February
The View from LAX
Thursday, February 28, 2008 4:21 PM (permalink)
Barriers to Innovation
Thursday, February 28, 2008 2:46 PM (permalink)
Is it possibly true that it could take a half a billion dollars to successfully compete with World of Warcraft? If Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is correct in this, it is not only a potentially untraversable strategic moat, it is also a real barrier to innovation. Sure, there will always be quality shareware and MMORPG's published with less grandiose ambitions, but if the price of entry for something truly transcendent is $500 Million, where will the next WoW come from? Will anyone even try with a potentially huge loss, and even many positive scenarios showing marginal return on investment? Not to mention the gamer's investment--with WoW soaking up so much online time (indeed, requiring it for in-game success), how many mainstream gamers will make that investment?
Yet, history indicates that someone will try, and someone will succeed. I can't wait to see what that looks like.
An Unsatisfying Flirtation
Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:37 AM (permalink)
For a lark, I experimented with using creaky old Radio to upstream this blog instead of exporting from Tinderbox and manually uploading the site using FTP. Experiment over. While both options gave me a locally published weblog (which I prefer, cause I'm 'fussy' that way) and I still did a lot of my writing in Tinderbox, Radio's far-too-easy one-click interface between RSS and posting (and merciless, constant upstreaming) actually affected my writing--my blog posts were essentially becoming Twitter posts. I use Twitter for twitter posts, and I don't think I add any real value as a link-blogger, so the past two month's worth of my blogging output were strangely untherapeutic, and God knows I need therapy. I know pretty much any blogging tool can be customized to suit one's particular style, but it is funny how, all things being equal, my 'style' changed immensely from one tool to the other.
Old Radio links still work for now; will redirect them on my next big honkin' flight across the Atlantic.
Data Visualization
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 9:04 AM (permalink)
I am finally going to take Edward Tufte's course here in Raleigh Durham later next month. When I am done, I expect to be able to make data visualizations like this one from the New York Times this week. Take that, PowerPoint.
Hillary Clinton's support with white union workers erodes in Wisconsin
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:03 AM (permalink)
Click here to read more on my Exit-Poll.net post.
Dopplr
Saturday, February 23, 2008 9:03 AM (permalink)
I just signed up for Dopplr to track my travel. Do check it out and sign up--maybe I'll see you on the road!
Delta, Shmelta
Saturday, February 23, 2008 9:02 AM (permalink)
Four flights in 36 hours on Delta, and an unbelievably bad experience the whole way around. How can they be in such bad financial shape when all 4 (and a 5th I tried to stand by on) were overbooked and packed to the gills? I had four very crowded (no room for all carryons) very cramped flights--and if you missed a connection (which I luckily did not) you would be screwed because there was not one available seat for the rest of the day. Maybe if I had Medallion status on Delta I wouldn't have had such a bad experience, but should they care about how the rest of us 99% feel? I'm glad they are booked to capacity; they can do it without me from now on. Business travelers need flexibility, and if I miss a flight, I do not want to be told that I have to be away from my family an extra day because they overbooked everything. Thankfully, lots of Lufthansa, Emirates, Swissair and Continental (still my favorite US Major) in my future for the next two months.
Please Stay Awake...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 9:01 AM (permalink)
...I have to fly to LA tomorrow.
Chartjunk
Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:00 AM (permalink)
This is some first-class data manipulation here. Check out the maps presented as "data" in this article, and see if you spot the problem:
Russell Shaw: "Usury Maps" Show Hypocrisy of Many "Christian Conservative" Pols.
Hint: Do you think North Carolina, Georgia and West Virginia are not high on the "Christian Power List?" If you check the underlying data, you can see what went on here: if those states, where payday-lending is illegal, were colored correctly on the "Christian Power" map, that graphic is not nearly so compelling.
Does Talk Radio Matter?
Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:00 AM (permalink)
I had some great exit poll data to work with today on that very issue, taken from our work on the Chesapeake Primaries yesterday. My conclusion--talk radio pundits may influence attitudes, but not beliefs, and most Republicans in those contests tended to vote with their core values more than on the strength of individual issues. Anyway, read the whole piece on talk radio and politics here.
It was so painless and easy to cancel my T-Mobile Hotspot account that I almost felt bad doing it.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 8:59 AM (permalink)
Utah's "Monolithic" Mormon Vote
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 8:59 AM (permalink)
Utah's 'monolithic' Mormon Vote
Starbucks Drops T-Mobile
Monday, February 11, 2008 8:58 AM (permalink)
Starbucks Drops T-Mobile Hotspots, Brings in AT&T WiFi. On Monday, Starbucks announced that it will be dropping T-Mobile as its exclusive WiFi provider and instead going with AT&T. This was my instant impetus to rid myself of hotspot memberships entirely, and finally switch over to Sprint's EVDO system.
