World Sunlight Map: Peters projection

A different view of the worldmap that makes you realize how big Africa really is and how small Europe really is, too.

What’s Special About This Number?:
0 is the additive identity.
1 is the multiplicative identity.
2 is the only even prime.
3 is the number of spatial dimensions we live in.
4 is the smallest number of colors sufficient to color all planar maps.

and so on…

Momentshowing: We’re going to India: Jay is going to videoblog a conference in India in Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama and his governement in exile are using wireless tech to communicate.

“Ryanne and I got a grant to help make a videoblog for the AirJaldi Summit in Dharamsala.
This is where the Tibetan “government-in-exile” is located headed by the Dalai Lama. The conference is all about how to “empower communites through wireless networks”.

The Tibetans have created a very sophisticated wireless infrastructure using inexpensive/used euqipment. The interesting thing is not just that they can communicate with the outside world….but that they can communicate with EACH OTHER over basically a huge intranet. The conference will help spread their experience so other techically-developing societies can use the web effectively.

It’s exciting for me to try to help spread the idea of videoblogging in cultures usually out of the Western conversation. Imagine if the Dalai Lama used a $200 camera to post a video each day to Blip.tv. It’s so simple. The revolution is here…now people just got to find out about it.”

Good luck Jay!

Digital Influence Mapping Project: Get Involved in the Video Storytelling: “All she needs is $2100 to pull the trigger on the trip. This kind of crowdfunding is infectious.”

You can donate here, we’re almost halfway!

People With Ideas » Blog Archive » Some Cruxy Talk: Nathan explains Cruxy

UC Berkeley on Google Video: Berkeley releases lectures via Google video:

“The University of California, Berkeley is the preeminent public research and teaching institution in the nation . From classic literature to emerging technologies, the curricula of our 130 academic departments span the wide world of thought and knowledge. Supported by the people of California, the university has embraced public service as an essential part of its mission since 1868. The content on this page —drawn from campus seminars, courses and events—is just one part of UC Berkeley’s commitment to the broadest possible dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of our state, the nation and the world.”

I am selling a bunch of books, and instead of selling them one by one (which would be a drag), I’m selling them in stacks.

Just email me at petervandijck at gmail dut com and it’s yours.

The rules:

• Any reasonable offer accepted.
• You have to come pick them up (129Street and Madison, close to a bunch of subways)
• You can’t pick and choose books, it’s the whole stack or nothing.

A lot of these books are pretty good, I’m not selling them because I didn’t enjoy them :)

 

Stack 1
=====

Egon Schiele 1890-1918: The Midnight Soul of the Artist (Basic Series) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Egon-Schiele-1890-1918-Midnight-Artist/dp/382280553X/

Cultivating Communities of Practice (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Cultivating-Communities-Practice-Etienne-Wenger/dp/1578513308

Information Anxiety 2 (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Information-Anxiety-Richard-Saul-Wurman/dp/0789724103/

Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Web-Application-Development-4-0-CD-ROM/dp/0735709971

The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-User-Experience-User-Centered-Design/dp/0735712026/

The Design of Sites: Patterns, Principles, and Processes for Crafting a Customer-Centered Web Experience (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Sites-Principles-Customer-Centered-Experience/dp/020172149X

Sharing Digital Photos: The Future of Memories (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Digital-Photos-Future-Memories/dp/0735619921/

Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Homepage-Usability-50-Websites-Deconstructed/dp/073571102X/

 

Stack 2
=======

SOLD

 

Stack 3
=======

A Theory of Fun for Game Design (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/A-Theory-Fun-Game-Design/dp/1932111972/

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0316172324/

Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Comics-Imagination-Technology-Revolutionizing/dp/0060953500/

No Logo
http://www.amazon.com/Take-It-Personally-Conscious-Choices/dp/1573247073/

Latino USA: A Cartoon History (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Latino-USA-A-Cartoon-History/dp/0465082211/

Preludes and Nocturnes (The Sandman, Vol. 1) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Preludes-Nocturnes-Sandman-Vol-1/dp/1563890119/

No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs [BARGAIN PRICE] (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/No-Logo-Space-Choice-Jobs/dp/B000GQLCYG/

Dude, Where’s My Country? [BARGAIN PRICE] (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Wheres-Country-Michael-Moore/dp/B000B894AS/

Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Hardware-Hacking-Projects-Scott-Fullam/dp/0596003145/
‘
Startups That Work: Surprising Research on What Makes or Breaks a New Company (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Startups-That-Work-Surprising-Research/dp/159184102X/

Crossing the Chasm (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Geoffrey-A-Moore/dp/0060517123/

Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Prototyping-Interfaces-Interactive-Technologies/dp/1558608702/

The Design of Everyday Things (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0385267746/

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change Series) (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation/dp/0875845851/

The Sandman #25 Season of Mists Part 4 (4) (Comic)
http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-25-Season-Mists-Part/dp/B000FV1CB0/

Streets for People: A Primer for Americans
http://www.amazon.com/Streets-People-A-Primer-Americans/dp/0385042310/

Stack 4
=======

Explorer’s Guide to the Semantic Web (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Explorers-Guide-Semantic-Thomas-Passin/dp/1932394206/

The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Humane-Interface-Directions-Designing-Interactive/dp/0201379376/

Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human Attributes in the Age of the Machine (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Things-That-Make-Smart-Attributes/dp/0201626950/

Designing Web Usability : The Practice of Simplicity (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Web-Usability-Practice-Simplicity/dp/156205810X/

CSS Cookbook (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/CSS-Cookbook-Christopher-Schmitt/dp/0596005768/

Building Accessible Websites (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Accessible-Websites-CD-ROM-Clark/dp/073571150X/

