Hehe...
Those that know me have heard me refer to Johnson's Law.
Now you can own the t-shirt! :-)
2006-12-31
2006-10-14
The long tail of the web world
Hitwise has an interesting report, US - Top 25 Popular Websites. The report lists the percentage of 'visit' market share.
Site #1 (MySpace) clocks in at 4.9%, while #25 (AOL Mail) garners a 'mere' 0.26%. The total market share for all 25 sites is roughly 33%. The total market share for the top 10 is just over 28%.
I'm struck by several things when looking at these numbers.
My understanding is that Hitwise measures a specific list of markets, so it's distinctly possible that it's missing some significant segments - who knows. Also, we are talking about statistics. Thar be dragons. Still, the overall curve is hard to deny. Most of the web is in the tail!
I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to think of popular web sites not listed in the Hitwise top 25.
Site #1 (MySpace) clocks in at 4.9%, while #25 (AOL Mail) garners a 'mere' 0.26%. The total market share for all 25 sites is roughly 33%. The total market share for the top 10 is just over 28%.
I'm struck by several things when looking at these numbers.
- The biggest gorilla in the zoo has less than 5% of the pie.
- The market share drops quite fast, with #25 at one quarter of one percent.
- The top ten sites are the only ones with more than 1% market share.
My understanding is that Hitwise measures a specific list of markets, so it's distinctly possible that it's missing some significant segments - who knows. Also, we are talking about statistics. Thar be dragons. Still, the overall curve is hard to deny. Most of the web is in the tail!
I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to think of popular web sites not listed in the Hitwise top 25.
2006-10-12
www.aloofschipperke.com lives!
As if the world needs another domain. :-)
Take a peek at www.aloofschipperke.com. It's the primary web site for all things Aloof!
I can't believe I didn't do this earlier. I wonder about me sometimes. :-)
Take a peek at www.aloofschipperke.com. It's the primary web site for all things Aloof!
I can't believe I didn't do this earlier. I wonder about me sometimes. :-)
www.johnsonpigs.com resurrected
Well, I finally got around to resurrecting www.johnsonpigs.com. It doesn't have any of its previous content, but I expect that to change, now that we have a Johnsonpig Schwag Cafepress store.
2006-08-10
IBM researchers: Single molecule stores data | CNET News.com
One step closer to molecular computers.
2006-07-13
Fun with Asset Databases
The New York Times is carrying a story on various absurdities found in the National Asset Database.
As an IT Architect, I am no stranger to 'asset databases', as they are a common element in architecture frameworks. Frankly, I generally find them maddening, for reasons made clear in the article.
The New York Times article presents an excellent cautionary tale on the dangers of a naive asset database implementations. Perhaps naive is too harsh, I'll let you be the judge. Having said this, database content based on inconsistant or incomplete definitions typically results in a database full of invalid data. The fact that the asset database is used in threat calculations brings the problem to an entirely new level. At best, it can result in a plethora of humorous and ridiculous examples of perceived risks. At worst it can result in fundamentally flawed input into calculations used for critical decisions related to national security.
Here's the bottom line. Are you an technology architect, designer, or coder? If so, bookmark the New York Times article. The next time you see an asset dictionary slapped up on the table, pull out the article and ponder your next steps. The rest is up to you.
As an IT Architect, I am no stranger to 'asset databases', as they are a common element in architecture frameworks. Frankly, I generally find them maddening, for reasons made clear in the article.
The New York Times article presents an excellent cautionary tale on the dangers of a naive asset database implementations. Perhaps naive is too harsh, I'll let you be the judge. Having said this, database content based on inconsistant or incomplete definitions typically results in a database full of invalid data. The fact that the asset database is used in threat calculations brings the problem to an entirely new level. At best, it can result in a plethora of humorous and ridiculous examples of perceived risks. At worst it can result in fundamentally flawed input into calculations used for critical decisions related to national security.
Here's the bottom line. Are you an technology architect, designer, or coder? If so, bookmark the New York Times article. The next time you see an asset dictionary slapped up on the table, pull out the article and ponder your next steps. The rest is up to you.
2006-07-12
New Scientist Tech - Bacteria made to sprout conducting nanowires
This is astounding - definitely worth a read.
