Minor Change V1.02

Whats different: Login screen will now properly show error messages generated by Plaxo to assist in troubleshooting.

Plaxo Updates its servers

Plaxo updated their servers on Monday, Feb 26, 2007. This caused a bit of a glitch for new users of the Plaxo4Gmail script. They have been prevented from getting a Unique Global Identifier for their Plaxo4Gmail sync engine. Many new users have been reporting to me they are getting a "513" error in the JavaScript or Error Console in Firefox or that they click on the "sign in" for the first time and nothing happens. I've spoken with Plaxo about the issue and they are looking into the error.

This is only affecting new users of the script. Existing users will continue to sync with Plaxo unless they erase the cookies for Gmail.

Minor update V 1.01b

Whats changed: a minor change in the script lets Google domain sites use the script. Thanks to ChicagoMicro (Julian) for the email account to test it on.

Minor Update V 1.01a

Whats updated: On 405 issued from Plaxo, (Bad Anchor) The script will reverse back to the missed anchor then go forward.

A better routine for adding new entries without email addresses has been developed. The old way occasionally caused contacts to show up twice when doing a new full sync with the server.

Prediction: White pages will be obsolete in 3 years

I just received my local phone book. What a waste of paper. I don't even have a landline. It just showed up on my doorstep in a plastic bag yesterday.

When I looked in it, my cellphone numbers are not listed. No surprise there. And looking at it, the yellow pages outnumbered the white pages 5 to 1. If someone was trying to find me, I do not exist in any white pages in the whole world. However if you did a Google search for me, you'd have my contact information in about 1 click on my public vCard page, vCardPlus [+!].

Being public about your persona is nothing to be frightened about. If you are in the white pages, you get those stupid phone calls around dinner. If you have your email posted in plain text, you get spam. What's the difference? Gmail's spam filter is as good as anybodies and I ignore the junk mail inbox anyway. I've never set up one filter and it works brilliantly.

So what do we need white pages for? Nothing. The white pages can't connect you to a person, only a house and I eat my dinner in peace every night.

The Gmail Hub to the Plaxo Hub

Why do we sync? Why do we need one set of organized contacts in multiple locations? In a world that is getting increasingly digital, the duplication of the same information means we spend more time searching for what we need to collaborate or complete a task rather than focusing on that task or contact.

When all our communication devices, address books, organizers, schedulers, planners are aware of each other by using the power of the network, we focus our energy on the task, not searching for the most recent contact information.

Each contact entry represents a person or organization that we have familiarity with. I may only need my auto mechanic or Doctor once a year, but I'd like to be able to contact him with his most up to date information from the most convenient source possible.

I look for hubs in this wheel of connectivity. Gmail is a hub. Plaxo is a hub. So are Yahoo! and MSN. The reason I choose Gmail and Plaxo is:

1. the options they provide,
2. and absence of overt advertising.

Gmail and Google advertise, but it is relevant to what I'm doing and therefore acceptable.

Lower down the list for me is interface and design. I still place high expectations on design but for me it is mere eye candy and I'd rather have speed over graphics. When an application has everything; speed, connectivity, intuitive interface, and expandable capabilities, you get Mozilla Firefox, iPods, Google Maps, Plaxo, iPhone or Scrybe. When it doesn't, you get most every other POS out there designed by committee, crippled by accountants & lawyers, and polluted with ads.

Sync settings I'd like to emulate with Plaxo4Gmail

I found a company called Spanning Partners who make a Mac iSync plugin for Gmail Calendars. I really like the appearance shown in the screenshots. I think I could emulate it's functionality for Plaxo4Gmail. I may add it to the list of the items I'd like to add on the next version.

Thunderbird, Firefox, Gmail, Plaxo, Greasemonkey and Plaxo4Gmail

I love Gmail. I love Firefox. I use Thunderbird occasionally. I'd use it much more if I could get Gmail's free pop3 email AND my Gmail contacts to stay sync'd with it. Nothing is worse than discovering you have a contact, but it is at home in Thunderbird.

Enter Plaxo. Plaxo allows me to sync my contacts with Thunderbird to the Plaxo address book database using a FREE tool bar.

Plaxo4Gmail connects to Plaxo and gets my address book into Gmail where I want it. This makes Thunderbird much more accessible to me and now I am loving it too!