Rupert, my son had a simple request. “Daddy, can we watch last week’s episode of The Simpsons?” No, son, we can’t. You can blame Rupert Murdoch for that. Rupert, I know you’re all upset about all those SOPA & PIPA protests last week. Why, without them, how will you keep all your shows from being […]
The Closed, Unfriendly World Of Wikipedia
Right now, Wikipedia is busy asking for donations to stay afloat. Here’s a thought. If it wants donations, maybe open things up so that outsiders feel like they can contribute expert knowledge without wasting their time. A Debate Over Notability Here’s a case in point. About two weeks ago, Jessie Stricchiola let me know that […]
Dear California DMV, Surely Replacing A Driver’s License Could Be Easier
I don’t know anyone who likes the Department Of Motor Vehicles in any state. The DMV seems to represent all we hate in bureaucracy. Surely there’s got to be a better way? Here’s a short tale of the absurdity of replacing my driver’s license. I’ve misplaced my wallet. Maybe I’ve actually lost it, but having […]
Cheapskate Investment Analysts & The Financial Crisis
From time to time over the years, I’ve had various investment analysts want to talk to me about my thoughts on how a particular search company might do. What cracks me up is that invariably, they think I should provide such advice for free. I have peers in the search space and other areas who […]
The Decline From “Best” To “Good Enough”
We can’t fly as fast as we used to. Our music sounds worse than it did years ago. On a regular basis, I often can’t understand what people are saying on the telephone, something that never, ever happened when I was a kid. How did we get from having the best of things to things […]
Dear S. Larson Of Citibank: You’re Not Real, So Please Retire
I’ve had a Citibank credit card since I was in college. That’s nearly two decades of being with them, which means that little table they stuck up one day at UC Irvine has provided pretty good ROI for the company. Over the years, I’ve had various letters from Citibank, usually signed by the hard-working S. […]