Gay Talese on the state of journalism, Iraq and his life

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Gay Talese wants to go to Iraq. “It so happens there is someone that’s working on such a thing right now for me,” the 75-year-old legendary journalist and author told David Shankbone. “Even if I was on Al-Jazeera with a gun to my head, I wouldn’t be pleading with those bastards! I’d say, ‘Go ahead. Make my day.'”

Few reporters will ever reach the stature of Talese. His 1966 profile of Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, was not only cited by The Economist as the greatest profile of Sinatra ever written, but is considered the greatest of any celebrity profile ever written. In the 70th anniversary issue of Esquire in October 2003, the editors declared the piece the “Best Story Esquire Ever Published.”

Talese helped create and define a new style of literary reporting called New Journalism. Talese himself told National Public Radio he rejects this label (“The term new journalism became very fashionable on college campuses in the 1970s and some of its practitioners tended to be a little loose with the facts. And that’s where I wanted to part company.”)

He is not bothered by the Bancrofts selling The Wall Street Journal—”It’s not like we should lament the passing of some noble dynasty!”—to Rupert Murdoch, but he is bothered by how the press supported and sold the Iraq War to the American people. “The press in Washington got us into this war as much as the people that are controlling it,” said Talese. “They took information that was second-hand information, and they went along with it.” He wants to see the Washington press corp disbanded and sent around the country to get back in touch with the people it covers; that the press should not be so focused on–and in bed with–the federal government.

Augusten Burroughs once said that writers are experience junkies, and Talese fits the bill. Talese–who has been married to Nan Talese (she edited James Frey‘s Million Little Piece) for fifty years–can be found at baseball games in Cuba or the gay bars of Beijing, wanting to see humanity in all its experience.

Below is Wikinews reporter David Shankbone’s interview with Gay Talese.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Gay_Talese_on_the_state_of_journalism,_Iraq_and_his_life&oldid=4458128”

Complete Range Of Boots Exclusive From Tommy Hilfiger

Complete Range Of Boots Exclusive From Tommy Hilfiger

by

Rohdes

People of all age groups love to be trendy and to be the centre of attraction where ever they go. Be it just a rich person who loves to wear luxurious attire and accessories or be it just another funky college student who loves to be stylish, the love for fashion is overwhelming. It is pretty clear that the economic background is not a barrier for the people who are passionate about fashion and trends. This is possible because of the presence of several brands which provide amazing products at reasonable prices which makes it affordable for the so called middle class people. When someone tells you about fashion, the first thing that probably strikes your mind is fashionable apparel. But, it is very important to understand that shoes too play a very important role in any type of outlook, be it a formal dressing or a stylish one.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbceBQY-4kM[/youtube]

Since early ages, boots have emerged as the most widely used type of shoe among both the sexes. There are boots for both men as well as women, but it is more widely used among the masculine community. Boots have a lot of great characteristics which make them suitable for any type of use. There are different types of boots based on the design, style, type of material used, its texture etc. It is interesting that boots are classified on the basis of the height as well. Each type of boots has its own specialities which distinguish it from the rest. For example, high ankle height boots are very good when worn in winters. There are several brands that deal with boots. There are many leading international brands as well. But, most of them price their products too high and this fact makes it far from reach for people who can’t afford to shed extra bucks to buy well branded boots. In contrast to this, there are few brands which offer great boots at reasonable prices. Tommy Hilfiger is one among these brands and many men around the world have fallen in love with its products. Tommy Hilfiger boots are very popular and they are available in a wide range of designs and styles. Especially the stylish and slightly funky boots from this brand are very eye catchy and they will steal your heart the very moment you look at them. Tommy Hilfiger provides boots which are made from fabric as well. These fabric boots are trendier and they are loved by teens and college goers. It has a complete range of formal office boots as well for the white collar people. Panache Shoes is an online shoe store which sells different varieties of footwear and shoes from dozens of leading international brands. You can browse through hundreds of different models of footwear out in their official shopping website and buy them using trivial online payment options.

