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Monthly Archives: July 2012
Journalism and Wikipedia
Journalists often speak of “the record” as a substantial thing, for example, by getting a clear signal from a source that what’s said will be “on the record.” But what if “the record” is evanescent, is it a “record” in … Continue reading
Posted in infrastructure, Journalism, Links
12 Comments
The final demographic
I worked in retailing, wholesaling, journalism and radio when I was 18-24. I co-founded an advertising agency when I was 25-34. Among the things I studied while working in that age bracket were Nielsen and Arbitron ratings for radio and … Continue reading
Posted in Ideas, Life, Past, Personal
9 Comments
Adaptive myopia
When I was a kid I had near-perfect vision. I remember being able to read street signs and license plates at a distance, and feeling good about that. But I don’t think that was exceptional. Unless we are damaged in … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Ideas, North Carolina, Past, Research, Science
4 Comments
Oh god, part N
Last weekend the cover essay in the Review section of The Wall Street Journal was The Customer as a God, by yours truly. Now that a few days have gone by, and I’ve done lots of responding in the comments below … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
4 Comments
Speed shopping
Yesterday my 15-year-old son and I made brief stop at the Micro Center in Cambridge, looking at what it might take (and cost) to build a Linux/Windows desktop computer from the ground up—something that had been an interest of his … Continue reading
A definition of good men
I won’t go into details, because it’s a private matter for the people involved. But the story is about a good woman and her loving husband and sons, all good men in the full meaning of that term. A few … Continue reading
Table for two
The Web as we know it today was two years old in June 1997, when the page below went up. It lasted, according to Archive.org, until October 2010. When I ran across it back then, it blew my mind — … Continue reading
Aurora time!
The storm is hitting right now: Remember that auroras can be a thousand miles high. So even if they’re over Canada, they can still be visible in the upper part of the lower U.S. 48. Or even sometimes south of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Why we have Silicon Valley
My son remembers what I say better than I do. One example is this: I uttered it in some context while wheezing my way up a slope somewhere in the Great Blue Hill Reservation. Except it wasn’t there. Also I … Continue reading