Ink-blots

A tardy Christmas present... ink-blot wallpaper for your computer

Wikipedia vs. Google

Looks like Jimmy Wales thinks he can create a "Google killer". We will see. I am betting on Google.

A Wikipedia search would be based on the "wisdom of crowds". Crowds are not perfect (and mobs are worse). Keep in mind...

1. The crowd can choose between Alice Cooper and Ashlee Simpson
2. Ashee sells more records to the crowd
3. The crowd CLEARLY is in error in this case
   
   

More free stuff

Yet another service offering a free wiki with some pretty darn good functionality... Zoho

More on online gaming taxes

If you buy the $3 an hour rate stemming from the potential value generated in the game, Everquest has a per-capita gross domestic product nearly as big as Russia's. World of Warcraft exceeds it.

This article does a very good job in explaining the concepts behind taxing the virtual gaming world. To oversimplify, the more you play and collect gold, Linden dollars, experience points, whatever... the potential value if you "cash out" (sell your accumulations on eBay for example) can be significant.

So, is it fair to tax potential value? If I was at home writing "Harry Potter Balboa", should I be taxed on what might happen regarding revenue, or would it be better to wait until it actually hit the market before I had to pay up?

I think, therefore IM

Interesting article on IM. 50% of teens IM and one in five have asked someone out on a date via this medium. Basically the differences between IM and e-mail are minor, but it seems like popping the "date question" plays out better in IM.

Wonder why. Both result in text on a screen... I guess the cultural expectation of a response (any response) is higher with IM.

My parents went to Iconistan and all I got was the stupid T-shirt

I really like declaring the terrority engulfing the bottom of so many webpages for social networking purposes as "Iconistan"

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/internet/0,72282-0.html?tw=rss.index

Clearly a nation in unrest and with shifting borders. At some point, market (or Darwinian) forces will have to come to bear to thin the growing numbers of icons out at the bottom of content.

Options are good, but too many options would seem to limit the benefits we can gain from these tools.

Regardless, I totally want to apply for dual citizenship in Iconistan! Would that make me an Iconistanian?

Down the YouTube

I find it hard to believe the Bank of America's YouTube embarassment will be the last we see of some frustrated performers who got stuck in a crappy executive job instead.

Yet another reason YouTube will keep stealing time from me.

Wii

Will the Wii provide some push to the next model on human/machine interaction?

Dunno, but maybe I need to get one to find out. Research only of course.

Another gem from wikihow

I gap in my life has been addressed... I now know how to appreciate Death Metal

Swarmapaloosa

I still don't totally get it, but swarmbots are pretty interesting to read about. This article on swarmanoids further interests and confuses me.

The concept of 60 autonomous robots working in a virtual space to accomplish tasks -- coupled with all the Second Life activity lately -- makes we wonder if the deepest we end up going with AI and the like might occur in a 3-D world via your browser.