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An interview with gossip columnist Michael Musto on the art of celebrity journalism

Sunday, October 7, 2007

There are two things one can expect on a trip to see Michael Musto at the offices of the Village Voice: a 20-minute round-trip wait for the elevator and rapid fire answers from one of the most recognizable gossip columnists in the United States. Musto, in addition to his appearances on Countdown with Keith Olbermann and the E! network, has been writing his column for the Voice since 1984. He has recently compiled the best of them in a book released this year titled, La Dolce Musto: Writings by the World’s Most Outrageous Columnist. He was Carrie Bradshaw, replete with a prodigious use of puns, before Sex in the City was a thought. His column is a romp through his life, spats and opinions on socio-political issues. As David Thigpen of the Chicago Tribune wrote, Musto is “a funny and caustic satirist who masquerades as a gossip and nightlife columnist.”

Musto, a Columbia University graduate, is a rarity in today’s celebrity world: he is accessible. He often corresponds with his readers and his public functions are a mix of parties, nightclubs, academic lectures, university panels and film premieres.

He is friendly and frank, and he welcomes people to join him in his world (“I just got a message that Michael Lucas died!” he says staring wide-eyed at his phone; the message turned out to be false). Wikinews reporter David Shankbone spoke with Musto about his life and his relationship to the world of celebrity journalism. And he did not hold back.


Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=An_interview_with_gossip_columnist_Michael_Musto_on_the_art_of_celebrity_journalism&oldid=4579215”

NFL: Packers defeat Lions 31–21, Lions become first team to finish season with 0-16 record

Monday, December 29, 2008

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions on Sunday evening by a final score of 31–21, effectively ending the Lions’ season with an 0-16 record. The game was played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin and was televised by Fox in the United States. Kickoff was at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The Lions became the first National Football League franchise to complete an “imperfect season” (without a victory) since the introduction of the 16-game schedule in the 1978 NFL season. The winless season comes just a year after the New England Patriots did the reverse, accomplishing the NFL’s first “perfect” 16-0 regular season.

After trailing the game 14–0 entering the second quarter, Detroit rallied back to tie the game at 14 by the end of the third quarter. The Packers took a 10-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter with a field goal by kicker Mason Crosby (Green Bay 17 – Detroit 14) and then a touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to fullback John Kuhn (Green Bay 24 – Detroit 14). The Lions fought back with a rushing touchdown by Kevin Smith which left Detroit within three points of tying the game. However, just 11 seconds later, the Packers took possession and Aaron Rodgers completed a 71-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donald Driver (Green Bay 31 – Detroit 21). The Packers held on to the lead for the remainder of the game to seal their sixth victory on the season.

Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky was 22-of-42 for 225 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Calvin Johnson led the Lions in receiving with 102 yards and touchdowns. Kevin Smith led the Lions in rushing with 92 yards and one touchdown.

For the Packers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 21-of-31 for 308 yards and three touchdowns, and running backs Ryan Grant and DeShawn Wynn rushed for 106 yards each. Wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings led the Packers in receiving, both tallying over 100 yards.

Prior to the Lions’ loss on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only franchise since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger to finish a season without a victory or a tie. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished their season with a 0-14 record. It was the Buccaneers franchise’s first season in the NFL. Tampa Bay also lost the first 12 games of the 1977 season, and the team’s 26-game losing streak is still the longest in NFL history. The 1982 Baltimore Colts were the most recent NFL team to not win a game in their respective season, failing to win in the strike-shortened 1982 season, posting an 0-8-1 record.

Scoring summary
Qtr Team Time Scoring play Extra point Score
1 GB 09:02 Wynn 73 yard TD run Crosby kick GB 7–0
1 GB 01:33 Finley 3 yard TD pass from Rodgers Crosby kick GB 14–0
2 DET 11:22 Johnson 9 yard TD pass from Orlovsky Hanson kick GB 14–7
3 DET 10:28 Johnson 14 yard TD pass from Orlovsky Hanson kick Tied 14–14
4 GB 13:38 Crosby 36 yard field goal GB 17–14
4 GB 08:40 Kuhn 5 yard TD pass from Rodgers Crosby kick GB 24–17
4 DET 07:38 Smith 9 yard TD run Hanson kick GB 24–21
4 GB 07:27 Driver 71 yard TD pass from Rodgers Crosby kick GB 31–21

The Lions’ loss was closely watched by some members of the 1976 Buccaneers team, including defensive end Pat Toomay. Toomay told reporters, “I would like the torch to be passed…At the same time, you don’t want to wish that on anybody.” Toomay also pointed out that although the Buccaneers lost every game in their inaugural season, the team reached the NFC Championship Game in their fourth season (1979).

Steve Spurrier, the quarterback for the Buccaneers in the 1976 season, voiced his support for the Lions in their quest to win their first game of the season, hoping that only the Buccaneers would hold the distinction of finishing an “imperfect season.”