It's not hard to envision this evolving to a larger scale.
It's not hard to envision this evolving to a larger scale.
2006-06-29
2006-06-23
Aloof Schipperke Schwag
The Aloof Schipperke chooses not to even notice your intense interest in this most excellent schwag...
2006-06-17
On Bullshit
I just read 'On Bullshit', a book written by Harry G. Frankfurt. My copy was given to me by a friend, Michael Petiford. I was intrigued, as Michael doesn't recommend books to me too often.
I was doubly intrigued after seeing the book for the first time. It's an unassuming looking little book, measuring about 3" by 5". It is approximately 70 pages, with a largish size font for the text.
I was triply intrigued by the title, 'On BullShit.' I was hooked. I sat down the next day and read it.
'On Bullshit' presents an academic level exploration on the concept of bullshit. I was originally going to list several of the areas of bullshit exploration, but instead decided to simply encourage any reader that has read an academic paper to read this book. I haven't had so much fun reading a scholarly work in years.
I was doubly intrigued after seeing the book for the first time. It's an unassuming looking little book, measuring about 3" by 5". It is approximately 70 pages, with a largish size font for the text.
I was triply intrigued by the title, 'On BullShit.' I was hooked. I sat down the next day and read it.
'On Bullshit' presents an academic level exploration on the concept of bullshit. I was originally going to list several of the areas of bullshit exploration, but instead decided to simply encourage any reader that has read an academic paper to read this book. I haven't had so much fun reading a scholarly work in years.
2006-06-10
Wired 14.06: The Rise of Crowdsourcing
Wired 14.06: The Rise of Crowdsourcing
If you aren't into photography, you probably aren't familier with the world of stock photography. Regardless, the article at Wired is worth a read.
There are lessons to learn here. The mechanics at play are also present in other industries. I can imagine this happening to lots of industries as digitial technology continues to amplify our ability to create and deliver products.
If you aren't into photography, you probably aren't familier with the world of stock photography. Regardless, the article at Wired is worth a read.
There are lessons to learn here. The mechanics at play are also present in other industries. I can imagine this happening to lots of industries as digitial technology continues to amplify our ability to create and deliver products.
2006-03-23
Jacked Up
Jacked Up
Originally uploaded by Aloof Schipperke.
Fun with 1:18 scale. My wife bought me a set of 1:18 scale car mechanic tools.
2006-01-31
PixVue
PixVue is a metadata editor. I found it while searching through dpreview.
It wedges into the right-click menu in the Windows file explorer. From there, you can edit metadata and manage PixVue.
It updates IPTC/XMP data directly. I like this feature. It avoids yet another program-specific database, the usual interoperability problems, and the associated backflips in the workflow.
It also adds a 'My Gallery', where you can drag and drop selected files into virtual folders. I haven't played with this feature, but it looks interesting.
I ran across a few display quirks when updating the explorer window, but this are minor annoyances when compared to how easy it becomes to update image metadata.
You might want to give it a try if you want/need to manage your metadata, particularly keywords.
It wedges into the right-click menu in the Windows file explorer. From there, you can edit metadata and manage PixVue.
It updates IPTC/XMP data directly. I like this feature. It avoids yet another program-specific database, the usual interoperability problems, and the associated backflips in the workflow.
It also adds a 'My Gallery', where you can drag and drop selected files into virtual folders. I haven't played with this feature, but it looks interesting.
I ran across a few display quirks when updating the explorer window, but this are minor annoyances when compared to how easy it becomes to update image metadata.
You might want to give it a try if you want/need to manage your metadata, particularly keywords.
2006-01-28
2006-01-26
2006-01-21
Angel Fish Eggs
Fish Eggs Tight
Originally uploaded by Aloof Schipperke.
The image points to a Flickr page with a pointer to a wider shot.
2006-01-05
RC Car Camera
RC Car Camera 2
Originally uploaded by Aloof Schipperke.
Take a wireless camera, some rubber bands, and some careful engineering - voila!
New Camera
pics-of-new-camera 001
Originally uploaded by Aloof Schipperke.
w00t!
One of the best pictures I've taken with my cheapo HP digital camera: a picture of my new Olympus E-300.
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