Ideas & Ethics
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Idea factory: Compare the box office theories with fact
Okay, so some folks are suggesting that summer box office was down because the movies were bad. Bereft of proof until recently, they’re now claiming vindication because box office receipts are now up, in a time when “better” movies are traditionally released (the fall). So…how to find out what’s really happening? There’s no absolute way…
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Technorati pays to be pinged first…so why are the still so sloooowww?
BusinessWeek’s Blogspotting reports that Technorati has struck “exclusive deals” with some blog utilities to be pinged first before any other services (such as weblogs.com or Pingomatic) are notified that your blog has been updated. So what? Is this a big deal? It might not be, except for the fact that despite this alleged advantage, Technorati…
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Mickey Kaus and the infalability of Malcolm Gladwell
To be honest, I think it’s getting past time for somebody to infuse some much-needed skepticism into Malcolm Gladwell‘s writing. As much as I love and respect Gladwell’s writing- his book, The Tipping Point, is one of my all-time favorites- he’s coasted far too long on an overwhelmingly unchecked public image. Call me cynical, but…
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Retail heaven or Dell Hell: Before you expect a blog to solve your customer service woes, try some basics first
Considering the serious amount of blogjuice generated by Jeff Jarvis’ 520-part Dell Hell series is generating in (and out!) of the blogosphere, I thought it only fair to relate two extremely positive customer service experiences I’ve had lately, starting with most recent and going back through earlier this summer. Then, I’ll talk a bit about…
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A humble request
Dear Blogosphere, Please, please, please, STOP using the word “mashups”. It’s a stupid, ugly word, much dumber and lamer than the word “blog.” And you’re using it way, way, way, too much.
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Hotlinking: when is credit due, and how much?
My former high school speech club coach Mike Daisey was “busted” by a blogger for hotlinking to one of the images on her blog- and Mike responded with a reasoned rebuttal. At first glance you’d probably side with Martha, the blogger whose image Mike re-posted on his site. But that’s why it’s often fun to…
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Watch this trend: Service blogs and feeds
I’ve been following some “Service” blogs and RSS feeds of late (my definition for a “service” blog or feed is one that provides some time of factual info, such as movie releases, weather forecast, dvd releases, etc). Recently, two new sites along these lines launched, and both look to be quite interesting: * Chicago Crime:…