“I want that record,” Spurrier said. “I’m pulling for them, sure,” Spurrier added. “That’s the American thing to do, isn’t it?”

Entering the game, the Lions were 10½-point underdogs against the Packers in spread betting. Lions tackle Gosder Cherilus likened the team’s chance to avoid the 0-16 finish as a championship game. “It’s our Super Bowl,” Cherilus told reporters on Friday, December 27.

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The Lions surpassed the 1980 New Orleans Saints with their 15th consecutive loss on December 21 to become the first team in NFL history to lose the first 15 games of the season. The 1980 Saints lost their first 14 games, but won their 15th game against the New York Jets.

The closest margin that the Lions came to within victory was two points, which came against the Minnesota Vikings on October 12. Minnesota won the game by a score of 12–10. The 1976 Buccaneers suffered five shutout losses (in which they did not score a single point) in their winless season. The closest that the Buccaneers came within victory was a 23–20 loss to the Miami Dolphins on October 24, 1976.

Prior to the regular season, the Lions won all four of their games in the exhibition season, which do not count in regular season standings or totals.

While the loss didn’t come without a fight from the Lions, players from the team knew that they would be forever remembered as possibly the worst team in NFL history. “I’ve got to live with this,” Lions center Dominic Raiola said. “I’ve been here eight years. This is on my résumé.”

“I don’t ever want to be a part of this again,” Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky said. “We haven’t won since, November of ’07, maybe? I don’t even know the last time we won a game.” The franchise’s last victory in the regular season was on December 23, 2007 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Packers players were just as eager for a victory. Green Bay’s quarterback Aaron Rodgers said while their own season was disappointing, they didn’t want to be forever remembered as the team that lost to the 0-15 Lions in the final game of the season. “We didn’t want to lose, no, we didn’t,” Rodgers said. “But really it’s not on your mind once the game starts. I didn’t even think about it until the fans started chanting in the fourth quarter. They played hard, they really did.” Packers fans in attendance at Lambeau Field began to chant “0-16” late in the game.

With their victory, the Packers finished their 2008 season with a 6-10 record. With the loss, the Lions finished their 79th season since their inception as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1929. It was the Lions’ 75th season in Detroit, Michigan. The franchise also secured the first-overall selection in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft, a spot reserved for the NFL team with the worst record from the previous season entering the upcoming season.

After the game, Lions head coach Rod Marinelli declined to comment on his future with the team. Since being hired in 2006, the Lions have had a 10-38 record under Marinelli. The Lions have averaged 11 losses per season since 2001 and now have lost 23 of their last 24 games. The 0-16 record could be a lasting testimony to the Matt Millen era. With Millen as president of the team from 2001 until he was fired on September 24, Detroit won only 31 games. Millen was widely criticized for his handling of the Lions organization, and Lions fans rallied to have him relieved of duties for years.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=NFL:_Packers_defeat_Lions_31–21,_Lions_become_first_team_to_finish_season_with_0-16_record&oldid=4265501”

Walloon region of Belgium officially recognises mosques

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Belgium’s French-speaking Walloon region has officially recognised 43 mosques, thus giving Islam the same rights as accorded to other religions in the region. They will be permitted to build minarets on their mosques, and Imams will be added to the government payroll, as is the case – for example – with Catholic priests.

Moves are afoot to apply for official recognition of a number of mosques in the other two main regions of Belgium: Brussels, and Flemish-speaking Flanders.

Most of the immigrant population in Belgium are Muslims, but until now the mosques were not yet officially recognised. The traditional faith in Belgium is Roman Catholicism. Other minor faiths are Protestant Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, and Judaism.

Buddhists also recently applied for official recognition as a religion in Belgium.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Walloon_region_of_Belgium_officially_recognises_mosques&oldid=2045338”

Relocation Tax Assistance How To Optimize Your Companys Relocation Tax Assistance Policy

By Pat Thompson

A Substantial And Often Hidden Expense

Tax assistance is an expensive and sometimes hidden cost of corporate relocation programs. In fact, its the third most expensive benefit in a relocation program, on average, after home sale and household goods. More specifically, the 2008 Worldwide ERC Transfer Volume and Cost Survey reported that it cost an average $76,600 to move an existing employee, of which more than 10% was spent on employee tax assistance benefits. It can cost more to provide tax assistance than to pay for an employees house hunting, temporary living and final trip expenses combined! Since relocation tax assistance is a corporate benefit and not a legal requirement, we often ask our clients if their companys tax assistance policy is one size fits all or if their policy takes into consideration key factors such as employees unique tax profiles such as annual salary, filing status, the number of dependents they have, and the ages of their dependents.

