This is exactly what I am dealing with right now. On July 6, 2010, I attempted to log into my Gmail account and received the following error message:

The username or password you entered is incorrect

I tried a few more times. Then a few more times. Nothing. Hmm. I tried logging into some of my other Google services,… Calender, Reader, Docs, etc…, and got the same error message. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, I gave up and decided to initiate a password recovery, only to receive the following message:

There are no Google Accounts currently registered to the username skyecade@gmail.com.

Panic ensued. I spent the morning trying to figure out what went wrong, but to no avail. My Google Account was gone, and with it, my Gmail, Gtalk, Docs, Reader, Calendars, Buzz, Profile, Youtube, Wave, Voice, Analytics, and Feedburner account. Half a decades worth of content and several gigabytes of emails, feeds, documents, appointments, contacts, voicemails, and videos, all vanished without a trace. Incidentally, I can’t access my Blogger, Picassa, Orkut, or Jaiku accounts either, but since I rarely use them, I didn’t mention them in the list above. (Scratch that, I do have access my Jaiku account.)

At this point, I’m going to assume that my account still exists on some server out there in Google land. That may be wishful thinking though. For all I know, my account may have been hacked, molested, and then deleted. The worst part is — I can’t get a hold of Google to find out. Their support is nonexistent. They have an account recovery form that you can fill out (assuming I still have an account to recover), but it seems to be completely automated. I get this response within minutes of submitting the form:

Thank you for your report. We’ve completed our investigation and cannot
return your account at this time. We were unable to verify that you own
this account based on the information you provided.

And then after a few more submissions:

Thank you for your report. For account security, we limit the number of
requests that can be processed about the same account. Please wait a few
days and try filling out the form again.

The account recovery form consists of questions regarding Gmail, Blogger, and Orkut. Two of these services I don’t even use. The third, Gmail, I created 5 or 6 years ago and can’t remember a lot of the specifics, such as the exact date I opened the account or the recovery email address I used when I signed up. But I did the best I could and submitted the form over and over again hoping to get a different response. Perhaps even a human response.

The part that kills me is that it would be so easy to verify my account. Google has my cell phone number. They could just call me. Or text me. I also have a verified name on my Google Profile that can only be obtained via credit card or social security number. How much more verification do you need than that? Or perhaps they could verify my account through my Google Analytics or Voice or Docs. Anything is better than having to answer questions about Orkut. The process seemed a bit antiquated for a company that all but dominates the Internet.

So yes, I’m frustrated with this whole ordeal. It’s been two weeks and I haven’t come any closer to finding out what happened to my account and I can’t find anyway to contact Google. This has, however, made me seriously rethink my stance on cloud computing. For one thing, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Having all Google services tied together under one account probably isn’t the best idea. Two, sync (formerly known as backup). Once upon a time I used to tell people that the harddrive would become obsolete. I hope I’m wrong. Being able to access your data on the cloud is a huge advantage, but as I’ve learned, there is nothing like a good old fashioned local copy. Developer’s of applications such as Dropbox, Evernote, FeedDemon, and even Google, to an extent, see the benefits of syncing across multiple computers, while still utilizing the cloud for convenience. I really hope this trend continues.

So that’s my sad story. Google, if you’re out there, give me a call. You have my number. In fact, you gave it to me. If my account is gone, so be it. Life goes on. I should have been more proactive in safeguarding my data and a lot less reliant on the cloud. I take full responsibility for that. But it would still be nice to know what exactly happened and whether or not I can ever expect to get my account back. For now, I guess, all I can do is sit back and wait…

Google is the undisputed king of the cloud. If you spend any considerable amount of time on the Internet, you probably have made a Google account at some time or another. And if you’re like me, you use your Google account on a daily, scratch that, hourly basis. Whether I’m at home or at work, on my Mac or on my Blackberry, as long as I am connected to the Internet I can access Google search, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Maps (Latitude), Reader, Alerts, Analytics, and much, much more. That’s a boat load of cloud computing.

