Thursday, March 22, 2007

Mapping Data


Data is more useful if you can see it from different angles. Because you can't see the forest if you're standing with trees in your face.

It sometimes helps to step back and get a broader perspective. An Overview if you will.

An often forgotten tool for doing this is a simple map. A picture is worth a 1000 words kinda of thing.


Here's a few of my favorite Perspective Changers:

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10X10: It maps the most frequently 'buzzed" words and pictures that define time in a 10 by 10 grid. 100 pictures, 100 words.

Google-Maps: An open API for personal use, so you can make use of maps on your Web Page. (also see Yahoo Pipes below:

Technorati: A pulse keeper on what Bloggers are yapping about.


Twittervision: Leo Laporte said on the TWITs this week: If you need a quick explanation on what the latest craze in message twittering is, check this site out.

Yahoo Pipes: An online implementation of Mash-ups. Connecting open data from different websites and creating a new View of that Data.

Google Maps is often one of the building blocks, as is Flickr, the online picture hosting website.


Before Blogging went nuts, there was RSS (real simple syndication) feeds that kept you up-to-date on the latest info on the technology, news and media scene. Then with the aid of INCLOSURES in the HTML script (The Idea suggested by MTV Jock Adam Curry), mp3 audio became playable from an rss feed. This brilliant Idea was given the Nothing-To-Do-With IPODS name of Podcasting.

Later, another ENCLOSURE allowed Video to be enbedded in the HTML script.

A New Media delivery was born to give us Radiocasts and Videocasts.


RSS OWL A RSS feed Reader.

How do you see your Data? Let me count the ways.

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Monday, March 19, 2007

Websites, Blogs, Podcasts and now Twitter...


What the heck is a Twitter?


Short answer: An IM-like messenger limited to 140 characters and able to communicate on the Web, on Cell-phones and even IM readers.

Short messages that respond to the most frequently asked question on IM--Where are you? And What are you doing?

Picture of world-map and current public Twitters on GeoTwitter.com, but a better Mash-up is at Twittervision.com.


Check it Out.

Find out more about TWITTER at twitter.com.

I'm ernielinux, and I'm on the MAP, somewhere....

Thursday, March 15, 2007

The Message of Media Changes

McLuan tried to tell us that the 'Medium IS the Message', with new technology, that changes.

As the Medium changes, so does the message.

Example 1: When CD's began replacing records, it became apparent that part of the audio spectrum (like the high end) was lost. Gone.

Example 2: With storage compression, another layer of fidelity was lost. Gone.

Example 3: Video Ipods and PSP Videos (MP4 format) may have a higher HD rated output but the small screens can only approximate this detail. Again gone.

The Medium, which will soon be Cell-Phone-Ipod-Pocket PC devices, with give us only a subset of the message. A reader's digest of the story.

Shorter attention spans, short bite-size messages and soon a one-dimensional consciousness living in a one dimensional Virtual World.

The bee flits from flower to flower while the rest of reality is a soft blur.