The Importance Of Proportional Relocation Compensation

Companies with a one-size-fits-all tax assistance policy apply the same tax rates to entry-level, middle management and executive transferees. This can result in paying an entry-level employee too much, which puts a burden on the companys bottom line. Conversely, this approach can result in compensating an executive too little, which places a burden on human resources and payroll departments. While theres no single correct way to calculate tax assistance, this is an area where employers can strive for a company policy that is accurate, fair and cost-effective while taking into consideration other important factors such as corporate culture, industry norms and budgetary issues. Generally speaking, the more accurate a tax assistance policy is, the more cost-effective it will be.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tRXji7t6Ks[/youtube]

Minimizing Your Companys Relocation Tax Exposure

Company-paid relocation is a substantial benefit for your employees on multiple levels professional, personal and financial. But every benefit has a cost, and in the case of corporate relocation, these costs can be considerable. Although relocation tax costs are unavoidable, they can be minimized with a properly structured relocation policy and compliance with basic IRS guidelines.

Using Tax Laws To Reduce Moving Costs

Its a fact that tax assistance benefits cost an average 55-60 cents for every dollar of taxable relocation expense. In other words, a $10,000 lump sum payment could result in $5,500 to $6,000 of tax assistance costs. While potentially substantial, these charges can be mitigated: By properly structuring relocation benefits, taking advantage of relocation-friendly tax laws and customizing tax assistance policy to the needs of transferring employees, companies can control and potentially reduce tax assistance costs.

Closing Cost Reimbursement: An Easily Reduced Expense

While structured home sale programs have become the norm, many companies still take the more traditional approach of reimbursing their employees for closing costs after the home is sold. This is the most expensive and most easily avoided tax approach a company can take: Considering the average cost of tax assistance, a direct reimbursement program can result in $14,400 in unnecessary tax assistance benefits on the sale of a $300,000 home.

How Qualified Home Sale Programs Can Lower Unnecessary Tax Benefits

In November 2005, the IRS validated the long-held relocation industry position that qualified home sale programs result in no taxable income to relocating employees. However, this ruling came with 11 key elements that must be followed in order to qualify. Corporations can meet IRS guidelines for qualified home sales by using an agent to facilitate two separate and distinct real estate transactions that comply with the key elements addressed in the IRS ruling.

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Fifteen people killed in attack on Nigerian college

Friday, September 19, 2014

Officials said at least fifteen people were killed in an attack on a teachers training college in the Northern Nigerian city of Kano by a group of armed gunmen on Wednesday. Over 30 others were wounded.

News agencies have reported while there has been no claim of responsibility, suspicion will likely fall on the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. The group has previously targeted Western-style schools within the country, including past attacks on secondary schools.

According to official reports, police first approached the group in the area of the school, concerned about their unusual activity, and the attackers engaged police in a firefight. The attackers gained entry to the school and started throwing bombs.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan described the incident as a “dastardly attack”. He has already declared a state of emergency in three northern states, and is being criticized along with the country’s armed forces for failure to prevent extremist attacks.

A police spokesman said police killed two attackers at the scene.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Fifteen_people_killed_in_attack_on_Nigerian_college&oldid=2962487”

The Options For Swift Solutions In Used Automotives And Auto Parts}

Submitted by: Stewart Neufer

The average mileage for many personal vehicles is like 15,000 miles per year. You may need to tag the numbers you unearth on the mileage with what the seller says. If they do not add up, you don’t play ball. It?s that rather simple.

In situation you happen to be searching to purchase a utilized automobile, go internet. You?d be the good quality of some utilized vehicles you?ll locate out there. Surf and check their specifications. Once you obtain the one particular that you just like, go search for it. Beats driving around town till you find it, do not you assume?

Just by taking a look at the dashboard of a used auto alone, some people can simply inform if the mileage has been tampered with. You can expect to do nicely to have an individual like that with you for anybody who is checking out a single for prospective purchase. Their expertise is indispensable.

