This idea is simple and straightforward. What if there were a protocol-compatible Microsoft Windows version of SubEthaEdit? This is a perfect chance to start a small software shop in the ‘Decade of the MicroISV’.
For those not familiar, SubEthaEdit allows any number of Mac OS X users to collaboratively edit files from anywhere in the world. Someone ‘hosts’ an editing session, and others login to that session. Everyone has their own cursor to run around the file and make changes in real-time, that everyone can see. It may sound geeky, but when you are trying to debug some config file, or working on a project together, this is invaluable. I have used it on countless occasions, along with iChat AV, to work on something with someone in another state. It is almost like being there!
Alas, SubEthaEdit is Mac only, although the Rendezvous protocol that they use is cross-platform. This leaves out a large portion of the population of computer users. Now, you could go make a clone of SubEthaEdit that did the same thing without interop, but I think the power is in the integration of the two, allowing all platforms to communicate with each other. You could even write one for Gnome/KDE if you wanted to.
I have contacted the codingmonkeys team, let’s see what they have to say about it.
SubEthaEdit allows location-independent collaboration, a Windows/Linux version would add cross-platform to the mix, a win-win-win for everyone (new business, SubEthaEdit crew, and all users).
Popularity: 29%
When I am sitting with any of my friends, we tend to come up with umpteen brilliant business ideas, if we only had time….
I created the ‘business ideas’ category here so that I can share these ideas with the world. These ideas are, in my opinion, valid and profitable, if only I had the time and money to pursue them all. I will post new business ideas here from time to time, and if it goes well, I might just spin this little idea off into a community blog, where everyone can share the ideas that they don’t have time to pursue, but still believe to be worthwhile.
Popularity: 18%
Started at the end of the WordPress upgrade (20 minutes ago), and I am now finished. Thank you Alex for making it this easy:
- Download TasksPro 1.5 and untar
- Edit database.inc.php to point to your database
- Navigate to Tasks Pro and run the upgrade that you are prompted to do
- Login and save your Preferences
Software upgrades really can be this easy.
Popularity: 18%
I just spent the last 1.5 hours upgrading to the new WordPress ‘Strayhorn’ 1.5 release. The database upgrade actually went OK this time, and the customizations upgrade was a bit trickier. The upgrade instructions could have been a little more clear, as I have always used my main sites CSS file to serve styling info for the blog as well. Note that when you ‘make’ a theme, you MUST create an index.php as well as a style.css, and that style.css MUST contain a comment header that Wordpress then parses to list the themes in the admin screens. Just an FYI.
I must say that the WordPress team is starting to get the hang of this whole upgrade thing, but they still have a ways to go before they catch up with the upgrade sweetness that Alex has in Tasks Pro.
Popularity: 16%
