My thoughts on HandHeld content project: I think that AvantGo is the only real player, bringing web content to handheld users spanning multiple platforms while serving wireless and tethered users. I think we should standardize on a single paradigm for delivering/packaging our content to handhelds. I envision something like this: * The opening screen greets the user, offers some personalized data and a listing of content categories * THe category screens are branded and list individual pieces of content * The content is always split into two pieces - the first half and the second. * The end of the first half ends with a 'more' link which goes to a dedicated interstitial ad page * The ad page offers some advertising, along with an optional form to get more info or place and order. The bottom of the ad page has a 'continue' link to get the second half of the content. * the second half page displays the second half of the content, has a bread crumb nav to the home, the section and the first half. Standardizing upon a delivery model such as this does a number of things. * First, users do not suffer ads as they look for content -- only when they have found content they are interested in enough to read past the first page. * Second, it offers us a significant inventory of ad spots. * Third, because all sites are packaged the same way, we can sell ads to the 'mobile' demographic. Essentially a national play. ( Ohh, I said it ) * Fourth, it affords us the opportunity to do very targeted ads by site, section, article in the future without changing the app from the users perspective. * Fifth, it ensures that the ads are infact seen. More over, using the forms in AvantGo allows us and the advertiser to essentially collect click thru stats on on the ads. The ads may even take orders. This applies to online and offline viewing, wired and tethered. But there are some downsides. * I get the eye when ever I mention anything that smacks of a ''national play'' * Handheld advertising is different than traditional banner advertising. We're talking about interactive ads, offline clickthru counting, form proxies, etc. * AvantGo, despite being the premier player in this space, has given indications that it might be on the ropes. Palm will buy them if they're smart. * HandHeld advertising is not likely to bring in the kind of cash employment, realestate, etc. Especially since were just shoveling content available through other channels. We're selling the convience. We might have to look to actual functionality worth paying for, which is outside our usual realms. AvantGo Alternatives: * build our own conduit for palms * leverage the proposed Food Recipie app in some way. * look to other vendors or open source ( plucker ) None of these are likely to have the coverage and functionality of AvantGo