An excellent place to try to find telltale signs of the condition of a utilised car would be the gas pedal. There are not a lot of scammers who will go as far as restoring the new look on the pedals. Give consideration to that a priceless tip on how not to acquire scammed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4Y3rwKN5_Y[/youtube]

Thinking of selling the truck as a utilized automobile? You might want a get a cost listing initially. Recognizing the value of it could support a terrific deal when you put it out out there. So, appear across the market and find out what you can in regards to the truck so that you know what to location on it. Just after all, there’s no reason to lose on the sale.

Road vehicles normally put on nicely as a result of the way they are built and also the way you will be forced to use them. If you unearth a single such that you’re enthusiastic about obtaining appears as well nicely worn, you may choose to wonder why. Maybe it’s older than they say it really is. Possibly you do not need to buy that one particular.

If the used auto that you are about to buy has been maintained adequately, you will have the ability to tell proper after a really close look. Be certain you give it that close look as most effective you may so that you’re able to see whatever flaws are on it, and you can easily make up your mind if they may be flaws you are able to live with or not.

No put to use car is often a complete write off whenever you come to assume of it. The question, if you are ordering, is 1 about what you are seeking out, and how much that you are prepared to pay for it. whenever you have answers to this query, you’ll want to be capable of determine the issue when you basically do see it.

The quantity of trouble you visit soon after getting a made use of auto all is dependent upon what you had in mind though you had been getting. Maybe you would like to be a little clearer on that so that you get precisely what you are seeking – no much less.

When purchasing a utilized vehicle, you are going to need to check to see if the tire put on on every single wheel is equal on both sides of the auto. Not only can they be pricey to replace, but they could also imply that the mechanics of the automobile aren’t correct. As an alternative to contemplate making use of that to bargain for a lower price tag, it’s best to really not order a thing like that.

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Wikinews Shorts: February 3, 2010

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound jetliner on Christmas day with hidden explosives is cooperating with investigators and providing fresh intelligence after the U.S. enlisted the help of his family, an administration official said. His family persuaded him to cooperate.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been providing information to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents questioning him, the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The official declined to provide details on what kind of information Abdulmutallab was providing.

Related news

  • “Failed bomb aboard Delta flight” — Wikinews, December 26, 2009

Sources

  • Evan Perez. “Abdulmutallab Resumes Talking to Federal Agents” — The Wall Street Journal, February 2, 2010
  • “Bomb plot accused ‘co-operating'” — UKPA, February 2, 2010

Somajiguda
Somajiguda on the map of India

One person died and 41 were injured, including three nurses who are critically injured, in a major fire at Park Healthcare Hospital in Somajiguda, a suburb of the Indian city Hyderabad, on Tuesday morning.

The fire engulfed a major portion of the five-storey hospital’s first floor, along with some medical equipment and furniture on the other floors.

City police commissioner A K Khan said that a criminal case had been registered against the hospital management. “It is also being determined whether safety standards were followed by the hospital,” he said.

Sources

  • “Major fire at city hospital; one patient dead” — The Hindu, February 2, 2010
  • “Major fire at Hyderabad hospital; one patient dead” — PTI, February 2, 2010

Chinese authorities say they are preparing to launch a crackdown on melamine-laced milk after the scandal over tainted products, which made hundreds of thousands of children ill two years ago and damaged China’s brand reputation overseas, resurfaced.

China has dispatched inspectors to sixteen provinces to urge local governments to thoroughly investigate cases concerning food safety.

The decision comes after milk products tainted with the industrial chemical melamine were removed from sale in Shanghai and the provinces of Shaanxi, Shandong, Liaoning and Hebei, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said.

Related news

  • “Contaminated baby’s milk induces wave of child illness in China” — Wikinews, September 22, 2008

Sources

  • Edward Wong. “China Begins Emergency Check of Dairy Products” — The New York Times, February 2, 2010
  • Cara Anna. “Beijing begins emergency sweep for tainted milk products” — The Boston Globe, February 3, 2010

At least twenty-six people have been killed in Karachi, Pakistan after four days of ethnic killings, according to police officials. The officials said that nine people were killed on Monday in the city’s Orangi western neighbourhood, which has a majority ethnic Pashtun community.

The Sindh government has awarded special powers to the Pakistan Rangers under Section 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and imposed Section 144 in the limits of 26 police stations for a month.

At least forty people were killed as ethnic clashes erupted across the city in early January.Home minister of Sindh province, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has called upon the Army to restore peace and order.

