Sunday, March 20, 2005

Technology Hell and a New Service from Yahoo

First, let me apologize for not writing much this last week. I have spent nearly 10 days in what I am now calling, "Technology Hell." My desktop computer gave up the ghost and my web site and e-mail has been off-line for nearly a week. During this time, two service providers tried to rip me off for outrageous service fees, while doing nothing to earn them. And all of this as a direct result of Donobi's non-payment of fees owed to the Grant County PUD (they finally paid only moments before a court-imposed deadline).

At this moment, my personal issues are on their way to resolution. A new computer is on its way, my web site has been moved to an extremely competent hosting service at a very reasonable fee, and I will be changing over to a different local Internet service provider when my contract expires in a few days.

Right now, I am still to angry to write about all this, but it is a story worth telling and I will do so when calmer.

By the way, if you could do me an enormous favor and try to access my web site at corkrum.com and let me know if you were able to get on. Please write me at jcorkrum@yahoo.com, as my incompetent service provider has not updated their DNS server yet with my new web site IP, so I can't receive mail at my regular e-mail address or even see my own web site (Oops...I am getting mad again).

Let's move on to today's story:

Yahoo is developing a new, free service designed to let users stay in touch with acquaintances such as friends, family, and co-workers via new and existing Yahoo services. The service will include the company's first blogging tool.

It is called Yahoo 360. The new service will enter a beta, or test, period on March 29, when it will be available to select users invited by Yahoo to try it out. Yahoo will expand the scope of the beta testing in coming weeks. If you would like to be a part of this, you can join a waiting list online.

Like similar offerings from Yahoo competitors Microsoft and Lycos, Yahoo 360 provides blogging within a broader service whose main aim is to serve as a communications tool between users and acquaintances. Similar to Microsoft's Space and Lycos' Circles, Yahoo 360 lets users do things such as publish blogs, share content, and post pictures, while keeping a tight grip on who is allowed to visit the Web site.

Yahoo 360 has also been designed to let users consolidate a variety of existing Yahoo services and content in one place, with the goal of increasing users' interaction.

I really like so many of Yahoo's services, as I have written about here. During this last week, Yahoo Mail saved me as it was the only way I could write and receive e-mail's. Their "My Yahoo" service has been my favorite portal for years and I use it on a daily basis.

This new service may be interesting to use as it is only open to people you designate and is an interesting way to stay in touch with family and friends. I hope I get invited to use it.

No comments: