Google and evil

After reading Lore Sjoberg's clever post on Google's mantra, I had a few other thoughts.

• If you plan to organize the world's data, offering a free (and useful) spreadsheet is a good start.
  
  
• I see to camps developing on search... (1) the Googlites, who say "damn the metatags - long live search algorithms!" and feel data utopia is only reached by math against the data itself -- and the (2) Boxers, who deeply believe we should apply 50 to 60 tags, ONLY from a defined list (created by the King Boxer I guess)
  

I am probably 90% Googlite, but figure some tagging (with flexiblity for the author to define the tags) is not all bad.

Is PowerPoint Evil?

Edward Tufte has declared PowerPoint as evil in this article.

I am not sure I can agree - although calling presentations "slideware" is pretty clever.

To harken back to the old "guns don't kill people, people kill people" mantra, I think it is more "PowerPoint isn't insipid, but the insipid can not be prevented from using PowerPoint".

And while taking no formal position on the former item, I always felt "guns don't kill people, bullets do" would have been more accurate.

But no one asked me.

Useless, but cute

The big difference between FireFox and IE...

One red paper clip meets Alice

An illustration of the power of blogs, and confirmation that Alice Cooper is a heck of a guy.

Wanna write a book?

The concept of being published continues to evolve.

You can agrue that a blog, MySpace, personal web pages, and so on... all enable someone with a few minutes, a degree of ego, and a desire to say something to be "published". I am not sure that "author by self-appointment" is resume material, but your words are available to others - so maybe it is of some note.

Or course, once out there, the market takes over (e.g. demand/interest in your ideas) and we enter territory much more familiar to Commecon. Anyway... if you want to convert your web musings to hardback or paperback, some pretty interesting options are out there such as: www.blurb.com

How geeky are you?

Geek test.

Just call me Mr. 42 (an emerging geek by their standards)

Wiki work - added some jargon

I totally love pbwiki.

Just added some jargon stuff to the Electronic Communication Commandments.

The visible hand

I am probably late to the party, but this looks like a pretty neat little tool to guide you to other related content - based on what you are viewing:

www.blinkx.com

They also offer some video search capabilities that I have yet to play with (beyond my usual "search on Alice Cooper" test):

www.blinkx.tv

Nice wiki software

Someone shared a very nice free wiki site with me and I wanted to pass it on:

pbwiki.com

Since my markup skills within this blog have been pretty sad, I thought I'd try to move some of my longer content into this forum (plus I can share the password and gain some help). Here it is:

commecon.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

Meta Wars

Just got back from a conference where a VERY vigorous debate was had over the value - or lack of value - in meta tags. Let's skip dwelling on how sad it is that passions could arise over such a subject.

Camp 1 - You must meta tag all content if you ever hope to find it, manage it, use it, and so on

Camp 2 - Camp 1 will require the user to input thousands of tags, people will revolt, chaos and so on. Bottom line, the context and linking of content should serve as the way content is found, used, managed, and so on.

Commecons's cut - Both camps should take a deep breath. Highly focused/organized content may well justify tagging - but PLEASE try and keep it to a minimum. Most content is best served by the context that develops around it. Let the market prevail when you can.

Supply side communications

1. Most information is useful to some people
   
   
2. Some information is useful to most people
   
   
3. Little information is useful to all people
   
   
4. The closer one is to the ownership of the information, the broader the appropriate audience appears to be

Unsafe at any processor speed?

Interesting questions raised in this post about the recent Windows security problem.

It is odd how we accept the frequency in crashes and need for patches to an operating system (Mac users too, by the way), when if our cable provider, cell phone company, gas company, chia pet, etc... had the same number of problems, we would show them the door.

Seems to me if hot coffee you place in your lap is a solid platform for litigational weath optimization... a blue screen should mean green too.

Just for fun

http://www.netdisaster.com/go.php?mode=meteor&url=foulballguy.blogspot.com

Pretty fun, huh?

Wikigate

So, the joke update to John Seigenthaler Sr.'s bio on Wikipedia that linked him to the Kennedy assassinations appears to be the "magic bullet" to broaden the awareness and understanding of wikis. Go figure.

