cyberSaps: blogging news, internet biz, communities, UK angle A Welsh boy stuck in the wrong country, struggling to get home

The Blog Phenomenon

Ego gratification. Some people need to be the center of attention. It makes them feel good about themselves to tell the world what important things they've been doing and what profound thoughts they've been having. Curiously, while this looks like the most obvious reason for a Web log, I think it's probably the least likely reason, since it's too trite and shallow.

Antidepersonalization. When people begin to think that they are nothing more than a cog in the wheel of society, they look for any way to differentiate themselves. The Web log proves they are different. Just read it. You'll see.

Elimination of frustration. Day-to-day life, especially in the city, is wrought with frustration, and the Web log gives people the ability to complain to the world. You get to read a lot of complaining in these logs. If you think I'm a complainer, oh boy!

Societal need to share. As a cynic who gets paid to write, I have a hard time with this explanation. But it seems some people genuinely like to "share," and this is one way.

Wanna-be writers. A lot of people want to be published writers. Blogs make it happen without the hassle of getting someone else to do it or having to write well—although there is good writing to be found. Some is shockingly good. Most of it is miserable. I expect to see those Open Learning classes around the country offering courses in Blog writing.

Seems a lot faster now. I managed to squeeze 18 meg out of a bloated 90 meg root.

I suspect that there may have been some corruption in the table containing all 55,000 messages. Thus every time it need to build a discussion page... Looking through all those tables and getting stuck on one that was corrupt...

We'll see tomorrow.

Took longer than planned four and a half hours. Got unlucky with first download, a crash here made it impossible to open, had to get another one. And as it took only 40 minutes to save as, I had a nap which added another hour and half when I could have been moving forward...

Giants forging Web services consortium - Tech News - CNET.com - Web services allow software to be made available over the Internet to run identically on multiple devices, such as PCs and cell phones.

Early Web services have allowed people to access stock quotes from cell phones, for instance. But companies envision a much grander future. For example, scheduling a plane flight could trigger a cascade of actions that would assemble different options that tie in with hotels, frequent-flyer programs and other related services.

TIME.com: Pssst. Wanna See My Blog? - I believe this is the first time in my life I've had something in common with RuPaul. The cross-dressing superstar and I have both started blogging, which is almost as much fun as it sounds. A blog, short for weblog, is a kind of spontaneous online public journal.

BBC: I blog, therefore I am - Ever read a weblog? Perhaps you are one of the growing numbers who keep one. Or maybe you haven't got a clue what they are.

Radio Userland 8 - Blogging is fun, and it can also be competitive: Bloggers, like open-source hackers, are motivated by public recognition. Savvy CIOs who can make KM feel like a game may be the ones to finally surmount the high activation threshold that has forever plagued the KM world.

a test

Companies Still Struggle Using The Web For Business - Study - "A Web site, when used correctly, can be a critical part of a company's marketing, advertising and sales efforts. According to a new study by the Yankee Group."
I'm not impressed by the tips, pretty standard stuff. Nothing about voice or personality, nothing cluetrainy. I could have read this article 5 or 6 years ago.

BBC: Tyson denied licence to box - "Mike Tyson's title fight with Lennox Lewis is in doubt after his application for a boxing licence in Nevada is rejected."
Bummer! I'd have liked to see that. I like boxing, it's about the only sport that gets to me. As I stand up shouting at the telly, swinging my fists, "give him that, and that and some of this." Not that I'd ever box myself though, oh no, no. Ouch. I'm going to tell my Mam.

That's a Whole Lot of Power, Mac - ""There's a book called How to Build a Better Beowulf that's 230 pages long and tells you how to set up clusters with Linux," Dauger said. "We have a one-page manual (PDF) that shows you how to do it on PowerMacs. We've had high school students do it.""
Just going to download that link. I wonder what I could do with a super computer cluster.

The cellphone is not just a phone anymore: "The first thing that strikes a visitor to Japan now is that the number of people looking at their phones exceeds the number who are talking on them. Phones are to be seen flipped open and in use everywhere- on subways, while walking, in lines, while walking, in bars and restaurants..."
Oh, this is fascinating. Japan first, then Europe next and the US can wait, and wait. Some of these things are going to be so useful for us all, business and pleasure, though I think more pleasure. Who wants to work commuting home?

The Register: That 'Microsoft' RTFM page: "Our inboxes are filling with links to a rogue "How to RTFM" page posted supposedly on Microsoft's Web site. But it's a hoax and as such not very funny. It's not a very clever hoax at that - although we can say that because we already know the trick."
Ah! Well, I got caught. Still funny though IMHO

CNN.com - Andersen CEO: Enron cost firm business: "Berardino insisted that it was a failure in Enron's business model, not its accounting practices, that torpedoed the company's stock and sent the energy trading company to seek bankruptcy court protections." "Andersen hired a law firm to conduct interviews with the many Andersen employees involved with Enron, and Berardino said any wrongdoing would be punished." "With Enron in bankruptcy, shareholder lawsuits would likely target the company's auditor, Andersen, analysts said."

Andersen CEO Joseph Berardino tried to portray the accounting firm as a victim in the Enron scandal at a Chicago press conference Monday.

They may have "85,000 honest, hard-working people at Andersen" but they're still in deep doo-doo.