Sources

  • Salis bin Perwaiz. “Rangers given control of 26 police stations” — The News International, February 3, 2010
  • “Deadly ethnic violence hits Karachi” — Al Jazeera, February 2, 2010
  • Zamir Sheikh and Nisar Mehdi. “Army asked to take over Karachi” — The Nation, February 3, 2010

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Wikinews_Shorts:_February_3,_2010&oldid=4329096”

OpenSync Interview – syncing on the free desktop

Friday, May 19, 2006

This interview intends to provide some insight into OpenSync, an upcoming free unified data synchronization solution for free software desktops such as KDE, commonly used as part of the GNU/Linux operating system.

Hi Cornelius, Armin and Tobias. As you are now getting close to version 1.0 of OpenSync, which is expected to become the new synchronisation framework for KDE and other free desktops, we are quite interested in the merits it can provide for KDE users and for developers, as well as for the Open Source Community as a whole. So there’s one key-question before I move deeper into the details of OpenSync:

What does OpenSync accomplish, that no one did before?

Cornelius:

First of all it does its job of synchronizing data like addressbooks and calendars between desktop applications and mobile devices like PDAs and cell phones.
But the new thing about OpenSync is that it isn’t tied to a particular device or a specific platform. It provides an extensible and modular framework that is easy to adopt for application developers and people implementing support for syncing with mobile devices.
OpenSync is also independent of the desktop platform. It will be the common syncing backend for at least KDE and GNOME and other projects are likely to join. That means that the free desktop will have one common syncing solution. This is something really new.

How do the end-users profit from using synching solutions that interface with OpenSync as framework?

Cornelius:

First, the users will be able to actually synchronize all their data. By using one common framework there won’t be any “missing links”, where one application can sync one set of devices and another application a different one. With OpenSync all applications can sync all devices.
Second, the users will get a consistent and common user interface for syncing across all applications and devices. This will be much simpler to use than the current incoherent collection of syncing programs you need if you have more than the very basic needs.

How does OpenSync help developers with coding?

Cornelius:

It’s a very flexible and well-designed framework that makes it quite easy for developers to add support for new devices and new types of data. It’s also very easy to add support for OpenSync to applications.
The big achievement of OpenSync is that it hides all the gory details of syncing from the developers who work on applications and device support. That makes it possible for the developers to concentrate on their area of expertise without having to care what’s going on behind the scenes.
I have written quite a lot of synchronization code in the past. Trust me, it’s much better, if someone just takes care of it for you, and that’s what OpenSync does.

Tobias:

Another point to mention is the python wrapper for opensync, so you are not bound to C or C++, but can develop plugins in a high level scripting language.

Why should producers of portable devices get involved with your team?

Cornelius:

OpenSync will be the one common syncing solution for the free desktop. That means there is a single point of contact for device manufacturers who want to add support for their devices. That’s much more feasible than addressing all the different applications and solutions we had before. With OpenSync it hopefully will become interesting for manufacturers to officially support Linux for their devices.

Do you also plan to support applications of OpenSync in proprietary systems like OSX and Windows?

Cornelius:

OpenSync is designed to be cross-platform, so it is able to run on other systems like Windows. How well this works is always a question of people actually using and developing for this system. As far as I know there isn’t a real Windows community around OpenSync yet. But the technical foundation is there, so if there is somebody interested in working on a unified syncing solution on Windows, everybody is welcome to join the project.

What does your synchronisation framework do for KDE and for KitchenSync in particular?

Cornelius:

OpenSync replaces the KDE-specific synchronization frameworks we had before. Even in KDE we had several separate syncing implementations and with OpenSync we can get replace them with a common framework. We had a more generic syncing solution in KDE under development. This was quite similar from a design point of view to OpenSync, but it never got to the level of maturity we would have needed, because of lack of resources. As OpenSync fills this gap we are happy to be able to remove our old code and now concentrate on our core business.

What was your personal reason for getting involved with OpenSync?

Cornelius:

I wrote a lot of synchronization code in the past, which mainly came from the time where I was maintaining KOrganizer and working on KAddressBook. But this always was driven by necessity and not passion. I wanted to have all my calendar and contact data in one place, but my main objective was to work on the applications and user interfaces handling the data and not on the underlying code synchronizing the data.
So when the OpenSync project was created I was very interested. At GUADEC in Stuttgart I met with Armin, the maintainer of OpenSync, and we talked about integrating OpenSync with KDE. Everything seemed to fit together quite well, so at Linuxtag the same year we had another meeting with some more KDE people. In the end we agreed to go with OpenSync and a couple of weeks later we met again in Nuernberg for three days of hacking and created the KDE frontend for OpenSync. In retrospect it was a very pleasant and straightforward process to get where we are now.

