Hello.

I am Paul Kinlan.

A Developer Advocate for Chrome and the Open Web at Google.

I love the web. The web should allow anyone to access any experience that they need without the need for native install or content walled garden.

Topicala OPML Results are LAUNCHED!

Paul Kinlan

I've just added OPML output to Topicala, my topical result aggregation engine. Now, all results displayed on the site are also available in OPML format. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Read More

Topicala Is LAUNCHED!

Paul Kinlan

I'm excited to announce the launch of my new project, Topicala! It's a topical search aggregator where you enter a topic and discover all the related information. It's almost complete, just needs a few bug fixes and OPML output. Try it out with some example searches and give me your feedback!

Read More

Ajax Tagger is Updated

Paul Kinlan

The Ajax Tagger has been updated with a number of bug fixes and improvements. Key changes include using my own Tag Directory for related tags, providing Yahoo search results as RSS in OPML output, and fixing issues with menu item classes, OPML apostrophe escaping, and image selection persistence. Planned future enhancements include a Blogger interface, Kelkoo integration, addressing a cross-domain CGI request security warning, and Del.icio.us OPML integration.

Read More

Serializing OPML via an OPML Object Model

Paul Kinlan

I've just posted the C# source code for serializing and deserializing OPML files using a simple object model. The code demonstrates basic serialization and deserialization, creating an OPML structure with a head, body, and outline elements. While the object model is functional, it's not perfect and could be refined. The example code shows how to create an OPML object, populate it with sample data, serialize it to XML, and then deserialize it back into an object, useful for anyone working with OPML in C#.

Read More

OPML .Net Object Model

Paul Kinlan

I'm working on a .NET object model for OPML 2.0 to easily serialize and deserialize OPML files. Serialization is working well and creates correctly formatted files thanks to constraints based on the OPML spec. Deserialization is proving tricky as the XML Deserializer isn't enforcing those same constraints, allowing incorrectly structured OPML files to be loaded. I'll share the code and continue working on it.

Read More

Tag Directory Styled and also implements some caching

Paul Kinlan

I've given my tag directory a fresh look and made it faster with some caching! Check it out and tell me what you think. I'm considering integrating del.icio.us and Amazon product links, and I'd also like to auto-generate OPML feeds for each tag. Your feedback is much appreciated!

Read More

Malformed OPML

Paul Kinlan

My OPML files are malformed, specifically the apostrophes in attributes aren't escaped. If you use my Ajax Tagger v2, I apologize for this error, but it seems like it hasn't impacted many users so far.

Read More

Malformed OPML

Paul Kinlan

My OPML files are not correctly formatted, specifically with unescaped apostrophes in attributes. This issue affects users of my Ajax Tagger v2, but I haven't received reports of any problems so far.

Read More

RSS Bandit 1.3.0.38 has been Released

Paul Kinlan

I've just upgraded to RSS Bandit 1.3.0.38 and I'm really pleased with it. This version successfully imported Robert Scoble's huge OPML file, has a refreshed UI, and seems to load large numbers of posts much faster (maybe due to disabling XSLT formatting).

Read More

Update to AJAX Tagger OPML Ouput

Paul Kinlan

I've updated my Ajax Tagger 2.0 tool! It now provides related search results and outputs them as OPML, including RSS feeds for search engines like MSN, Technorati, and Google Blog Search. I'm looking for more search engines that offer RSS output. If you know of any, especially for Google or Yahoo, please share!

Read More

OPML Output now working

Paul Kinlan

The OPML output functionality in my AJAXTagger is now fixed! There was a bug caused by Internet Explorer's lack of support for the __proto__ construct, affecting how the script determined an object's type. This fix resolves the issue, ensuring compatibility with IE6 and IE7.

Read More

AJAX Tagger Version 2 Update

Paul Kinlan

I've been working on AJAX Tagger version 2 and it's ready for everyday use! It leverages APIs from Yahoo, Amazon, Flickr, and Technorati, along with Wikipedia and even your own site's content to find related articles. It's all AJAX-based, uses a unique request queue, and outputs in both OPML and HTML. Plus, it even suggests related Amazon products. Currently, it's IE-only, so check it out at www.kinlan.co.uk/AjaxExperiments/AjaxTag2 and let me know your thoughts! The UI/UX needs some polish, but that's next on my list.

Read More

What I am Doing About AJAXTag

Paul Kinlan

I'm changing the focus of AJAXTag. Instead of just giving users related information, I want to let readers explore and discover connections themselves. I'll create an interactive version of my blog, allowing users to generate an OPML file of related data. This is inspired by Memorandum, but focuses on user exploration within areas of interest. What are your thoughts?