I can’t begin to tell you how much joy Dropbox brings to my life. So much so that Dropbox is now officially one of the first programs I install on any new computer I use. Here’s how it works — first you download and install Dropbox on all of your computers. This will create a folder on each computer called “My Dropbox”. Now, anything you put into your “My Dropbox” folder gets uploaded to your Dropbox web account and subsequently synced with all of your computers that are linked to that account. For me, this is a dream come true. I’m constantly bouncing back and forth between computers and operating systems. It’s cross platform, so it works with Windows, Linux, and OS X. No more emailing myself files or constantly pulling out my thumbdrive every time I need to move my data around. You can also access all of your files via a web browser, which can be super convenient when you’re on the go and don’t have access to your personal computers.

Lala does music, and they do it well. It’s especially nice if you spend a good chunk of your life in front of a computer. Here’s the scoop; after joining Lala, they will scan your entire computer(s) and upload (or match) all of your songs in your library to your Lala account. From that point on, you have access to all of your music anytime you want, as long as you’re on the cloud. But it gets even better. You can play any song that’s not in your library, once, for free. You can even put entire albums in your queue and listen to them in their entirety before you decide if you want to buy them or not. And here’s the beauty, if you like the song and want to purchase it (or them), you have two choices. You can buy the streaming version for only 10 cents per song, or a DRM free MP3 for 99 cents per song (89 cents if you previously bought the streaming version). This is great on so many levels. For one, 10 cents is cheap, and once you buy a streaming song you can listen to it as many times and as often as you’d like as long as your connected to the internet. You also get 50 free streaming songs just for joining Lala. Secondly, you may not need or want to download an entire album. You could buy an entire streaming album for $1.00, then hand pick the songs you want to download (DRM free) to put on your iPod, or your Zune, or your iPod. Lala has a nice wallet feature too that allows you to store a set amount of money for quick purchases. When your wallet runs dry, just add some more cash. $5.00 = 50 streaming songs. Not bad. If I could improve one feature of Lala, it would be their music discovery. Though it’s not all that bad, it’s still not on par with the likes of Pandora. Oh yes, and a Blackberry app — that would be fantastic.

Xmarks, formerly known as Foxmarks, is a browser plug-in for Firefox, IE, and Safari (hopefully soon for Chrome) that stores all of your bookmarks remotely and then syncs them to all of your browsers. Again, this is only handy if you spend a lot of time in multiple environments — but that’s sort of the whole point of cloud computing, not having to be locked down to one computer, one processor, one hard drive… Once installed, Xmarks does everything in the background — set it and forget it. Xmarks is also taking a stab at social bookmarking, similar to sites like Delicious, Stumble Upon, and Digg. Good luck with that one guys — the social bookmarking scene is getting a bit crowded. Personally, I would just stick with bookmark syncing. This is definitely one area where they know their stuff

Reqall is a virtual extension of my memory. The whole reason I started using Reqall was so that I could get thoughts out of my head quickly (GTD-like) and revisit them at a later time. For example, I always remember things while I’m driving. With Reqall, I can call and leave a message on my account. Reqall then transcribes the message and emails it back to me. Now my idea / thought / task / appointment is nice and safe in my email inbox for review at a more appropriate time. Reqall is also linked to my Google Calendar, so if I were to call and say “Dinner with Meg’s parents Sunday at 5 O’Clock”, Reqall would put that entry right on my calendar on the specified day and time. It can be a life saver. Their website is well designed and offers a variety of ways to organize your To-Dos and notes. However, they could work a bit on improving their lists management system which, according to them, is on their list of things to do — no comment. Voice isn’t the only way to add items to reqall. You can use instant messaging, a Firefox extension, email, text messages, or my personal favorite, their mobile app. I can’t speak for the iPhone app, but Reqall’s Blackberry app is probably the best, most well designed app on my phone. Reqall also offers a pro account for $20.00 a year which unlocks a few neat features. I think the free version is sufficient for most people though. At least until they fix some of the minor quirks and add a few more niceties.

