Jeremy, perhaps there's a misunderstanding. As a rule, FriendFeeders celebrate Festivus - maybe someone mistook this thread for the Airing of the Grievences ceremony. In any event, I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you're gonna hear about it!
- John Craft
Har har.... I assume there is ZERO chance of this ever happening.
- Jay
@Jay - I suspect Paul wouldn't ask if he thought there was zero chance. Last time I remember Paul asking for something from Google to be open sourced it was their JS compiler. That took a while, but http://code.google.com/closure...
- Nick Lothian
@Jay: Remember that Paul's referring to (relatively) generic infrastructure here, not search ranking code. But I think Daniel's right that it would be a *lot* of work, since most Google infrastructure is not "productized" and easy to wrap up in a bow for public release. Like any company with a lot of infrastructure, there are a lot of interdependencies that would be difficult to untangle. I think it would probably be better to simply publish papers on how it works, as with GFS, BigTable, etc.
- Joel Webber
Boy, that would be a bold move Paul. Agreed that it would help out many though!
- manielse (Mark Nielsen)
How about just dumping the source to the web without all the dependencies, even if it doesn't even compile? If it looks useful enough there's a good chance someone would adopt it.
- Jim Norris
I suspect you're right about that, Jim. But Google would probably catch more crap about a "throwing it over the wall and letting it stagnate" open-sourcing than it's worth. But maybe I'm just down on it because Google catches crap no matter what these days...
- Joel Webber
It's hard to open source distributed algorithms -- there's no obvious public standard to use, and the reasonable choices (TCP sockets? MPI?) are nothing like Google's internal infrastructure. I think a paper would be more useful than source code, the way MapReduce papers lead to Hadoop. Paul, have you looked at Vowpal Wabbit (http://hunch.net/~vw/)? It has experimental support for cluster parallelism, and I hear good things about it.
- ⓞnor
Well, it doesn't have to be an either/or issue.
- Jim Norris
If the code is too hard to separate from the infrastructure, then maybe a compute service like EC2 that provides an application interface specifically for solving problems with SETI could be good for both the world and good for the Google.
- Bill Strathearn
@Bill: Now *that* sounds like a good idea to me, especially if accompanied by a paper describing the algorithms in use.
- Joel Webber
Although technically really interesting and usefully, I do think that Google will not open source or even give inside information about such a key differentiating technology in the hands of their competitors. But I agree that it would be really great for the world.
- yusuf arslan
The value of "differentiating technology" is not in novel algorithms, but in the thousands of places where implementations of these algorithms have been fixed and customized and tuned to solve the problem at hand -- which wouldn't have to be described in a whitepaper.
- Tudor Bosman
@Tudor Bosman: I do not agree that the competitive advantage is the knowledge of fine tuning and implementing the algorithms. The concept/design of Google's machine learning infrastructure is very important. Don't get me wrong, I do think that Google SHOULD open source this. But I think they WILL not because of business considerations.
- yusuf arslan
I can think of no other cause where your money can make a bigger difference (dollar for dollar) than providing clean, free drinking water to people who don't have access to it. Please donate.
- Tudor Bosman
I do to, and I'm sorry to even kid. I'm sure Twitter is being attacked constantly from various directions, from hackers to script kiddies to governments. I'm impressed they hold up as well as they do.
- Kevin Fox
I think we all share Kevin's views. The timing of Ev's share was very unlucky. But nobody wants this kind of trouble. They have been stressed to the limit with growth, which in theory is a good problem to have, and they are maturing. Tonight was a rare exception to recent continued good news.
- Louis Gray
Do the have a huge whale on top of their office?
- Jemm
LOLLLLL Onwards + Upwards to IRIDIUM!!
- Billy Warhol
Yeah their transcriptions are atrocious
- LANjackal
I've found them to be just awful or spot-on. Then again, I've seen the same with Gmail's spam filter. Some accounts are terrific at blocking spam and others are pretty bad.
- Kevin Fox
It's fascinating what comes out of statistical learning when something goes wrong. I just got a transcription that said "Hi. See you later." The audio was just a couple of clicks. But those phrases make sense statistically, if you assume the caller must have said *something*. The good news is that it will most likely get a *lot* better over time, as more training data becomes available.
- Joel Webber
Someone forgot the "!" before the isStopWord(...)
- Manas Tungare
Joel: sounds like a pretty accurate translation to me.
- Jim Norris
Don't forget to donate bad voicemail transcriptions: http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2009... Given that Google Voice respects your privacy, providing voicemails as training data has to be an opt-in decision.
