Machines that Blog

A blog, or web log, is a popular means of distributing news or sharing opinions on the internet. However, as this article points out, blogging can extend beyond the realm of amateur journalist into the machine automation world. Devices can automatically upload their current configuration, status, or other information to the web for the purpose of monitoring and documenting operations. The protocols typically used for blogging are XML and RSS, which allow more customization and data accessibility. The real benefit of using these protocols is the ability to take raw data feeds and integrate them directly into portals and other applications. XML is a common language format that works with many devices and both machines and humans are capable of reading. RSS is actually a XML based-format that is usually in the form of web summaries that also provide links to the full detailed text. These formats allow machine-to-machine communications that can be used by a supervisory program for monitoring and control. The result of all this is a much more intelligent network instead of one that relies on email alerts. This technology can immediately benefit factory automation, medical devices, and the growing machine to machine segment.