Introducing Bespin from Dion Almaer on Vimeo.

Did they say this project was started by someone named Russ Bespin? Who is this guy? Either that is a fake name to help fend off George Lucas’s copyright lawyers, or this guy was destined to work in cloud computing. Regardless, I can’t wait to see what the crew at Mozilla can do with a project like this. I played around with it a bit and even in its Alpha stage it’s pretty functional. It’s also the first time I’ve seen the <canvas> tag used for anything useful. Check it out here.

History of the Internet from PICOL on Vimeo.

Click to enlarge.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dispense with the pleasantries and move on to the second point of business — where the hell did October go? My last post was on September 27th! Have I been so caught up with Team Fortress 2 that I’ve neglected my lonely little blog in cyberspace? I’m sure that has had a lot to do with it, but to tell you the truth I’ve been fairly unplugged for the last month. At least relative to my normal life-style. A few other projects have been sucking up my time too. Hopefully they will reach fruition soon so I can get back to my life on the interwebz. (The sole purpose of that last sentence was so I could use the word “fruition”. I feel so satisfied now.)

Now on to the main topic, Google. These guys are on a roll. I know, I know, they’ve been on a roll since 1999, but the stuff that they’re gearing up for now is bordering on epic. That’s right, I said epic.

First, let me go through the Google services I use by choice, the Google services I use by acquisition, and the Google services I currently do not use.

Google Search - Okay, who doesn’t use Google as their primary search engine. Seriously, I’d like to meet you. I remember stumbling across Google way back when it was just an itsy-bitsy little search site. They grow up so fast.

Gmail - Phenomenal. That’s all I have to say about that.

Gtalk - This is my primary IM client right now. I still use all the others out of necessity, but if I had my choice, I would make everyone switch to Gtalk. I’m selfish like that.

Google Calendar – I would be lost without it. On the rare occasions when Google Calendar goes down, I can be found wandering the streets aimlessly. I even sync my calendar to MS Outlook so I can sync it to my Blackberry. It’s an ugly hack, but it works.

Google Reader – I used to read all my feeds in Netvibes. Now I’m 100% GR. It’s so smooooth.

Google Maps – This service is getting more incredible by the day. I use it religiously.

Google Images – I use it by default. It does what I need it to do.

Google Groups – Deja was one of Google’s first acquisitions back in 2001. Actually, I think they just acquired Deja’s Usenet archive, but I guess it’s all the same. I started using Deja back in 1999.

Google Docs – Formerly known as Writely. This service was fantastic as Writely and is even more fantastic as Google Docs.

Youtube – Okay, so the whole world was using this before it became part of the Google conglomerate. That’s why they bought it.

Jaiku – Google’s most recent acquisition. I tend to lean more towards Pownce and Twitter, but I have been known to Jaiku from time to time.

Orkut – I’m not a big fan of social networks (though I love the concept) and Orkut is no exception. With that said, I have an account with almost every social network on the face of the Earth, and Orkut was one of the first. This is back when you had to get an invite from someone who already had an Orkut account in order to sign up. **They’ll let anyone in nowadays! ** Google has recently redesigned the entire site and it will most likely play a key roll in upcoming future developments. But more on that later.

Feedburner – If you’re a blogger or some other kind of content creator, then chances are you use feedburner. This is a fantastic service if you’re trying to syndicate your crap….I mean stuff.

Here is a great list of Google acquisitions in chronological order. It’s fascinating to see how the company has changed throughout the years and the obvious direction they are heading just by analyzing the pattern of acquisitions on this list.

Google Photos (aka: Picassa) – I don’t foresee myself leaving Flickr anytime in the near future. It’s just too much of a great service and it’s really integrated into everything I do online. I do, however, use Picassa’s stand-alone software to organize my pictures on my PC.