- Matt Cutts
ZooBorns: March of the Baby Penguin - Spoiler Alert: plot elements from the film Happy Feet revealed below! ;) Keepers at The U.K.'s Edinburgh Zoo are celebrating the arrival of a King Penguin chick. The chick, which is almost two months old, is the first King Penguin to be born at the Zoo in five years. - http://www.zooborns.com/zooborn...
King Penguins like these were the only kind of penguins we didn't get to see (of the penguins who reside in the Antarctic region) while we were in Antarctica. Funny that Zooborns refers to Happy Feet since those were Emperor and not King penguins (they are similar though). Our small sightings of Emperor penguins is up next in our Antarctic blog too, and even though we didn't get to see Kings, this Zooborn post makes me think of the Emperors and makes me smile!!
- Rachel Lea Fox
from Bookmarklet
"When it comes to party appetizers, pigs in a blanket are yesterday's news. If you really want to wow your guests, we have two words for you: bacon cups."
- Jeff P. Henderson
from Bookmarklet
It’s a sweet but unremarkable sight, a young panda dozing off in the midday sun. But keeling over into the hard paving, this quick-witted bear awoke in the brink time and executed a perfect forwards roll. The sleepy panda, named Tai Shan, could have fallen flat on his face. But instead he dropped his head between his legs and turned gently head-over-heels before landing comfortably on his back in pleasant surprise.
- Emma
from Bookmarklet
She's filling up her little bowl! Love those ears! Moxie weighed in at about 6 pounds at the vet today, she's turning into a sleek young lady...
- Bash
both awesome pretty girls!! Umlaut is so cute here! You gotta love the ears!
- Rachel Lea Fox
It's funny, she really does look concerned.
- anna sauce
Probably traumatized from the 20-minute vacuum craziness I did trying to suck up strings. Bash and I will now have string-phobia.
- anna sauce
Yeah, I'm totally paranoid now. I keep all thread locked up in the highest cupboard in the house, so whatever she got came unraveled from something. Anyway, about to go pick her up. She is doing very well and ready to come home. Whew...
- Bash
She's going to be so happy to see you!
- anna sauce
from email
Plaxo says we should wish Umlaut's mommy a Happy Birthday! :)
- Bash
Thanks Bash :) Umlaut's giving me her own present, letting me sleep in way past 7am!
- anna sauce
Happy Birthday Anna!!!! So glad even Umlaut is in the giving mood!! :)
- Rachel Lea Fox
Oh so funny, a hummingbird just flew in the apt. and Umlaut gave it a good chase. I saved the poor bird by putting the cat behind a closed door. Excitement.
- anna sauce
Thanks Kamilah, she is optionally named "Omelet" by folks who don't know (or hear it wrong) what an Umlaut is, lol. That's cute too.
- anna sauce
Nym met a hummingbird once. She was fascinated, as was hummingbird. Kevin yelled at me for taking photos before I removed Nym from the situation. However in Nym's case I was more worried about damage from the hummingbird than to it. Nym is not much of a huntress.
- Rachel Lea Fox
"You know when you go to another country and have no clue what the coins of the local currency are worth? ... Designer Mac Funamizu puts an idea out there that might solve the woes of international visitors. se wedges and proportions to indicate how much the money is worth."
- Tom Stocky
from Bookmarklet
"Nevermind the increased production costs, storage, and people cutting themselves on coin wedges. They look awesome. Plus - the one- and five-cent pieces can double as bottle openers."
- Tudor Bosman
Isn't this problem solved by putting numbers on the coins?
- Andrew C
Andrew: not really. 1. not for blind people, and 2. not when fumbling around in your pocket; you end up pulling a handful of coins, and then slowly sifting through them reading every single number, while people behind you in the checkout line are tapping their feet -- an all-too-common event for international travelers.
- Tudor Bosman
Non-round coins are also highly impractical for coin-operated machines that depend on the ability of a coin to roll through a mechanism.
- Kevin Fox
I think it is about time to get rid of most coins. Do we really need pennies and nickles or even dimes? They are almost useless and have very little value. Does anything actually cost 1, 5 or 10 cents anymore? Would be a lot easier if prices were rounded up or down to the nearest quarter or dime.
- Jeff P. Henderson
Currency for the hard of thinking? You could take your eye out with that quarter!
- Ken Morley
I would love having fat avatars, really (I love my dwarfies on WoW), but this whole concept is really bizarre. I exercise more than I game... still fat. Sorry.
- Alix Whitmire
That is true. But it is also very hard to solve. Traditional reporting, which takes more time, is not rewarded in this new media environment. Also, criticism of sites or individuals who routinely make errors is often done without names or volume, which doesn't draw attention to it specifically, so they keep going.
