For the last few weeks I’ve been in the throes of running a contest as part of my day job. Perhaps that was why this look at the disappointing results of one high profile contest caught my eye. Netflix’s Xavier Amatriain and Justin Basilico provide the history: In 2006 we announced the Netflix Prize, a machine learning and … Continue reading »
Mike Daisy, Kony2012, Greg Smith and the fundamental metaphor
“Is bending non-fictional truth OK only if we laugh?” is how I ended this 2007 post on creative non-fiction. Then, like now, This American Life was at the center of concern about the veracity of creative nonfiction. This year, however, we have more material to scrutinize than just America’s best radio show. The Mike Daisy … Continue reading »
Serendipity: Where Kindle Fails
One of my rights of spring is purchasing the annual Baseball Prospectus, a statistical, and fairly geeky, review and prediction of hundreds of major and minor league baseball players. One of the main challenges in changing apartments twice in 2011 was managing my half-dozen or so editions of the thick book. This year’s edition clocks in … Continue reading »
The value of closed
As much as I love sharing and openness, increasingly my most satisfying Internet experiences involved closed, or semi-closed communities. Email list-servs, communal chats, Google Circles, “personal networks” like Path are where I’m having my highest value conversations. I still like the public platform of Twitter and need the functionality of email, but closed, trusted networks enable a … Continue reading »
Raising the touch-screen generation
At NewsFOO earlier this month, I gave an Ignite Talk about the joys and challenges of raising a child in this digital, always-on interactive era.The talk follows. (Also- check out the other NewsFoo talks, including Jay Rosen’s harrowing The Abyss of Observation Alone.) Update: Things I’ve observed since giving the talk 4 weeks ago: – Last … Continue reading »
“The coming broadcast apocalypse”
Instead of packing for my Christmas holiday, I spent Friday morning in a Twitter discussion about the state of podcasting, interactive audio and the state of broadcasting with Rob Bole, Rekha Murthy, Adam Schweigert, Josh Stearns and Benjamen Walker, among others. I summarized our exchanges on Storify. A couple of concluding thoughts: Anyone chatting about podcasting over Twitter is part of a … Continue reading »
Three Things Heard Last Night Watching Zuccotti Sweep
As is my habit, I woke up around 3 last night and in my half waking state rolled over to see what was happening in the world, aka Twitter. I woke up a bit more when I saw that the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park was being rolled up by the NYPD. Some … Continue reading »
9 Reasons I’m (Trying to Be) A Washington Nationals Fan
A Chicago friend invited me to a Nationals-Braves game over last weekend. Despite the fact that it started to rain as I entered the stadium, I left feeling excited about a potential new sports relationship. On the train home I thought up nine reasons for me to try to become a Nationals fan: Proximity. Nationals … Continue reading »
Chap hop: I’m old
I’ve reached the point in my life in which I’m learning about new hip-hop genres via the frontpage of the Wall Street Journal.
“I’m in” and Facebook
Top three Facebook search results for “I’m in,” (on this morning of the Obama re-elect announcement): Hi, im a bouncer, I’m not letting you in today because i am a c*nt. If you dont shut up right now I swear I’m going to snook you in the face. I’m so in love with you.