Google Bookmarks – Sorry, this service doesn’t even compare to del.icio.us. Then again, it’s not really suppose to. Like Flickr, del.icio.us has really worked its way into everything I do online in some fashion or another. I love it too much to part ways with it. FYI, Flickr and del.icio.us are Yahoo owned companies. Acquisition is the name of the game.

Blogger – Nothing against Blogger, it’s a really nice platform, but I started with WordPress and I’ll most likely end with WordPress. –Wow, that sounded morbid.

iGoogle – This is a really nice service and I would recommend it to anyone, however, I have found that one personal start page just doesn’t cut it for me. They just take so long to load. Instead, I launch Firefox with multiple tabs. My first tab is plain old Google, followed by Gmail, followed by my calendar, followed by a blank tab. I find that this loads a lot faster and I can get all the same data as I could from a bloated start page. But hey, that’s just me. If a start page is your thing, then have it…..dork.

So that about wraps up what I use and don’t use out of all the Google services. Everything else is either still a novelty in my eyes, or hasn’t yet graduated from Google Labs. Speaking of which, if you’ve never been there, make it a point to stop by.

What I’m excited for, and this is kind of the point of this long and overly bloated blog post, is how Google plans on pulling it all together. I read a great article on Techcrunch called Google’s response to Facebook: “Maka-Maka”

“Maka-Maka encompasses Google’s grand plan to build a social layer across all of its applications. Some details about Maka-Maka have already leaked out, particularly how Google plans to use the feed engine that powers Google Reader (known internally as Reactor) to create “activity streams” for other applications akin to Facebook’s news and mini feeds. But Maka-Maka goes well beyond that.”

It’s a really good article outlining Google’s master plan to bring all their services together into one social-networky-type thing.

“Huber is on record as saying that the way Google plans to compete is by using the Web as the platform instead of trying to lock developers into Google’s own platform.”

“Web as a platform.” Sound familiar? It’s a term that is often associated with Google and one that I am a huge proponent of. AND, as if Maka-Maka wasn’t exciting enough, now throw into the mix the highly anticipated Gphone and the 700mhz spectrum auction which is slated to begin in January. I can barely contain myself! These are exciting times for Google and Internet enthusiasts.

Exciting times indeed!

It’s a must read for Internet enthusiasts.

Photograph: Murdo Macleod

Finally!

I guess I’m done. It’s been nice knowing all of you. I’m going outside now.

It’s W W W people! Three W’s. It stands for the World Wide Web.

See? It’s not World Wide or Wide Web or World Web.

World Wide Web!

or as the Brits call it,

World Wide Web!

In fact, if you’re going to omit one “W”, you might as well omit them all. We’ll figure it out

www.something.com = good

something.com = good

ww.something.com = NOT good

This concludes today’s lesson.

A search for SINCLAIRE.com prompted GoDaddy to recommend these alternate domain names:

ERRORCLAIRE.COM
TRANSGRESSIONCLAIRE.COM
WRONGDOINGCLAIRE.COM
MISDEEDCLAIRE.COM

How sad is that. I feel like I’m being judged by a piece of software. I always knew GoDaddy’s website didn’t like me. Now I have the proof!

I’m still not 100% convinced that paying for an online education is a good idea, but the fact that it’s O’Reilly makes me much more curious.

Course List:

For the complete I.T. beginner:

* Introduction to HTML and CSS
* Learn Object-Oriented Programming Using Java
* Linux/Unix Sysadmin I: The Basics of System Administration
* Learn C Programming, Part 1

For the beginner/intermediate student:

* Introduction to PHP
* JavaScript 1: Client-Side Programming
* Learn Perl for CGI Programming
* PHP/SQL 1: Introduction to Database Programming
* Learn SQL for Database Programming
* Learn C Programming, Part 2
* Learn VB-Script
* Learn Unix for Web Programming
* Linux/Unix Sysadmin II: Networking and DNS
* Learn XML

For the intermediate/advanced student:

* JavaScript 2: AJAX
* Linux/Unix Sysadmin III: Unix Services (including email and web servers)
* Linux/Unix Sysadmin IV: Scripting for Administrators, Sed, Awk, and Perl
* Learn Visual Basic .NET
* Learn C#.NET

I was surprised by some of the domains that were on this list and equally surprised by some that weren’t. Read/Write Web makes some comparisons to Alexa’s top 20 websites, along with some other interesting commentary.