[Wired: Top Stories]Why do paper cuts hurt so bad?
Saturday, February 9, 2008 8:57 AM (permalink)
Bob Mould - "District Line"
Saturday, February 9, 2008 8:51 AM (permalink)
There are very few artists who have remained vital, relevant and powerful for at least three decades, and fewer still that have done so with three or more different bands/musical identities. Paul McCartney (Beatles/Wings/Solo), Paul Weller (Jam/Style Council/Solo) and Neil Finn (Split Enz/Crowded House/Solo) are certainly in that all time musical pantheon. For me, you have to add Bob Mould to that list--for three decades he has cranked out everything from thrash to introspective folk to electronica as a member of Husker Du, the frontman for Sugar, or as a solo artist. Bob's records have been important purchases for me from my first year in college (when I discovered Husker Du) to today, and I never fail to catch his shows when I can.
Bob's new disc, "District Line," was a must buy for me. He has finally managed to fuse together the power-chord thrash of his earlier recordings with his more experimental electronic musings of recent years into--a pop record! Well, kind of a pop record. In any case, it's on heavy rotation for me at the moment. So far, my favorite track has to be "Again and Again," which is a break-up song with Bob's typical flair for finality:
Took the bullets from the carport; threw them in a backpack
Placed a set of keys inside the grill
I left the title to the house inside the piano bench,
And my lawyer's got the will
When Bob Mould breaks up with you, dog, you done stay broke.
Economic Indicators
Friday, February 8, 2008 8:51 AM (permalink)
The Huffington Post reports that Wal-Mart customers are using their holiday gift cards to buy groceries. That can't be good.
You Catch More Flies With Honey
Thursday, February 7, 2008 8:50 AM (permalink)
But why would you want to catch flies? Never understood that one. Anyway, I rolled into the Newark Airport Hilton late last night in preparation for an insanely early flight back to tha RDU to recuperate from Super Tuesday. For a lark, I tried the self-service kiosk to check in, and promptly lost my credit card. Though I was pretty wiped and a little punchy, I held it together pretty well and even made a joke about it. Much to my surprise and delight, they not only treated me to dinner (I was starving) but also upgraded me to some kind of bridal/presidential suite, the last guest of which was Chaka Khan (or so they told me). So, that put a little extra funk in my trunk, let me tell you.
So, I salute you, Newark Airport Hilton. I had a nice crab cake, a cold beer and a night with Chaka. I see so many business travelers at airports and hotels blow their stacks at life's minor annoyances. If you can't keep your cool for your health's sake, or to avoid humiliating folks who are just trying to do their job, at least consider this--blowing your top just plain doesn't work as well as keeping your cool.
A Super Tuesday
Thursday, February 7, 2008 8:45 AM (permalink)
Well, that's one to tell the grandkids. Super Tuesday=about 28,000 interviews at hundreds of precincts, all collected and analyzed in 18 hours. Thanks to all the smart folks I get to work with every day, we were feeding accurate info to the networks all night long, and accomplished something pretty special. More primaries to come, now--plus the big enchilada.
So, Where Did The Edwards Vote Go?
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 12:00 AM (permalink)
So, where did the Edwards voters turn on Super Tuesday? Beats me.
Twitterbox, Updated
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 8:43 AM (permalink)
Two very helpful updates to my recent post on building Twitterbox.
Jack Baty wrote in with an addition to the agent code that allows the use of single quotes in your updates. I would have hit that issue soon enough, and not been able to figure it out on my own--so thanks, Jack!
Also, Rob Hamrick emailed me that if by chance you used the combination 'tbx' anywhere in another not-for-publication note in your file, this agent would fire off the title for the world to see. Surely I would not have been stbxpid enough to do that! In any case, I took his helpful suggestion and changed it to a boolean attribute named 'tweet' to prevent actbxidents.
The original post has been updated here.
Campaign Songs
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 8:41 AM (permalink)
The Huffington Post reports McCain Now Using Edwards' Campaign Song. My Edison compadre Sean Ross wrote a whimsical survey of the candidates' song choices for 2008, which now requires revision. I wonder how Mellencamp feels about the switch?
Edwards' Supporters
Monday, February 4, 2008 8:43 AM (permalink)
Today I posted some new exit poll data on where John Edwards' supporters might go on Super Tuesday. Read there for the answer, or just wait until tomorrow!
