Imagine the shock of visiting Zeldman, and finding the following:
We find ourselves in the unaccustomed position of rooting for Microsoft.Okay, it's not so shocking if you read the page or two of prose that precedes it. And in fact, I can't help but agree. The Microsoft anti-trust suit was big news a few years back--there's been comparatively little coverage over the past month of what may prove to be an even more far-reaching case. Eolas Technologies won a $500+ million lawsuit against the Big M last month, and opened the door for similar suits against most of the major internet software providers.
Eolas claims to own the patent for, as best as I can tell, the technique behind the use of plug-ins. Every .pdf file, every Flash or Shockwave movie, every Quicktime video is accessible to us because of plug-ins. Doesn't matter how the different companies implement it--they use the same technique of accessing data from an external file and displaying it seamlessly within a browser. And it's that "technique" for which Eolas claims to own the patent.
It's not as though there aren't ways to work around this. Apparently, MS has already been exploring rewriting IE so that it launches external players for all these formats, making all the content inline, etc. The implication of these workarounds, however, is widespread chaos on the web. According to Zeldman, "If the patent ruling stands, it will hurt web users, site owners and designers, and software companies (possibly ruining some of those companies) and will chill web development in untold ways."
We're so used to rooting against the Evil Empire that some of the coverage seems more interested in setting the stage for a Movie of the Week than in trying to understand what this will mean for the web over the long-term:
The story of how a big-boned, brainy kid from Chicago grew up to take on one of the world's largest corporations - ending up a controversial and potentially wealthy figure - is the tale of a self-taught computer whiz who combined his artistic skills and a passion for science in novel ways.
Isn't that just lovely? Somehow, the idea that accessibility, usability, and the basic functionality of the web may be crippled for the next 5 years is less important than the fact that "Looking out from his life-size self-portrait is an inquisitive person with an unwavering gaze - someone who never gives up." Oh yeah, they also forgot to mention that our big-boned, brainy kid (who never gives up) can now sue anyone and everyone who ever accessed a plug-in, under current patent laws. How novel.
Leach Blog September 13
Go to campus libraries on Saturday mornings when you have a hangover. You start to see things you don't ordinarily notice in the library. I found a book on feet which, if it weren't for the fact that I needed to lie down for a while on the floor in the stacks, I would have otherwise overlooked.
Leach Blog September 13
There's something great about going to a movie late at night when no one's around, you're all by yourself, and you buy a huge box of juju fruits. I find myself doing that more and more. Last night I did it and went to see Jawana Man, which was playing downtown. I loved every minute of it. Later, I stopped off for a cherry pie at Walmart. Have you ever had one of those? They store them in the dry food section, next to Sam's Cookie's. Mmmmm. Like mom made. I love this town.
The Grimmer Leacher