Read More

Potential Upgrades to my Blog

Paul Kinlan

I'm planning some exciting upgrades to my blog! Soon, each post will feature a dynamically generated section at the end, pulling in related content like searches, blogs, images, and Wikipedia articles, all based on the post's context. No caching for now, but I'm considering it for the future. You'll also be able to subscribe to an OPML file containing an outline of all this related information for each post.

Read More

RE: OPML - Please enlighten me

Paul Kinlan

I'm struggling to understand the practical uses of OPML, especially given the inconsistent use of attributes like 'type', 'url', and 'xmlurl'. While I'm developing a JavaScript OPML object model for my own projects (like a tagging system where OPML stores related links for blog posts), I haven't found a clear standard for defining outlines. It seems like the 'standard' emerges from popular usage rather than formal specification. I'm particularly interested in how to determine the file type of items within an OPML outline, as my current application only uses links for pages and images (feed support is still pending). The lack of clear semantics in OPML makes it difficult to build dynamic applications that can 'mash up' content from different sources based on the OPML structure.

Read More

OPML JavaScript Object Model Updates

Paul Kinlan

I've updated the OPML JavaScript Object Model to support OPML Attributes for Outlines, increasing flexibility for developers. I've also incorporated an instanceOf method (source unknown - please let me know if you recognize it!) to add type checking when inserting OPMLOutlineAttributes into the attribute array. The added instanceOf function is as follows:

function instanceOf(object, constructor)  while (object != null) {       if (object == constructor.prototype)          return true;       object = object.__proto__;    }    return false; }

Read More

JavaScript OPML Object Model Update

Paul Kinlan

I'm working on a JavaScript Object Model for OPML and have found areas for improvement. I initially misunderstood the OPML spec, particularly regarding the attributes of the outline element, which are more flexible than I realized. This is important for handling things like files, links, HTML, and RSS. The current model has issues with proper quoting of characters like quotes and ampersands, but otherwise, the generated OPML XML seems good. I'll be updating the model to handle these attributes soon and will post more about the specific attributes in a future post.

Read More

OPML JavaScript Object Model

Paul Kinlan

I've created a basic JavaScript Object Model for OPML, which you can find here: http://www.kinlan.co.uk/AjaxExperiments/opml.js. It's not entirely finished yet, but the core structure is in place. I plan to write proper documentation soon.

Read More

OPML JavaScript Object.

Paul Kinlan

I'm developing a JavaScript Object Model for OPML, a first as far as I know! This is essential for my AJAX Tagger version 2, enabling dynamic OPML creation, flexible saving options, and real-time user interaction updates.

Read More

"Get outta my jungle."

Paul Kinlan

I just discovered that Latricia updated the XML::Feed CPAN module to merge RSS/ATOM feeds into one ATOM feed. This is awesome! I had a similar idea for AJAX Tagger 2.0, where I wanted to offer a combined feed of all tagged results. If this module works as advertised, I can use it directly instead of building my own tool. This might be a better solution than my initial plan of using OPML.

Read More

Finally a use for OPML

Paul Kinlan

I've figured out how to incorporate OPML into the upcoming version of the AJAX Tagger, enhancing its functionality. More details coming soon!

Read More

OPML. Nope I still don't get it

Paul Kinlan

I'm still confused about OPML. I know it's for sharing blog subscriptions, but I don't see the practical benefit for me or my readers. Even after checking resources and looking for OPML enthusiasts like Robert Scoble and Dave Winer, I'm still lost. Technorati's Blog Finder wasn't much help either. Wikipedia had the best explanation, but I still need to figure out how to actually use OPML.

Read More

OPML and BBC Radio 4

Paul Kinlan

I was listening to a BBC Radio 4 program about blogging, and a guest pointed out that US/European bloggers link to others more than UK bloggers. Inspired by this, I'm going to upload an OPML file so people can see the feeds I read. I'm starting to understand OPML's use in RSS feeds and online journals, planning to categorize my feeds. I'm also thinking of adding a section to my site for linking to interesting articles I find in those feeds, with my own comments.

Read More

OPML, What is the point?

Paul Kinlan

I'm exploring OPML and trying to understand its purpose and potential uses. I've come across mentions of it by Robert Scoble, who suggests it could connect various forms of media like podcasts and photo-sharing. However, I'm struggling to grasp how this would work in practice. I'm also looking into resources from Dave Winer and others to learn more. I'd appreciate any helpful links or information on OPML.

Read More