Armin:

My reason to get involved (or better to start) OpenSync was my involvement with its predecessor Multisync. I am working as a system administrator for a small consulting company and so I saw some problems when trying to find a synchronization solution for Linux.
At that point I joined the Multisync project to implement some plugins that I thought would be nice to have. After some time I became the maintainer of the project. But I was unhappy with some technical aspects of the project, especially the tight coupling between the syncing logic and the GUI, its dependencies on GNOME libraries and its lack of flexibility.

Tobias:

Well, I have been a KDE PIM developer for several years now, so there was no way around getting in touch with synchronization and KitchenSync. Although I liked the idea of KitchenSync, I hated the code and the user interface […]. So when we discussed to switch to OpenSync and reimplementing the user interface, I volunteered immediately.

Can you tell us a bit about your further plans and ideas?

Cornelius:

The next thing will be the 1.0 release of OpenSync. We will release KitchenSync as frontend in parallel.

Armin:

There are of course a lot of things on my todo and my wishlist for opensync. For the near future the most important step is the 1.0 release, of course, where we still have some missing features in OpenSync as well as in the plugins.
One thing I would really like to see is a thunderbird plugin for OpenSync. I use thunderbird personally and would really like to keep my contacts up to date with my cellular, but I was not yet able to find the time to implement it.

Tobias:

One thing that would really rock in future versions of OpenSync is an automatic hardware detection mechanism, so when you plugin your Palm or switch on your bluetooth device, OpenSync will create a synchronization group automatically and ask the user to start syncing. To bring OpenSync to the level of _The Syncing Solution [tm]_ we must reduce the necessary configuration to a minimum.

What was the most dire problem you had to face when creating OpenSync and how did you face it?

Cornelius:

Fortunately the problems which I personally would consider to be dire are solved by the implementation of OpenSync which is well hidden from the outside world and [they are] an area I didn’t work on 😉

Armin:

I guess that I am the right person to answer this question then 🙂
The most complicated part of OpenSync is definitely the format conversion, which is responsible for converting the format of one device to the format that another device understands.
There are a lot of subsystems in this format conversion that make it so complex, like conversion path searching, comparing items, detection of mime types and last but not least the conversion itself. So this was a hard piece of work.

What was the greatest moment for you?

Cornelius:

I think the greatest moment was when, after three days of concentrated hacking, we had a first working version of the KDE frontend for OpenSync. This was at meeting at the SUSE offices in Nuernberg and we were able to successfully do a small presentation and demo to a group of interested SUSE people.

Armin:

I don’t remember a distinct “greatest moment”. But what is a really great feeling is to see that a project catches on, that other people get involved, use the code you have written and improve it in ways that you haven’t thought of initially.

Tobias:

Hmm, also hacking on OpenSync/KitcheSync is much fun in general, the greatest moment was when the new KitchenSync frontend synced two directories via OpenSync the first time. But it was also cool when we managed to get the IrMC plugin working again after porting it to OpenSync.

As we now know the worst problem you faced and your greatest moment, the only one missing is: What was your weirdest experience while working on OpenSync?

Cornelius:

Not directly related to OpenSync, but pretty weird was meeting a co-worker at the Amsterdam airport when returning from the last OpenSync meeting. I don’t know how high the chance is to meet somebody you know on a big random airport not related at all to the places where you or the other person live, but it was quite surprising.

Tobias:

Since my favorite language is C++, I was always confused how people can use plain C for such a project, half the time your are busy with writing code for allocating/freeing memory areas. Nevertheless Armin did a great job and he is always a help for solving strange C problems 🙂

Now I’d like to move on to some more specific questions about current and planned abilities of OpenSync. As first, I’ve got a personal one:

I have an old iPod sitting around here. Can I or will I be able to use a program utilizing OpenSync to synchronize my calendars, contacts and music to it?

Cornelius:

I’m not aware of any iPod support for OpenSync up to now, but if it doesn’t exist yet, why not write it? OpenSync makes this easy. This is a chance for everybody with the personal desire to sync one device or another to get involved.

