Linked by David Adams on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 16:27 UTC, submitted by WillM
Microsoft "What, exactly, is Live Mesh and what do developers, customers and partners need to know about it? Here are 10 things that grabbed me about Live Mesh, after distilling my notes from chatting with some of the Softies involved in bringing Live Mesh to fruition." IN short, Live Mesh is "a Software + Services platform for synchronization and collaboration."
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v Influence of OLPC
by Finalzone (2.36) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 17:28 UTC
RE: Influence of OLPC
by DCMonkey (1.53) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 20:51 UTC in reply to "Influence of OLPC"
DCMonkey Member since:
2005-07-06
Fans: 0

The only thing they have in common is the word "mesh".

RE: Influence of OLPC
by linumax (5.12) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 22:59 UTC in reply to "Influence of OLPC"
linumax Member since:
2007-02-07
Fans: 0

Not really! Mesh comes from the networking concept/model and recently has become another buzzword Web2.0ists throw around.

v Holding data hostage
by sargek (1.48) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 17:41 UTC
RE: Holding data hostage
by jayson.knight (3.04) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 19:57 UTC in reply to "Holding data hostage"
jayson.knight Member since:
2005-07-06
Fans: 7

Wow, another way for MSFT to hold hapless consumer data hostage...now it will be even easier for them to make your data obsolete - all they have to do is decide the project isn't making enough money and you lose everything. Woohoo, Sign me up.


How is this different than any other web based service you signed up for? What if Flickr suddenly shuttered (pun intended) its service? Or if MySpace decided to go away? You run that risk with any kind of web based service. Why don't you just say what's REALLY on your mind?

RE[2]: Holding data hostage
by stestagg (2.76) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 20:10 UTC in reply to "RE: Holding data hostage"
stestagg Member since:
2006-06-03
Fans: 2

Well, Microsoft have a well documented history of actively persuing vendor-lockin strategies.

Take, for example, the IM wars that have fragmented the Instant Messenger market so much.

Having been forced to [slightly] open their Office document formats, Microsoft will now have to find new methods to force their customers to stick with them.

Edited 2008-04-23 20:12 UTC

RE[3]: Holding data hostage
by Soulbender (3.48) on Thu 24th Apr 2008 06:58 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: Holding data hostage"
Soulbender Member since:
2005-08-18
Fans: 15

Take, for example, the IM wars that have fragmented the Instant Messenger market so much.


I dont see how MS is any more to blame for that than AOL and ICQ.

RE[4]: Holding data hostage
by stestagg (2.76) on Thu 24th Apr 2008 07:42 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Holding data hostage"
stestagg Member since:
2006-06-03
Fans: 2

I didn't say they were. Please explain where you think I said that they were.

RE: Holding data hostage
by AndrewDubya (2.85) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 20:34 UTC in reply to "Holding data hostage"
AndrewDubya Member since:
2006-10-15
Fans: 1

Yeah, I'm glad that it will work with open standards, so it sounds like it might actually not be something your data is trapped in, but I won't hold my breath.

I think that Microsoft might realize that open standards will pretty much be a requirement for any 'cloud computing' services they offer. What I really hope is that people have the same negative image of Microsoft I have, and will shun anything by MS that they're not locked in to.

Meaning if MS isn't going to somehow tie this as the only available service to integrate with their other products, people will naturally stay away from it in favor of something like AWS.

Well, it's fun to dream anyway ;-)

RE[2]: Holding data hostage
by MattPie (2.28) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 22:13 UTC in reply to "RE: Holding data hostage"
MattPie Member since:
2006-04-18
Fans: 0

I think that Microsoft might realize that open standards will pretty much be a requirement for any 'cloud computing' services they offer.


By their definition, OOXML is an Open Standard. Think about that one for a minute.

Edited 2008-04-23 22:14 UTC

RE[3]: Holding data hostage
by tomcat (2.16) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 23:30 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: Holding data hostage"
tomcat Member since:
2006-01-06
Fans: 7

By their definition, OOXML is an Open Standard. Think about that one for a minute.


OOXML is ISO-certified. It is an open standard.

RE[4]: Holding data hostage
by sorpigal (2.72) on Thu 24th Apr 2008 18:43 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Holding data hostage"
sorpigal Member since:
2005-11-02
Fans: 0

It is a standard for which *no conforming implementations exist*, much less the "at least two" that I, and I think most people, would like to see.

The format may be documented, mostly, in an official ISO document, but that doesn't make it an open standard.

RE: Holding data hostage
by DCMonkey (1.53) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 20:54 UTC in reply to "Holding data hostage"
DCMonkey Member since:
2005-07-06
Fans: 0

Wow, another way for MSFT to hold hapless consumer data hostage...now it will be even easier for them to make your data obsolete - all they have to do is decide the project isn't making enough money and you lose everything. Woohoo, Sign me up.


Care to tell me how synchronizing files/data that reside on your device is being held hostage by teh evul Microsoft?

My Briefcase 2.0
by stestagg (2.76) on Wed 23rd Apr 2008 20:02 UTC
stestagg
Member since:
2006-06-03
Fans: 2

This looks, to me, like a cross between My Briefcase and Office Groove. I have used both, and they both failed so badly for me that I can't see adding some web-2.0-ification will magically fix anything.

When I was at school, our only-moderately-incompetent ICT department had a go at using XP offline synchronisation on some laptops. All locally cached files were stored without any security or encryption, so anyone could freely view 10Gb of cached profile data from the last people to log on to the machine.

Milo_Hoffman
Member since:
2005-07-06
Fans: 0

Just another example of Microsoft playing catchup/me-too with Google Docs.

Google's way is MUCH better.

Who wants to share out of sync copies of documents when you can collaborate in real-time with google docs.

Not to mention the most likely vendor LOCK-IN proprietary crap that will come with any Microsoft solution.


Microsofts idea of 'collaboration' is only valid if your talking to people who have the exact same $500 worth of Vista Ultimate Home Media Business Ultra Extreme Edition with IE 92.5 and Office 99.2332.2332.


Googles idea of collaboration is.....hmm...anyone with a browser on any platform.

byrd Member since:
2008-04-08
Fans: 0

You're not too bright. First, your Google Docs comparison is limited, Mesh (And things like FolderShare) are not limited to a single service and second, your petty comment about "IE92.5" and costs is silly since they'll be supporting Windows XP/Vista + Mac on FF, IE, Safari, etc for free.

Bad URL in osnews summary
by MollyC (3.36) on Thu 24th Apr 2008 04:32 UTC
MollyC
Member since:
2006-07-04
Fans: 36

As I write this, the URL of the link in the osnews summary is http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft , which is just the front page of Mary Jo Foley's Microsoft column, and the "Ten Things to Know About Microsoft's Live Mesh" story is already sliding off of that page. The osnews summary should be updated to link instead to http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1355 , the permanent link of the "Ten Things About Live Mesh" story.

Edited 2008-04-24 04:35 UTC