Looks like I would like this XMLStarlet toolkit as having to build a XSLT document or Java program each time I want to process XML is inconvenient.

XMLStarlet is a set of command line utilities (tools) which can be used to transform, query, validate, and edit XML documents and files using simple set of shell commands in similar way it is done for plain text files using UNIX grep, sed, awk, diff, patch, join, etc commands.

This set of command line utilities can be used by those who deal with many XML documents on UNIX shell command prompt as well as for automated XML processing with shell scripts.

I’ve been looking for a tool that can take a Word document (any Word document) and transform it into clean XHTML document. Turns out I had such a tool already: recent versions of Kword do it!

As part of our blog project, I found out that RedHat Enterprise was a really locked up distribution. However, the nice people at CERN make available apt for RedHat. A very useful tool! All you have to do to update your machine is to use apt-get.

I would go with gentoo, but if you need RedHat Enterprise, this is not a bad choice.

The CoopIS 2005 Call for Papers is out.

The Cooperative Information System (CIS) paradigm has been growing and gaining substance in technological infrastructure (e.g., middleware and Web technologies) and application areas (e.g., Business Process Management, e-Commerce, e-Government, and virtual enterprises). The paradigm involves large networks of information systems that manage large amounts of information and computing services and cooperate as-needed to fullfil their mission.

The CoopIS conference series has established a prestigious international forum for exchanging ideas and results on scientific research from a variety of Computer Science areas, such as CSCW, Internet data management, electronic commerce, human-computer interaction, workflow management, web services, agent technologies, and software architectures.

I recently realized that I suffer from the hard problem, hot coffee syndrome.

What is it? Well, when I have a hard problem to solve on my to do list, and if this problem has become a priority, I will start procrastinating. So far, that’s not uncommon. But then, because I try to muster enough energy to tackle the problem, I will start drinking more and more coffee, up to 3 or 4 a day. At this point, I become really energetic, at least for a little while, but I find all sorts of convenient ways to avoid the problem I must solve. For example, I will start writting on my blog instead of working hard on my problem.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to this damn problem… or go drink another coffee…

Through Harold, I found this quote by Seth Godin regarding the recent events (Google hired a key Firefox developer):

1. Running a successful open source effort is a great idea. I can’t think of an individual who has invested the time and not had a great personal outcome as well.

2. Google understands what I failed to persuade Yahoo! of a long time ago–owning the browser is a home run. Microsoft has botched their ownership of IE, because they think like bullies, and you can’t bully consumers into doing what they don’t want to do. The idea of a Google browser is powerful from both a user and a commercial perspective, mainly because Google’s culture will make it work.

From Catherine Roy, I learned that there is now a screenreader for Mozilla Firefox. This is an essential tool for visual impaired Web surfers. The adaptation to Firefox is a GPL but JAWS itself is a commercial (Windows-only?) tool.

What do visually impaired Linux users do? I know KDE has an accessibility initiative, but how does it compare with the Windows or Mac universe? Are there screenreaders for Firefox under Linux? I suspect that Linux (or even Mac) is probably behind in this respect?

Update: it looks like Fire Vox could be a better alternative.

Some Web site dies, another becomes a classic. If you ever have to use gnuplot, the classical scientific plotting tool, then the gnuplot tips (not so Frequently Asked Questions) page is really a must. It has also improved recently.

If you use gnuplot and have never seen this page, go now!

I just noticed the ICKM2005 Call for Papers.

The second International Conference on Knowledge Management (ICKM2005) will be held at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in the Westin Charlotte, North Carolina on October 27-28, 2005. The conference will bring together academics, researchers, developers, practitioners, and users in the areas of knowledge management and information processing. It will serve as a platform for networking, exchange of research ideas, practical applications and best practices. Authors are invited to submit original and unpublished work on all aspects of information and knowledge management. Specific topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

Following some requests I got about the paper Slope One Predictors for Online Rating-Based Collaborative Filtering, I decided to make available a technical report which actually gives some SQL and PHP code: Implementing a Rating-Based Item-to-Item Recommender System in PHP/SQL.