Eon is discovering the power of the new web

Some grassroots action in England, against a E-On, a German company proposing to build Britain's first new coal-fired power station.

They've been the targets of all kinds of action, including events on April 1st ('Fossil Fools Day').
Activists are encouraging:

"One easy, comfy action can happen from this computer you're looking at. The tactic is called 'google-bombing'.

The more links to a site, the higher it climbs in google rankings. So, if enough people make the word 'EON' link to the No New Coal site, pretty soon it'll top the list of anyone searching for EON.

Two weeks ago www.nonewcoal.org.uk wasn't in the top 50 sites when searching for Eon. As I write this it's already number 13. (In Australia, doesn't show up, but rates no. 6 when "eon coal" is searched.)

So a simple online action can help us get our electronic placards in their face without getting out on the cold winter streets.

If you have a website, blog, myspace, bebo, forum account, etc then please place a link to http://www.nonewcoal.org.uk."

Thanks to If Just Today for the link.

Another aspect of the new read/write web: civic participation! Apparently the blogosphere is not just a heap of intrverts who need to get a life...

Google Docking

I've been using Google Docs a bit lately. V nice straightforward tools. The word process is a simple process, the spreadsheet looks good, & the calendar was OK. I had some trouble finding my other calendars, but I'll come back later

I'm hoping I can sync calendars in my Sony Ericsson phone, iCal & Thunderbird... yeah I know, why three? But the issue for the Read/Write Web is, how do you find the best tool when so many are offered?

Newer, lighter, nicer

I want a new computer. The new solid-state jobs look great; now I just have to justify the purchase. My biggest problem is my current machine, a beautiful Macbook Pro. It works too well.

I love my Macbook. The apostles of Bill Gates & Microsoft may goggle at this, but they're just easier. Yes! Quick eg: You want a new application. Step 1: copy into the Applications folder. Finish. That's all you do. To remove: delete it. That's it. And I've got Windows running simultaneously on a "virtual machine" platform-in-a-program. Why on earth? Work needs it. But back to solid-state computers.

The Register has an excellent article on small, cheap computers. One of their recommendations is the Asus eeePC. (I'm so glad they agree with me!) It's got a 9-inch screen, it weighs less than 1kg, it's about half A4 in size, and the battery lasts up to 8 hours. The secret is the hard disc... it hasn't got one, just a row of flash-memory chips. Yours for about $A500.

Imagine a school of these, connected wirelessly. Students carry them easily, they're economical, light & sturdy, batteries last a school day. Web, word process, spreadsheet, all there, & more. The money saved buys a Photoshop computer, a video edit computer for each class, and employs a local techie.

The computer, with the help of the Read/Write Web, becomes a tool, to do something wonderful with.

Free your Mind (+ some great tools)

One of my favourite programs (yes, you're allowed to use tha word!) is Freemind. Freemind lets you put thoughts down as you think of them, and showing the connections to your earlier thoughts. Forget about the outdated Word-Processed shopping list style of note-taking, this one is seriously mind-expanding. & one of the best ways to publish is with Freemindshare.

Here's a public mindmap I put up to illustrate the Read/Write Web's scope: it's more than podcasts, blogs & Youtube:
Web Tools & Games
Instructions: drag the diagram around to get a better view. If a thought-bubble has a little dot at the end, click to show more connected thoughts. Cool, huh?

The only downer is, I can't edit the shared diagram (easy with the original software). C'mon V.2!

The Web always was interactive...

The Phrase Web 2.0 is rubbish. It was invented as a promotional gimmick, trying to sound advanced, mysterious, "in". But the concepts behind it (interactivity, community, ease of sharing, etc.) are as old as the Internet. The Internet was invented in order to share information, remember?

The difference now is, we can share so much more easily, and share more things. And that IS exciting, and worth a new name. Hence: The Read/Write Web.

Sounds a bit like World-Wide Web? That's OK; we understand the global village now, we know deep down we're in it. And when we know deep down we're in the Read/Write Web, we won't need the phrase so much.

And by then the spin-doctors will have come up with a totally new (improved!) gimmick...

You read it here first!