December 2003
8 posts
1 tag
According to yourDictionary.com, “ok” is the most popular word on the planet. Its origin:
“OK” originated in a joke in the 1830s, spelled “oll
korrekt” in Boston newspapers, the joke being, both words
were incorrect. It became so popular, that it was soon
abbreviated to simply “O.K.” Despite its popularity, the
word would have fallen by...
1 tag
Spam Laws: CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
The President signed into law today the “Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003,” oh-so-cleverly known as CAN-SPAM. It goes into effect January 1, 2004. I’ll be interested to see how it works out.
1 tag
I’ve said it before, but today’s Guardian article, “We are all nerds now” makes the point anew: nerds are the new jocks. Skinny with retro sweater is the new polo and khakis. Spider-Man earned $400 million in the theaters and at least that much in DVD/video sales. The Return of the King will easily take the Lord of the Rings franchise above the $2 billion mark. Last year, video games...
2 tags
Iraq Deserves Capitalism
The disgust I harbor for what this country is allowing itself to become grows daily. We detain our own citizens without stated cause and deny them access to counsel (“the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial […] be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation […] have the assistance of counsel for his defense” Amendment VI). We invade,...
Ernestine, the universally-beloved cafeteria worker at William & Mary, passed away Sunday. Below is a letter from Amy Barnes of the Office of Student Affairs, followed by a transcript of her final message “to all her babies.”
December 9, 2003
Dear Friends of Ernestine,
Because you have loved Ernestine as I have, I knew that you
would want to know that she passed...
1 tag
1 tag
Data Preservation
Jeremy Hedley of Antipixel writes today about the problem of data preservation. I’ve been (very slowly) re-reading The Shadow of the Torturer, which has gotten me thinking about the state of the our world as it will be many years from now. I think we have a problem that’s burning from both ends: we’re both losing lots of data and accumulating lots more. Great works may well be lost to data...
2 tags
On Comment Systems
What good is an opinion without someone to tell you why you’re wrong? The rise in popularity of weblogs has given voice to over a million people across the internet. If the best thing about them is their ability to provide an open channel for individuals to say what they want, then their most crucial feature must be the comment systems that allow the rest of the world to respond. A good-sized...