Armin:

I dont think that there is iPod support yet for OpenSync. But it would definitely be possible to use OpenSync for this task. So if someone would like to implement an iPod plugin, I would be glad to help 🙂

Which other devices do you already support?

Cornelius:

At this time, OpenSync supports Palms, SyncML and IrMC capable devices.

Which programs already implement OpenSync and where can we check back to find new additions?

Cornelius:

On the application side there is support for Evolution [GNOME] and Kontact with KitchenSync [KDE] on the frontend side and the backend side and some more. I expect that further applications will adopt OpenSync once the 1.0 version is released.

Armin:

Besides kitchensync there already are a command line tool and a port of the multisync GUI. Aside from the GUIs, I would really like to see OpenSync being used in other applications as well. One possibility for example would to be integrate OpenSync into Evolution to give users the possibility to synchronize their devices directly from this application. News can generally be found on the OpenSync web site www.opensync.org.

It is time to give the developers something to devour, too. I’ll keep this as a short twice-fold technical dive before coming to the takeoff question, even though I’m sure there’s information for a double-volume book on technical subleties.

As first dive: How did you integrate OpenSync in KitchenSync, viewed from the coding side?

Cornelius:

OpenSync provides a C interface. We wrapped this with a small C++ library and put KitchenSync on top. Due to the object oriented nature of the OpenSync interfaces this was quite easy.
Recently I also started to write a D-Bus frontend for OpenSync. This also is a nice way to integrate OpenSync which provides a wide variety of options regarding programming languages and system configurations.

And for the second, deeper dive:

Can you give us a quick outline of those inner workings of OpenSync, from the developers view, which make OpenSync especially viable for application in several different desktop environments?

Cornelius:

That’s really a question for Armin. For those who are interested I would recommend to have a look at the OpenSync website. There is a nice white paper about the internal structure and functionality of OpenSync.

Armin:

OpenSync consists of several parts:
First there is the plugin API which defines what functions a plugin has to implement so that OpenSync can dlopen() it. There are 2 types of plugins:
A sync plugin which can synchronize a certain device or application and which provides functions for the initialization, handling the connection to a device and reading and writing items. Then there is a format plugin which defines a format and how to convert, compare and detect it.
The next part is a set of helper functions which are provided to ease to programming of synchronization plugins. These helper functions include things like handling plugin config files, HashTables which can be used to detect changes in sets of items, functions to detect when a resync of devices is necessary etc.
The syncing logic itself resides in the sync engine, which is a separate part. The sync engine is responsible for deciding when to call the connect function of a plugin, when to read or write from it. The engine also takes care of invoking the format conversion functions so that each plugin gets the items in its required format.
If you want more information and details about the inner workings of OpenSync, you should really visit the opensync.org website or ask its developers.

To add some more spice for those of our readers, whose interest you just managed to spawn (or to skyrocket), please tell us where they can get more information on the OpenSync Framework, how they can best meet and help you and how they can help improving sync-support for KDE by helping OpenSync.

Cornelius:

Again, the OpenSync web site is the right source for information. Regarding the KDE side, the kde-pim@kde.org mailing list is probably the right address. At the moment the most important help would be everything which gets the OpenSync 1.0 release done.
[And even though] I already said it, it can’t be repeated too often: OpenSync will be the one unified syncing solution for the free desktop. Cross-device, cross-platform, cross-desktop.
It’s the first time I feel well when thinking about syncing 😉.

Armin:

Regarding OpenSync, the best places to ask would be the opensync mailing lists at sourceforge or the #opensync irc channel on the freenode.net servers.
There are always a lot of things where we could need a helping hand and where we would be really glad to get some help. So everyone who is interested in OpenSync is welcome to join.

Many thanks for your time!

Cornelius:

Thanks for doing the interview. It’s always fun to talk about OpenSync, because it’s really the right thing.

Armin:

Thank you for taking your time and doing this interview. I really appreciate your help!

Tobias:

Thanks for your work. Publication and marketing is something that is really missing in the open source community. We have nice software but nobody knows 😉

Further Information on OpenSync can be found on the OpenSync Website: www.opensync.org


This Interview was done by Arne Babenhauserheide in April 2006 via e-mail and KOffice on behalf of himself, the OpenSource Community, SpreadKDE.org and the Dot (dot.kde.org).It was first published on the Dot and is licensed under the cc-attribution-sharealike-license.A pdf-version with pictures can be found at opensync-interview.pdf (OpenDocument version: opensync-interview.odt)

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

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