OStatic

Ever heard of the BackType API? It's a free and open API that allows you to build mini applications around HTTP GET and POST requests. As TechCrunch notes, there is a very useful new applet built around it called ConvoTrack that allows anyone to instantly see what people are saying online about particular articles, blog posts and the like. I've been using it in conjunction with sites I visit frequently and articles from online writers that I like, and it's definitely a quick way to leap out of the localized comments found on blogs and many sites, and get a much larger picture of what people are talking about. It's easy to try it out, too, with no software installation needed. Here's how.

In a post yesterday, I made the point that proprietary software applications are benefitting greatly from building on top of open source components. This is a beneficial trend that is largely missed by those who see open source as threatening to collapse proprietary software pricing models. In the blogosphere today, there is much hubbub over rumors that Google is about to buy Twitter. Without a doubt, Twitter has become a social phenomenon (many celebrities use it, in addition to nearly everyone else), and the company has already been offered hundreds of millions of dollars for an acquisition before. But did you know that Twitter is based largely on open source components?