Filed under: Business, Developer, Internet, Web services
Canadian web applications looking strong
The following is about Canada. And Canadian web applications. Now it's understood that there are some people who, due to preconceived notions, automatically zone out when they hear "Canadian Technology." Sure they may be ignorant, and they may be the minority, but they're still people. So, as a service to them, at various points through this post, some unintelligent, stereotypical anti-Canadian jokes will be displayed in brackets. This way everyone can enjoy this post. For example: Statistics show that on average, Canadians use the internet more hours per month than anyone else in the world (Of course they're online longer, it takes forever to send packets via dogsled!). 70% of Canadian households have internet access (but how many have running water?) and broadband penetration is around 67%. With all that bandwidth someone had to be doing something productive (like watching hours of curling highlights and maple syrup tapping festivals?).
This article compiles a pretty good list of the top Canadian web applications, most of which you've never heard of yet (lumberjack dating sites), but might in the future. Most of the apps have gained users worldwide, and at least one has one a Webby this year. It's hard to say if any of them will really take off, like Vancouver born Flickr, or if they'll fizzle out, but they're at least worth checking out. They run the gamut from helpful travel tips to the largest user-written news site in the world to a just-for-kids virtual world called Club Penguin (what, ran out of seals to club?). Maybe you'll never come to Canada, but you can at least check out what it's all about (aboot) online.
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian said 9:06AM on 6-28-2007
Oh, if only you knew the jokes we told about Americans....
It's all in good humor... until we release the polar bears....
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Sinzen said 4:54PM on 6-27-2007
Sad intro. Honestly. Quote: "Sure they may be ignorant, and they may be the minority, but they are still people"
Is that the best you got? I work for a company that is based out of the South and help nothing but my neighbors down there on the phone all day with their sad little software issues. So if you'd like to go there, then by all means...lets. Otherwise get off your high horse and if you are going to attempt to write something funny then do a little bit more research on your neighbors from the North.
In addition, let us all remember that adage that ignorance is bliss and although we may be a minority we still get respected where ever our flag is displayed, which is more than what I can say about some other places in the world.
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uros said 7:31PM on 6-27-2007
Ok, this post makes me not want to read Download Squad anymore. Good job
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Aaron said 12:08PM on 6-28-2007
How many other people have gone to Montreal, and a year later they receive a letter stating some parking violation and they have 5 days (literally) to pay for the mystery violation or else in 2 years they will be given a court date! Evidently us dumb fat rich Americans are target for them attractive smart Candadians (ha ha what a joke).
I agree, the download squad should seriously limit the pro-Canadian software nonsense, it's really crazy. What next, the Communist Chinese don't steal software Intellectual Property?
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Peter White said 12:24PM on 6-28-2007
Hm. Seems this garnered a little more animosity than anticipated. A couple of things. First and foremost, I'm actually Canadian, and this was more a light hearted jab at the stereotypical jokes that occasionally get thrown from the US to Canada, and nothing more.
Secondly, for Sinzen, "Sure they may be ignorant, and they may be the minority, but they are still people" was in reference to those people who automatically assume that anything tech that comes from Canada must be inferior, and not about Canadians themselves.
I apologize to anyone who took offense to this, the point was just a fun post to show a link to some solid web apps that you may not have heard of, nothing more.
Peter
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Xanda said 3:29PM on 7-01-2007
Aw c'mon folks! This type of verbal jabbing is counter to the spirit of free and open thinking. Bottom line is that there are fantastic, cutting-edge technical innovations being spawned by brilliant individuals from just about every corner of the globe (including some of the $$ poorest nations, I might add). Thanks to the internet and other technologies parity is now the norm and the playing field is more level. What a privelege to be part of this revolution! BTW, I'm neither Canadian nor American so hopefully my input is seen as objective.
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