Re: Backlash vs. Third-Party Annotations from MS Smart Tags

 
Having followed this ahmmm. debate on a few other lists and seeming that
Smart Tags are out (for now in IE) a few thoughts:
1.	I have been waiting for some type of annotation system for some
time. If the web is truly the future of human information presentation
and entertainment, some type of personal marking is inevitable. Having
used many early e-book readers such as the Rocket and Softbook, my
biggest concern was the lack of ability to save notes and annotations.
2.	I can see how some would object to annotations; it seems many
site builders feel any change in presentation as a slap in the face.
However, once the anti-Microsoft bias is filtered, the only people hurt
by this "don't touch my content" attitude are the very readers site
builders want to attract.
3.	I easily foresee a home and office annotation server for all the
local markings done by a person or group. In fact the local server of
"web services" such as preferences and bookmarks and other personal
things could be ultimately stored there. I think more people would
accept that rather than some centralized authority keeping such personal
data. With ubiquity of networks and IPv6, such individual, openly
accessible servers are doable. In fact, that may be a driving force for
there introduction.
Charles lahaye
cplmd@asbank.com