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Anyone want to do a group project?

I’ve never done an open source project before. Here’s my proposal. We write a WordPress plugin that helps create a blacklist of known content thieving IPs. When an IP from the blacklist requests the RSS feed or direct link from the WordPress blog, we deliver an anti-theft of content notice instead of the actual content. The plugin will have the ability to deliver a custom message allowing people the personal choice of making the payload as obscene or marketable as they like. I have some thoughts on implementation since the splog delivering the content might have a different IP than the scavenger. For instance, the plug could alter the comment interface to include a check to mark a comment or trackback as potential content theft. The plugin would then have to examine the server logs to try to draw a correlation between when the real content was posted, the IPs that requested the RSS or post, and the time the stolen content was posted. With large samplings to a single database I think we could be very effective at blocking the thieves. Now, what’s the abuse potential here?

After getting this working on WordPress, I think we could extend it to other platforms.

Update: Looks like Owen Winkler (Antileech) has already written this! Kudos! Lorelle gives an overview and also recommends Digital Fingerprint Detecting Content Theft WordPress Plugin.

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I do not like Flash sites

As a developer, I steer clients away from relying upon Flash for anything on their site. Adobe would love Flash to be the medium of choice for everyone but the truth is Flash doesn’t bode well for deep linking, navigation is often slow and clumsy, and it is not as portable as straight HTML to mobile devices and other non-traditional browsers. Granted, Opera mini, other tools, and Adobe are trying to make Flash more readily usable on all platforms.

I do like Flash! I think it should be used to enhance the overall user experience on a website. Perhaps certain navigation elements could be done in Flash but if the browser cannot detect the Flash plugin then it shows a regular HTML navigation. Keep it small and light. Now, all that aside, the Sony Bravia Flash site is cool! And just when I was getting comfortable with the 2D web, someone had to go and add depth.

Ah! I put my finger on it as I was commenting at ProfessorFalken:

It adds the z-axis to browsing to bring us closer to that 3 dimensional hokeyness we see in computer movies like Hackers and Johnny Mnemonic. [Source]

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My Entry to the Problogger iPod giveaway

My entry for Problogger’s 6th giveaway is:

iBlog for iMust

I met a guy from Oz
Tim Miller his name
Of SpyJournal fame
We have never met in person
But are friends all the same

See I was trying out
This fad call blogging
Tim said its more than a game
Blogging is not a fad
It’s here to stay

People make a living
In this digital world
Publishing their own word
Tim advise, “Check out problogger
A site by Darren Rowse.”

Problogger showed the way
Follow these rules
And you can make your pay
In the comfort of pajamas
Sitting at your computer all day

I have yet to make a dime
But Darren must be doing ok
For it’s Problogger’s birthday
And good ol’ Darren
Is giving $54,000 away

Remember, they just needed a poem with the word "problogger" or "Darren" in it. The poem did not have to be a literary masterpiece although there are a couple of gems! At the time of this post, Darren Rowse and Lara Kulpa had 416 entries for their iPod giveaway which includes 4 iPods and 1 iPod makeover. You still have 4 hours to enter.