks like Joe Clark got a bit snippy with Steve Faulkner.

Steve used Joe's A List Apart PDF Accessibility article in his WE05 session on the title attribute to demonstrate, in his opinion, inefficient use of it basically. Although Steve said he used the article because of the number of links it contained - over 80.

I must admit I was surprised at the time - why would you pick on a high profile person like Joe at such an event.

we05 summaries

Kevin Yank from Sitepoint has done a great job at summarising day 1 & 2 so I won't repeat most of it.

Web Essentials 05 Day 1
Web Essentials 05 Day 2

I have to agree with Kevin's opinion about the SVG session with Dean Jackson. I came away not learning anything and that's a biggie for me. The talk was more of a ramble and lacked structure. Dean demonstrated some 'effects' I suppose but didn't enlighten me about SVG. Now, you don't necessarily need a tutorial as such but you want to gain something from sitting through a session. Particulary, as I pointed out over on Sitepoint, you've got to go back to your company and prove that it was worthwhile for them to have paid for you to go. And to be able to impart what you learned to others in your team. I can't do that as a result of such a session.

Dean's not alone however. I was really disapppointed with the first Eric Meyer session which was about his CSS implementation of the A List Apart site. It too was a bit meandering and Eric seemed to have trouble getting into it and certainly did not seemed enthused. It wasn't detailed enough and he spent some time over what he decided to call the IDs of some sections of the A List Apart site - really I don't see that as important. I want to know more about the hows - it wasn't bad, it just wasn't 'enough'. Second day's session was completely different - what a great session that was and it made me sit forward in my seat.

The 3 person panel Moving your Organisation to Standards with Brett Jackson, John Horner and David McDonald was also a bit limp. I think the audience was really beyond this very low level topic. A mildly interesting discussion, and certainly not the fault of these presenters, I just think it was too 'skimmy'.

I should say that these are not just my opinions - I was hearing the same mutterings from others around me. Don't get me wrong though - these are just a couple of 'ho hums' amongst many 'yeahs!'. I'm so glad I got to go.

If you don't listen to all the we05 podcasts can I implore you to at least make sure you listen to Molly Holzschlag and Jeffrey Veen, two of the most inspiring speakers at we05.

And just one more last gripe - people who sit in conferences constantly clicking their pens should be shot. No questions. No blindfold.

we05 done and dusted

Well, I'm just back from we05. I'll be blogging about this quite a bit over the next few days or weeks as my brain is full at the moment.

I was sitting on the plane on the way home thinking 'Cripes. I've forgotten everything that was talked about' and 'Who was that guy that said blah?' but I realised that I was just in overload mode and gradually my thoughts started to clear a bit.

It was a great conference not least by just being able to sit in the same room as all those digital heroes that I admire and read their blogs and whose books sit on my shelf (or more likely are spread out over the desk).

Fantastically, podcasts of most sessions are available to keep the experience alive and also to kick start the old brain 'oh yeah - that's what she said!', as well as share the love with you poor souls that could not attend.

Overall assessment? 90% good. There were a couple of disappointing sessions (more later) but that's probably the way it goes. Some speakers need to learn to slow down a bit (Tantek, Steve and John - you know who you are), or the conference organisers need to allow more time rather than cramming these excellent speakers into 30min 45mins blocks.

The actual conference organisation was excellent and very well-planned, keeping to schedule pretty much. Love the satchel and the free Sitepoint Firefox Secrets book. (Til now, I didn't know sitepoint was pretty much Australian - great stuff!)

Most memorable incident of course will always be the fire evacuation that happened right at the end of the second session with Tantek - the first caught on podcast we believe and flickerd! This incident was handled extremely well and we all filed out in an orderly manner - well done to the organisers for maintaining calm and for handing out water when we went back in. Turned out that building work next door caused dust to get into the airconditioning system and set off the alarms.

Unfortunately most of the rest of the conference was accompanied by various decibel levels of jackhammering from next door - but them's the breaks.

Flickr photos of we05 sessions and speakers are up, official and by everyone else. I love this photo of Eric sitting on the street with his laptop - he was probably blogging about the evacuation or something...

Best and most inspiring speakers? Molly Holzschlag, Jeffrey Veen, Eric Meyer (second session), Kelly Goto, Douglas Bowman.

But now, I must go have words with Steve Faulkner who made some disparaging remarks about Dreamweaver in his session that I must correct...