- Louis Gray
Today's tech blog world (where I assume this is aimed) rewards speed and humor more than insight and interviews. Opinion trumps fact, and LOLcats or movie posters are accepted graphics more often than original screenshots. I think about this a lot, and it at times impacts my frequency. I don't want to play the game.
- Louis Gray
Louis, you're one of the (much) better ones. But this was less about bloggers and more about "mainstream" tech magazines. I saw a post yesterday that started "Google is ...". Really? Are we? Want to cite even a single source? But that didn't stop them, nor hordes of people from quoting it as if it was grounded in truth. Drives me batty.
- DeWitt Clinton
Way to step it up, there CW! Thanks! Thanks, joey. I really like this pic, too. :)
- Josh Haley
btw, Trish is still asleep. She and I (mostly she) were up almost all night with sick baby Zoe, who wouldn't stop crying. Trish is the best. THE BEST, I TELL YA!
- Josh Haley
Happy 15th Josh and Trish. You guys are the best couple I know (other than Mom and Dad....and Tom and Katie....and Ren and Stimpy). Congrats to you both! Good job raising 4 great kids too!
- Morgan Haley
well, 3rd best actually, when you count dad and the groom....well, maybe 5th best when you throw in some of the other guys....but i was skinny and had long hair, which was nich.
- Morgan Haley
or nice, if you are a stickler for spelling....
- Morgan Haley
and isn't it quicker to type '2' thank <3'?
- Morgan Haley
I'm awake! Laughs and good times, indeed... Zoe seems fine this morning with none of the tearful monster in sight. Thanks for all the congrats. Josh is still cute after 15 years and will be in 15 more. I love you, Honey!
- Trish Haley
from iPhone
Josh - what's that stuff on your head? :-)
- Morgan Haley
Caption this photo time! Josh: Dude, take the picture....Trish: I need to make toffee brittle and send some to Morgan! Happy 15th you kids!
- Morgan Haley
Dude, you were kind of a badass back in the day with your Hawaiian print and Jurassic Park cup. What happened? ;-)
- Jason Huebel
Still got the Hawaiian print and the movie-themed cups.
- Josh Haley
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! We're only a couple of years behind you (our 13th was last month). We'll catch up eventually, though. ;-)
- Jason Huebel
You two are such an amazing couple -- and who in the world is that smokin' hot dude on the left! ;)
- Mona Nomura
Ha! That's the dude I had to fight and kill to win over Trish. ;) Thanks, Mona
- Josh Haley
You and Trish give me hope that there is such a thing as happily ever afters :) All you need is a sense of humor and tons of love. Thanks for sharing your lives with us and happy anniversary!
- Mona Nomura
what's amazing is that they really are happy. like clams. like really happy clams. and it's pure joy silly happiness. this couple, along with their wonderful 4 kids, are proof that this world isn't doomed yet. i am lucky to be linked to these clowns. keep it up josh and trish. show the world that it really will be ok in the end. much love. and tell the kids that uncle morgan says 'shut up!'.
- Morgan Haley
Everyone has hope. And Lennon was right: All You Need is Love! (And persistence and a minivan and ear-plugs and a huge grocery budget...etc.)
- Josh Haley
By Josh's response........... I feel like I have been lead astray by this translation site...
- Johnny Worthington
No, it's all good. You said "Bottoms up" which I will admit, I don't hear very often even in English. But `okole is an automatic laugh word for me, since it means BUTT, BOTTOM, REAR, ASS. *giggle*
- Josh Haley
To Josh-n-Trish, Happy Anniversary, you crazy kids! <3
- Micah Wittman
We are having Sonic blasts now. It's cold enough that the perishables in the back will last. FYI Morgan, the ingredients for toffee butter crunch are in the back, too. You deserve a million bucks, but you'll have to settle for yummy candy. Thanks all!
- Trish Haley
from iPhone
+102 for Bill Waterson references in picture Kevin or words Sinterclas
- Steve C
cute but what happened to festivus this year?
- Laura Norvig
Merry Christmas to the FriendFeed team. You guys rock! FriendFeed reacts quickly and you're adding wonderful features all the time (Thanks soooo much for the "edit" feature.)
- Mitchell Tsai
Happy Holidays FF crue -- you've made this an excellent and memorable year for many of us. Facebook couldn't have done it without you! :)
- Christopher Galtenberg
w00t you gave me the best online year in 15 years!!! ;p Thanks a lot, everyone, for what you've done here XD
- ElijahBailey-Zu of FF <0,
Sigh. Sometimes it is the little touches, like seasonal logos or easter eggs, that mark a site as a living project, and that you really miss when the developers have all moved on to something else.
- Michael R. Bernstein