Here’s the break down:

• A web based desktop (i.e. operating system)
• A full featured Linux distribution
• A lightweight Linux distro and/or BIOS

Personally, I think the first option is the most likely, considering that this is the direction the internet is heading. Let’s dismiss the other two options for the time being. Most of the apps I use are internet based already, e.g., Writley (now Google Docs), del.icio.us, gmail, Google Calendar, flickr, Netvibes, meebo,…

The only thing really holding back resource heavy apps from residing on the net, i.e., video games, photo editing software, are the broadband limitations. Someday this will be the thing of the past. When that happens, hard drives will also be the thing of the past, at least in the conventional sense. This is still a long ways away though.

For those of you who don’t use internet apps, you really don’t know what your missing. Over the course of a month, I must sit in front of twenty different computers. Yes, I know, for the average user this may be a bit extreme, but for people like us it’s not that strange. My point is, it’s nice to be able to hop on to any computer and have my bookmarks, my documents, my email, my news, my instant messengers, my appointments, my RSS feeds, my photos and videos, etc… right at my finger tips.

Now imagine having your entire desktop there as well. This isn’t a matter of if it will happen, but when will it happen. When eyeOS was launched (or at least when I first saw it) about a year ago, it was in rough shape. It’s come along way since then. Though still not even close to ready for the mainstream, you can definitely see the potential. Some other webtops to check out are YouOS, Goowy, DesktopTwo, and Xin, the latter of which really caught my eye. I’m just waiting for my confirmation email to check it out.

So, as you can see, there is some progress being made towards full featured online desktops, though even I think you would be crazy to use them in their current state. Google OS could possibly change this. And I stress, possibly.

Until that day, what every power user should be using is an ajax driven, dynamic, customizable start page such as Netvibes, Pageflakes, Google Pages, Live, Protopage, or the relatively new contender, Webwag (which I have to admit, looks very impressive). Use one of these for a month and you would be lost with out them. I prefer Netvibes, but all of the above offer a slightly different look and feel as well as there own set of features.

Though he may be despised by a good chunk of the digg community, he is still arguably one of the most respected business men in the internet world. This news will surely send ripples throughout cyberspace.

Regardless of my feelings towards his actions at Netscape, I still wish him well with his next endeavor. What ever that may be.

This won’t happen over night. In fact, we are years away from services like this taking hold at all. There are still plenty of obstacles to overcome. You see, when you download a video from Unbox, you are limited to watching it on your computer or portable video player. That’s great for a small niche group of people, but it won’t impress the majority of consumers out there. Especially the ones with 50″ plasma TVs. Pricing is also an issue. Why would I buy Braveheart as a digital download for $13.17 when I can buy the physical DVD for the same price? Is this service targeted at the spontaneous buyer who wants to watch the movie immediately? Perhaps. That’s still a pretty small niche though.

Digital rentals, however, have more of an appeal to me. I can justify spending $1.99 or $2.99 on a rental. Once you download the movie, you have a set amount of time to watch it until it becomes inactive. I believe that number is 30 days right now. Perfect. I have Windows XP Media Center with a very large monitor and digital 6.1 speakers, however. I’m in the minority. Most people have small monitors and crappy speakers. Who would want to watch The Matrix on that set up?

It will be interesting to see how Apple competes with this. To tell the truth, I’m a bit surprised Amazon beat Apple to this at all. I’ve been hearing rumors of Apple’s movie service for weeks now.

One thing is for sure, the world of media is changing at an increasingly rapid rate. I often think of how we will tell our children and grandchildren about things like network television and the TV Guide. How we had to sit in front of the TV at the exact time a show started or you would miss it, perhaps never to see it again. Or how you had to sit through an entire network news program while they spoon fed you stories you didn’t want to hear, all because of the fear of missing the story you did want to hear.

