Greasemonkey!
I'm so glad Dan mentioned the Greasemonkey script (althought I have yet to find it) that might help us use the actual Google Calendar interface and overlay our own additional information. After browsing some of the Greasemonkey scripts for the first time, I'm totally impressed by some of them, such as Ken's Craigslist Skin BETA, which was something I was trying to come up with in earlier stages of idea development. Also there are some funny ones like, "jakob nielson," that purportedly "adds large pictures of jakob nielsen." Hilarious.
Suddenly, I wasn't sure why I assumed Greasemonkey scripts were the "cop-out" project and they could really be something - as in the case with Ken's Craigslist Skin BETA, incorporating a paned browser view including automatic mapping via Google Maps. I instantly desired to make some cool Greasemonkey scripts. I sent the Craigslist Skin link over IM to some friends that I'm looking for housing with that happen to be quite "un-techie" and would have probably never even heard of Greasemonkey if I didn't forward it to them. They looked at the screenshots and instantly wanted it. I offered to install it for them, as usual, but they didn't need my help and did it themselves.
Thus, it became clear - I would be elated to create an awesome Greasemonkey script, but I would be more fully satisfied if I actually created Greasemonkey. I suppose that HCI has given me a level of ambition that I am unaccustomed to. Cool!
I am absolutely fascinated by "the power of the people" meaning, there is so much intelligence and expertise out there, how can we take all that and make something that is greater than the sum of its parts? I feel like each person holding onto their personal knowledge is really not maximizing its potential compared to pooling it together and sharing it with other people. I cannot think of a stronger incentive for individuals to learn more and contribute to others - in my perfect wiki-like world, users in a knowledge-pooling community will reap more as they sow more.
Suddenly, I wasn't sure why I assumed Greasemonkey scripts were the "cop-out" project and they could really be something - as in the case with Ken's Craigslist Skin BETA, incorporating a paned browser view including automatic mapping via Google Maps. I instantly desired to make some cool Greasemonkey scripts. I sent the Craigslist Skin link over IM to some friends that I'm looking for housing with that happen to be quite "un-techie" and would have probably never even heard of Greasemonkey if I didn't forward it to them. They looked at the screenshots and instantly wanted it. I offered to install it for them, as usual, but they didn't need my help and did it themselves.
Thus, it became clear - I would be elated to create an awesome Greasemonkey script, but I would be more fully satisfied if I actually created Greasemonkey. I suppose that HCI has given me a level of ambition that I am unaccustomed to. Cool!
I am absolutely fascinated by "the power of the people" meaning, there is so much intelligence and expertise out there, how can we take all that and make something that is greater than the sum of its parts? I feel like each person holding onto their personal knowledge is really not maximizing its potential compared to pooling it together and sharing it with other people. I cannot think of a stronger incentive for individuals to learn more and contribute to others - in my perfect wiki-like world, users in a knowledge-pooling community will reap more as they sow more.
posted by Eric at 1:34 PM
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