Prior to Wikigate, I posted under construct 1 in Bob (a friendly document discussing constructs to improve electronic communication) that the new world of pervasive publishers would require FDA like categorization to let people know the grade of information they were dealing with. I even mentioned Wikipedia. Go figure.

I hope there is not a rush to "reform" the world of wikis. If there is, one would think blogs would be next.

*** Gamma content (and proud of it) ***

Meet Bob

After further reflection, the concept of a "manifesto" is a tad beyond the intellectual octane I could realistically offer. So, I am broadening the scope, and diminishing the nomenclature, of the content formerly known as the "E-mail Manifesto". Meet...

BOB
(A friendly document discussing constructs to improve electronic communication)
version 2.0

Whereas - Freedom without accountability results in bad things...
Whereas - Markets and scarcity promote thoughtful actions...
Whereas - Keystroke distribution is becoming a profound element of communication...

The following constructs are proposed:

Construct 1: Content categorization

While many different categories could be used improve finding and organizing information - breaking electronic communication down into three major groups would be useful in a world where everyone is a publisher (even Fabio):

Alpha content - Fully vetted content that has only come into being after rigorous review (example: www.thomas.gov )

Beta content - Content that has been open for review/comment/modification by a diverse audience (example: Microsoft support forums)

Gamma content - Pure opinion, conjecture, or rambling (example: this blog)

Wikipedia probably falls somewhere between Alpha & Beta

Construct 2: Market Valuation

All electronic communications should be subject to user feedback/rating and prominently display the current aggregate rating.

Construct 3: Universal monthly e-mail allotment is assigned to each individual (no family plans at this time)

Structure

Each individual may send up to 100 e-mails a month
Rollover concepts apply
Accounting is on an inbox basis (an e-mail sent to 10 people = 10 e-mails)
When you are out, you are out... Bub!

Benefits

Less e-mail (duh!)
Fewer hoaxes and chain letters
Greater judgment applied by all e-mail senders
Better quality of life for all e-mail users

Unintended, but still fully welcomed benefits

A burgeoning black market for selling excess e-mails (e-mail ebay)

Feel free to link to this construct with this spiffy graphic...

Note: Please help me out and e-mail me (kelly.thul@gmail.com) any additions/suggestions/enhancements. These e-mails are exempt from the construct 3 quota. I am aware of the hypocrisy of this approach, but I am at peace with it.

Deep search

Actions speak louder than words. http://50.lycos.com/ provides a weekly snapshot on what people are searching on.

Take a few minutes to review the list. I believe Lycos declared that "Janet Jackson" was the most searched upon term in the history of the internet after her Superbowl malfunction (I have no idea how that could be proved or disproved, but it sure sounds cool to say).

As I post this, this list is as of Nov 5. I would stop back and check the Nov 12 list. My bold prediction....

"Carolina Panther Cheerleaders" is going to have a VERY good week.

Far better than "Samuel Alito" I expect.

Infer what you wish from that.

Memo to Ken Williams

The difference could not be greater on how the "last out ball" was handled by Paul Konerko verses the Red Sox player who is "loaning" the 2004 ball back to the team.

Hits and runs can come from anyone. Class from a shrinking few.

Sign Konerko.

Now.

Apologies

Sorry for the baseball skew in recent posts.

If the past is any indication, I should remain quiet for 88 years or so now.

Pierzynski rules

On the eve of what will hopefully be an enjoyable World Series for White Sox fans, I thought I would suggest some communication lessons taught to us by Professor A. J. Pierzynski in the American League Championship Series:

Lesson 1: Sometimes "what the heck" is an effective strategy

Two outs in the ninth inning of Game 2. Two Strikes. Bad pitch. Bad swing. You're out... well kinda. Maybe not. A. J. thought the ball might have been trapped, so he ran to first base. Called safe - and several other things by Angel fans.

Lesson 2: If they don't hear the message, the message didn't exist

Game 4. Greeted warmly at Angel Stadium, Pierzynski commited catcher's interference. Or did he? The ump didn't see it and Steve Finley went "whee whee" all the way to an out at first base.

Lesson 3: Details matter

A. J. had an out call at first overturned in Game 5, because the ball was in the mitt, then the pitcher decided to pull it out, and then whack Pierzynski with empty leather. The three second rule for dropped food did not apply. Safe.

I can't help myself

Go Sox Go

(White Sox, of course)