Thank god we live in the age of the Internet!

ISPs would not be allowed to “block, interfere with, discriminate against, impair or degrade” access to content or to prevent users from attaching devices of their choosing to the network. They would also be barred from making special deals with content providers to ensure speedier delivery or improved quality of service.”

This is a huge step towards internet neutrality.

read more | digg story

Being the avid Google fan that I am, I, along with thousands of others, awaited the release of the Google Pack with high expectations. Not so much for the pack itself, but to see which programs Google deemed worthy enough to land a spot in this illustrious assortment of software. However, when it was finally released earlier this month, the wave of disappointment over the community was astounding. The mediocrity of the pack was completely out of character for a company known for its innovation, creativity, and originality.

Allow me to express some of my opinions about the software included in this bundle. Shall I? Indeed, I shall.

Realplayer – The problem with putting a multimedia player in the ultimate bundle pack is that there aren’t any that really stand out from the rest. Real Player is OK, but so is QuickTime, and Winamp, and VLC, and Sonique, and even Windows Media Player for that matter. Each player has advantages and disadvantages over the other. In fact, I haven’t found one media player that satisfies all of my multimedia needs (at least not without a struggle). I personally use Windows Media Player, VLC, and occasionally Winamp. It really comes down to personal preference, and putting it in a pack like this is like putting an onion pizza in an ultimate food pack when just as many people like pepperoni pizza.

Adobe Acrobat Reader – Now this is a great program. In fact, I would say it’s an essential program. The thing is most computers already have this installed on them. It ships with virtually every new PC on the market. Not to mention with any software package that uses the Portable Document Format (PDF) for their tutorials/how-tos/instructions or other literature. Case in point, I was installing a video game last night called Far Cry and after the installation it prompted me to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. Of all things, a video games offers Acrobat Reader? There’s nothing ground-breaking about it being included in the Google Pack.

Google Earth – This is just Google showing off. It’s a great program and a lot of fun, but I would say it’s far from being essential. But then again, it is Google’s pack and they are allowed to show off as much as they want. If I wrote an amazing program like that I suppose I’d want it in my pack too. It’s just not a necessity.

Google Desktop – I tried this software for about a month and found it kinda of messy and clunky. It’s almost the sort of product you’d see from AOL or Yahoo, not from Google. It seems to veer away from Google’s minimalistic approach. I also get the feeling that Google is trying to force this particular piece software on users, a trait that also doesn’t fit well with Google’s usually consistent theme of being unobtrusive.

Norton Antivirus- You’ve come to the wrong place if you’re looking for a Norton supporter, or a Mcafee supporter while we’re at it. Both companies are a thorn in my side. They are system hogs and a bitch to uninstall. I’ve also never trusted any antivirus company that charges for their products. Their whole business is built on people getting viruses. Do I even need to mention the trouble Norton (Symantec) got into recently for secretly installing rootkits onto their customers computers. Come on! That’s like an animal rights activist kicking the crap out of a helpless Poodle. Sure, it might be fun, but it’s just wrong. Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.

Google also tossed in a screensaver pack and an art gallery viewer. I’m assuming these were used as filler. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they’re fabulous programs. My computer just doesn’t need anymore fillers.

Google didn’t get it all wrong though. They did manage to include some must have programs into their bundle. That got me thinking. If I had to make a Skyecade Pack, what amazing programs would I include in it? Hmm. Let’s give it a shot, shall we? Indeed, we shall.

