Anti-US feelings on the rise.

There is a rising tide of general annoyance with US web users. (not only because the US is still spam central at 86% although this doesn't help, I'm sure.) For a single (new) reason - the US Elections.

The general feeling among non-US users (who make up more than 60% of web users) is that the level of mention of that which is arguably an internal affair has now reached the point that can be called abuse. (I have to admit that I find the focus on US elections in slashdot news irritating as a non-US human.)

But this is simply a symptom of a much wider problem that can be embodied by the phrase: "I hate the US!". However, this goes way beyond a few irrational and nasty terrorists with a preference for blowing things up. It is focused strongly in Europe where, (with the man on the street), the general feeling is that it is safer to fight against the US in a war than with them as they tend to only shoot thier own guys. The average European citizen can be heard to exclaim at least once a week "What do you expect - they're Americans!" in the same condescending tones we tend to save for talking about naughty children. The UK, for example, has a wealth of amusing "In America they..." style stories and the "Arrogant American" has now surpassed the "foolish Irishman" in the general humour of pub jokes.

This feeling has led to a UK best seller
"Why Do People Hate America?"

The Independent (UK national newspaper) calls it "required reading." which is generally taken as an indicator of national opinion. while Noam Chomsky is quoted as saying it "contains valuable information that we should know, over here, for our own good, and the world's."

This brings us full circle back to the question of how exactly are Americans helping their national image with the current torrent of political debate that can be fairly repetitive. What do you slashdotters think about this potential world-wide PR disaster for America?

- posted by Matt the Hat @ 3:02 AM (0) comments

MaxWebEdit V1.2 is out now!!

MaxWebEdit | MWEdit Information: "1.2 Beta - Currant 'Stable' Version
This was released solely to ensure that there was more widely available a copy of MaxWeb. It contains a number of experimental features and comes with no guarantees. At time of launch it was line for line the same as used here."

MWE have announced the release of a "testing" final version to ensure that users can get Max Web if they need it. This comes as news of a set back to the promised release of MWE and the news of 1.5 from another crew of Max Webbers. Is this going to be a product war?

Apparently not as MW-Edit have said that they are waiting for 1.5 so they can add it to the project.

no point letting good code go to waist I guess.
- posted by Matt the Hat @ 1:52 PM (0) comments

Max Web Portal v 1.5 Comeing Soon! - MaxWebEdit | Forums | Developers News

Max Web Portal v 1.5 Comeing Soon! - MaxWebEdit - Developers News: "See more info here. It looks as if Max Web Portal is undergoing a long awaited change. So much so that the news with the MWEdit crew seems to be that we should all now wait for 1.5 and edit from there.
MWP 1.5 is open for testing and there is no clear date as to when this project will be released for public consumtion.
Soon we hope."

- posted by Matt the Hat @ 5:01 AM (0) comments

MWP 1.5 is almost ready!
The latest version of MWP version 1.5 is about to hit the download and it is good. The new theme method allows multiple changeable themes and any number of MODs have now become standard. 1.5 is to 1.3 as 1.3 was to pen and paper!

This is something worth waiting for!

- posted by Matt the Hat @ 5:05 AM (0) comments

I still feel shock
I feel a deep and abiding shock at the fall of MaxWebProtal - forums. I had thaught them part of the mainstay of MaxWebbing, possibly forever.

I miss already the gental banter and the creaky group dynamics. I remember the need for change and did not ever comprihend that this might be that change.

I am stuned and awed in equall measure.

I am stunned byt he brutal reality of the ending and morn the passing of that site like I would an old friend. Yet there is a hope and a goal. From this there will arise a champion, a new site a forward projection of the development. This site will be the one that gains most momentum and takes the lead. There will be a new single entity that will lead the others.

It is the dawn of the second age of MaxWeb! Where we go from here is up to you.
- posted by Matt the Hat @ 1:42 PM (0) comments

MaxWebPortal is dead Long Live MAxWebPortal

It would seem that Max Web Portal is dead. It died honerably putting up a fight against evil hacker-crackers and is not expected to come back.

However rising like a phinex from the ashes come three new sites.

MaxWebPortal-Mods who seem to be well organised and are the natural prograssion from talks that took place on and off site before MWP died.

Mod n theme - a sub site from Frozen winds that seems to eb doing the same kind of thing as MWP-M

MWEdit aka MaxWeb Edit (MWE) - This site seems to be diverging some what but have also opened their doors to members of the MaxWeb World and seem to be giving support.

Only time will tell if MWP will see version 1.4 or not or indeed if the original makers have moved onto other things.

- posted by Matt the Hat @ 7:19 AM (0) comments