Touchstone, an Attention product created by faradaymedia, announced today (October 1,
2006) an innovative Attention initiative called “Attention Profiling Mark-up
Language” or APML with the intent of letting people own their own attention
data.
According to APML.org:
“APML will allow users to export and use their own personal Attention Profile in much the same way that OPML allows them to export their reading lists from Feed Readers.”
What is attention data? Attention data consists of a combination of all the clicks a person makes online. It could include browser history, purchase history and any site specific preferences.
Possible uses for APML include:
- Keep control of your own Attention Profile - it's very valuable (read attentiontrust.org)
- Ask Amazon to export an APML file of your Attention Profile (the same one they use to recommend books to you) so you can move to another bookstore (just like OPML lets you easily switch feed readers)
- Upload your APML file to Digg to get a customized view of Digg stories that match your interests
- Use your APML to filter incoming alerts (using something like Touchstone)
- Submit your APML to an Attention Brokerage service to allow synchronized access to your Attention Profile across all APML compatible services. In this way all your sites and services can keep track of your changing interests
There are a couple of other Attention based initiatives
which include Attention Trust and GestureBank. It appears that Touchstone is not trying to compete with
these other services but instead plans to unify the services based on the
participation of the individual user. APML combines all of
a users information into one file that can be easily transported. Touchstone is also creating a product (screen-shot below) to monitor, analyze and recommends alerts based on the information it collections. The product sounds similar a product I highlighted previously, that Root offers. For more information on the Touchstone approach check out the Touchstone manifesto.
Bottomline: APML appears to be a step in the right direction however, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the industry accepts this new Attention approach.