• Firefox – A definite must have for the internet warrior. Firefox is a very customizable and secure web browser. This is one piece of software that Google got right. If there is one thing you should download from this list it should be this. And if you use Outlook for your mail, make sure to check out Thunderbird from Mozilla. It’s good alternative to Microsoft’s flagship mail client.
• Google Toolbar for Firefox Google got this one right too. But of course you’ll want to download the Firefox version and not the one for Internet Explorer since you’re a die-hard Firefox user now.
• Picasa 2 This cool little program made it onto Google’s list too, and I would have to agree with them. It’s a great program (owned by Google) that manages all of your photos on your PC. I was very impressed by it’s intuitive interface and use of tags, in addition to folders. It’s also relatively small and doesn’t install all kinds of other unwanted crap onto your computer *cough* AOL *cough* sucks *cough*. Excuse me, I had something gross in my throat.
• Trillian OK, well maybe Google’s not doing so bad. They did put this little gem in there pack. I’ve used this program for years now. If you’re like me, and pray your not, you may find yourself using multiple chat/voip programs. Trillian merges AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Windows Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk (Jabber format), and IRC in one tight little bundle. One chat program to rule them all. See that reference to Lord of the Rings right there? Yeah, that’s what I’m all about. Two other alternatives to Trillian are Gaim and Miranda. Both are also nice programs.
• Ad-Aware This is a spyware/ad-ware protection utility. This should be on every ones computer until a better program comes out. It detects spyware, trojans, malware, browser hijackers, dialers, etc… And it’s free.
• Antivir This is my rebuttal to Google’s endorsement of Norton Antivirus. It’s free, it’s better, it’s free, it doesn’t suck, it’s free, and unlike other companies, it will protect you against viruses, not install them. In 3 years of using this program there has never been a virus this program didn’t detect and remove. I recommend this antivirus program out of personal experience, but there are other free antivirus programs that are supposed to be excellent. A few are avast , AVG, and BitDefender. All come highly recommended.
• Keynote This is an outline program that I discovered by accident and now can’t live without. There are too many possible uses for this program to list here. Just download it and start experimenting.
• OpenOffice This didn’t make Google’s list, but in all fairness, I would be surprised if it didn’t make the next release of the Google Pack. I have completely abandoned Microsoft Office for this free office suite. It is fully compatible with all the standard office formats and continuously under development (an example of web 2.0 and the perpetual beta). It has has a word processor, spreadsheet application, presentation software, a vector based graphics program, and a ton more.
• WinRAR Windows XP has there own compression tool, but it isn’t nearly as robust as winRAR. Sooner or later you are going run into a .gz, or .tar and windows is going to curl up in the fetal position and crash. But fear not, you were savvy enough to install winRAR. Good for you.
• Filezilla Filezilla is an FTP program. Not all of you are going to need one of these, but should the day come that you need to upload or download large sums of files from a FTP server, this is the program you should have. I used to use smartFTP almost exclusively. It’s a good enough program, but I found when I really needed a work horse, nothing beat Filezilla. I could let the thing run all night and not worry about it losing a connection.
• Artrage I suppose I couldn’t classify this program as essential, but it’s cool as hell. It’s a very realistic creative art program. It’s also one of the coolest and most natural feeling art programs I have ever seen.
• Ubuntu This is the ultimate in free software. Ubuntu is a whole other operating system. Specifically, it is a version of the Linux operating system. Not only is it a free OS, but it comes with thousands of free programs, some of which are mentioned in this list. Other versions of Linux I’ve used are Red Hat, Mandrake (now called Mandriva), Suse, and Slackware. Slackware was my favorite for the longest time, but it definitely isn’t as user friendly as Ubuntu. And the Ubuntu community is amazing. See for yourself. Just be warned, this is not for the average Joe. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before you decide to go and wipe out you’re Windows partition. I don’t want any angry emails coming my way.

That’s all I can think of right now. That was kind of fun. I may add new programs as I remember them,
or as I discover them — which ever comes first. And don’t fret, I’m still a huge fan of Google, I just hope there’s no tension between us since the release of the extremely popular Skyecade Pack. I wouldn’t want to piss off Google’s shareholders or anything.

*No Poodles were injured during the writing of this article.

The article goes into the origin of Web 2.0 and the difference between the new version of the web and the pre-2001 crash of the internet now affectionately known as Web 1.0.