Last Vestige of the Roman Empire
Sunday, February 3, 2008 8:42 AM (permalink)
Quick Superbowl Thought: Do I need any other reason to know Roman Numerals? Or will this year's Pats/Giants contest be the last visible evidence of the Roman Empire?
Twitterbox - A Twitter Agent for Tinderbox
Sunday, February 3, 2008 8:40 AM (permalink)
I can't tell you how much I am enjoying the latest (4.1) version of Tinderbox with the seemingly-small yet ginormously-useful ability to assign containers with agents. Here is one small, powerful example of a simple agent that lets me "live in Tinderbox" while I am working during the day.
This is a simple agent that builds off of my last post on archiving and allows you to fire off updates to Twitter without even thinking about it, and clean up afterwards. Big thanks to Mark Bernstein, Jack Baty and Rob Hamrick for helpful suggestions, all of which have been incorporated:
- Create an Archive container, if you dont already have one. I now send everything into this once it is done, to get it out of my sight and keep my working maps/outlines clean. Text is small and uses no space, so I keep everything, but I don't have to look at it!
- Create a new attribute called "tweet". Make it boolean, and default to 'false.'
- Create an agent called Twitterbox. Give it an action that looks something like this (obviously, add your own user:pass here, and big thanks to Mark Bernstein for helping me fix this code)
result=runCommand("curl -d 'status="+urlEncode($Name)+"' -u username:password http://twitter.com/statuses/update.atom"); Color=magenta;Container=Archive;Text=(); Tweet=false
Then, for the agent query, just use "tweet(true)" - Now, while you are working in Tinderbox, anytime you want to send an update to Twitter just hit enter, just make a note with your update message as the title of the note. Set 'tweet as a key attribute, and make it true (or just Quick Stamp it as true)
- Watch the magic happen
So, here is what happens in practice. You hit enter, type "hello, twitter world!" for the note's title and set 'tweet' to true. The Twitterbox agent picks up this note automatically, fires off the title of the note as a Twitter update, then colors the note magenta, files it in your archives, and sets 'tweet' to false so the agent doesn't pick it up again. Seamless, beautiful, and lets you fire off quick updates without "breaking frame" and using another app or your browser.
Sure, this was possible to some extent in 4.0, but 4.1 whisks those used Tweets away an out of your site for good (and doesn't let their aliases build up like cruft under the Twitterbox agent) once they have been posted. This doesn't replace Twitterific, of course, since you don't get updates from folks you follow. But when you are really trying to work distraction-free, you don't want that anyway (and I shut Twitterific off for those times). Without knowing a lick of programming (and just a little common sense) I was able to build a poor mans' Twitterific with one simple agent.
Next on the drawing board (though this will have to wait until after Super-Duper Tuesday for sure)--a similar agent to post to my blog automagically without even using the weblog functionality of Tinderbox, using my blog's post-by-email feature.
Anyway, back to fake-Super Tuesday rehearsal data...
Value in Spam
Sunday, February 3, 2008 8:09 AM (permalink)
My colleague Sean Ross posts that he found Something Of Value In The SPAM Folder. Unbelievable, Sean--only you. Now I am going to go trolling for a better porn star name than Silky Downes.
[The Infinite Dial]
An Awesome Tinderbox Upgrade
Saturday, February 2, 2008 8:09 AM (permalink)
If, like me, you rely on Tinderbox to keep a honkin' big list of projects, goals, objectives and tasks, your load just got a little lighter. Here is how to move hundreds (maybe more!) of obsolete notes out of your field of vision:
- Step One: Download Tinderbox 4.1
- Step Two: Create a container note called "Archive" in your project file
- Step Three: Create an Agent to assemble completed tasks or projects ("Completed=true", if you are using the GTD template from the Tinderbox Exchange) and set this action for the agent: "Container=Archive"
That's it. Now completed tasks (not just aliases) are whisked away out of my site, out of my project files for good. Instant sanity brought to any expanded outline view of my projects. While I wish we had this functionality sooner, adding it truly makes Tinderbox the best personal content management system I have ever used.
Spongebob in the Situation Room
Saturday, February 2, 2008 12:00 AM (permalink)
Why Does Twitter Go Down?
Friday, February 1, 2008 8:08 AM (permalink)
Why does Twitter go down?. Don't know, but I do know there is no such thing as a free lunch. I would prefer to pay a monthly "twitter" fee than have the system clogged with ads, but I would certainly rather pay for it than not, since I find it useful. It is a shame that the only people who have any of my Twitter coffee money for this are the folks who make Twitterific and not the Twitterers themselves.
[Scripting News]
