Random Connections

Connections by alles-schlumpf

[There now follows a geek interlude. Normal service will be resumed in the next post]

When I see something interesting on the internet I post a link to it on the sidebar here on my blog ¹ . Most days I post two or three links for delight of my readers who have all - so far as I can tell - entirely failed to notice.

The good news is I can do this in just a couple of clicks using delicious, which is a cool tool: for one thing: when you make a link you can see who else has bookmarked the same page, and then click through to see what else they have marked and if they are interesting you can add them to your 'network'.

So, wouldn't it be interesting, I idly thought one day, if there was a tool to search all of delicious and find users with similar bookmarks?   A cyberfriend-finder, no less.

Well, if you have an idea nowadays you can bet your IP-Address that someone else has had it first first and sure enough, after three minutes googling, I find myself on this website, which turns out to belong to one  andreas.s  - who is (drum-roll) one of only four people already in my delicious network.

Spooky eh?



So, now you are asking:  OK, then, Alibert, go on (sigh)  so which delicious user does share the largest number of wierd, random bookmarks with you, then?  And where can I find his blog? Perhaps he's writing about something more interesting today.

Well, using this cool tool  I found someone: he has bookmarked 604 sites - I have 900 -  and between us we have (drumroll, drumroll) no fewer than 12 bookmarks in common.

He is  Matthew Paul Hansen  - and he doesn't list any contact details but if he uses google alerts on his own name (and doesn't everyone) then I imagine he'll be along shortly.


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¹ Over there, on the right,  "Seen Elsewhere", see it?

Nolstagic Reminders of Projects Long Neglected #1: Statuesque

Large Mermaid by botogol

I joined flickr in 2005; not so early that I can call myself a pioneer, but way before the dead hand of yahoo almost spoilt it all.

In those days flickr was small as well as cool and for a while I hung out with some genuine photoheads, but it turned out I was among them but not of them: my flickr DNA reveals I have posted 408 photos and been favourited only once.

Sticking photos on the web is fun, but I wanted more and, looking for the web2.0 idea that would make my fortune, I started one hundred and twenty eight groups but none of them, alas, turned out to be lolcatz.

This is my best idea: statuesque.

Founded 2005 it now has 41 active members and 67 photos - and not all of them uploaded by me! You'd think that was impressive - until you realised that it's 280 fewer members than love my hamster, and 5,800 fewer members than squared circle (yep I did a four of those as well).

For my money I think statuesque is an idea 160% better than lolcatz (but obviously only 53% as good as dogbook). It deserves so much more and I wonder how one goes about getting more members.. Other than seek and go pimp (HT George Oates) Blog about it perhaps?


Warning: Statuesque can seriously spook your children. A promising statue and a tiny reach for the camera can cause them to scatter precipitately with neither sense nor caution.

Form, Content & Disclosure

One of flickr's many idiosyncrasies is its square thumbnails. Square has never been popular for photos so it was an odd choice anyway, but in the age of the digital camera it's hard to think why they didn't go for 4x3

But could flickr actually change the norm? I have found that when I conceive of a set of photos for on-screen display I am increasingly tempted to crop them square - just for flickr. I can't be the only one.

flickr emailed me this week to tell me that in order to carry on posting my photos there I will need to reveal my full name, post code, date of birth and gender [they want me to register with Yahoo] Otherwise no photo sharing. Nope, it's that or you're out. They'll even, grudgingly, give you your money back rather than let you post a picture without revealing your birthday.

It's funny to think that, to flickr - and to dozens of other intrusive sites - I am actually Tony Blair, born 1 Jan 1970, now of 10 Downing Street, SW1A 2AJ. Later this year I suppose I shall have to decide whether to regenerate as Gordon Brown, or just go straight to David Cameron. Its like being Dr Who.

I guess I'm the odd one out here and most people just give their names, otherwise yahoo would hardly bother, would they? but I'm not the only Mr Grumpy on this one.

Not by a long way.

Pandora

Here's a cool, well constructed site: pandora

• you enter some music you like, it suggests (and plays) other music that it thinks you would like
• umm, that's it
• except that's not it.... the thing is: It's very well done
• using it reminds me of how it was when I first came across flickr - the immediate knowledge that something is executed well.

I heard of this from corporate presenter