Web Navigation: Designing the User Experience (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Web-Navigation-Designing-User-Experience/dp/1565923510/

Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to Digital Information (Introduction To Series) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Metadata-Pathways-Digital-Information/dp/0892365331/

Stack 5
=======

Lonely Planet Spain

Lonely Planet Thailand

Lonely Planet Swahili Phrasebook

Lonely Planet New York

Lonely Planet Tonga

Lonely Planet Nepal

Lonely Planet Nepali phrasebook

Lonely Planet Paris

Lonely Planet Laos

Stack 6
=======

Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams Paperback

Get a Grip on Genetics (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Get-a-Grip-on-Genetics/dp/0760737460/

Midnight’s Children (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Midnights-Children-Salman-Rushdie/dp/0140132708/

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X/

Reading Rilke: Reflections on the Problems of Translation (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Rilke-Reflections-Problems-Translation/dp/0465026222/

Helliconia Summer (Helliconia Trilogy) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Helliconia-Summer-Trilogy-Brian-Aldiss/dp/0743445104/

Dreamcatcher (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Dreamcatcher-Stephen-King/dp/0743211383/

Direct Descent (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Direct-Descent-Frank-Herbert/dp/0441149057/

The Machine Crusade (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Machine-Crusade-Brian-Herbert/dp/0340823356/

Stack 7
=======

Insurance for Dummies (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Insurance-Dummies-Jack-Hungelmann/dp/0764552945/

Videoblogging (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Videoblogging-Jay-Dedman/dp/0470037881/

Videoblogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Videoblogging-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/0471971774/

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280/

The Complete MBA for Dummies (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-MBA-Dummies-Kathleen-Allen/dp/076455204X/

Consulting for Dummies (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Consulting-Dummies-Bob-Nelson/dp/0764550349/

Stack 8
=======

Working with Emotional Intelligence (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Working-Emotional-Intelligence-Daniel-Goleman/dp/0553378589/

Get a Grip on Evolution (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Get-a-Grip-on-Evolution/dp/0737000368/

French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/French-Women-Dont-Get-Fat/dp/1400042127/

The Sugar Solution [UNABRIDGED] (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Solution-Sari-Harrar/dp/B000CKM8HG/sr=1-3/qid=1157760443/

Flip the Switch: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Flip-Switch-Proven-Strategies-Metabolism/dp/1579549799/

Stack 9
=======

Introducing Chomsky (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Chomsky-2nd-John-Maher/dp/1840461128/

Mapping the Mind (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Mind-Rita-Carter/dp/0520224612/

Superman: Time and Time Again (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Time-Again-Dan-Jurgens/dp/1563891298/

The New Atlas of Human Anatomy (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/New-Atlas-Human-Anatomy/dp/184119395X/

The Art of Anastasia: A Twentieth Century Fox Presentation (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Anastasia-Twentieth-Century-Presentation/dp/0067575307/

 

 

These are some questions I have used when interviewing mysql programmers. I’m sure they can be improved, but they worked for me :)

Q: Can you tell me of a scaling incident with mysql (when a scaling or performance problem occured) and how you fixed it?
a: –

Q: can you explain the cardinality of an index in mysql?
a: how much it distinguishes unique rows

Q: how can you increase the cardinality of an index?
a: make length longer

Q: how could you increase it for an index on a field that contains urls, for example?
a: reverse urls

Q: How do innodb vs myisam tables affect performance in large tables?

Q: How do you analyze the slow query log?

Q: how is the size of a table limited in mysql
a: by storage filesystem

Q: what are the things a master/slave setup doesn’t solve for scaling?
a: writes

Q: Show them a query and the explain output: what’s going on here?

Damn, I just realized Odeo republishes feeds: http://odeo.com/channel/rss/265 is a republish of Steve Garfield’s feed at Feedburner http://feeds.feedburner.com/OffOnATangent (which is a republish *with* permission).

What’s worse, the Odeo republished feed is filled with links to Odeo, not to Steve. The channel link, the item link, even the god damn (and this gets me) enclosure link points to Odeo!

As Odeo knows very well, this embeds them more into the infrastructure of podcasting, these feeds tend to travel wide and far.

What’s wrong here is that they are stealing feeds. I don’t care how well-liked Odeo is, in my book this is almost like running a spamblog.

What’s more, there’s no reason for Odeo to republish a feed, if Steve already has a perfectly good feed, which is where they steal the content from. Steve misses out, because he gets less control over his content, over his feed, over his subscribers. Odeo wins.

Directories should promote podcasters. Republishing feeds without clear permission (like Feedburner does) is not kosher.

Odeo guys, what’s going on here?

" I met with Mica, Kenyatt.." (Just posting this for testing…)

Watch movie (4.7 MB, 5.4 min)

Original post on December 21, 2004 from Peter Van Dijck’s Guide to Ease: (RSS feed)

I met with Mica, Kenyatta, Josh and Jay today to discuss the future of me-tv. I will talk about that more later, meanwhile, here’s the video (Quicktime, about 4 Megs). I was psyched when I realized what a fantastic group of people were together in that room! The movie includes the first secret preview of the upcoming ANT tool which is like ipodder for video.

(Via Mefeedia)

"Did you encourage a videoblogger today"

Watch movie (1.1 MB, 0.5 min)

Original post on August 11, 2005 from Peter Van Dijck’s Guide to Ease: (RSS feed)

As the early videobloggers, we need to tell people about this, and show them. I was just encouraging a potential videoblogger, and to show them how fast it goes, here’s the movie (10 mins later – Quicktime, about a meg).

(Via Mefeedia)

I was chatting with Mike from blip.tv, and pointed out their feeds don’t geocode the channel, just the items.

Mefeedia’s next release will support geocoding, that’s why.

Within minutes, Mike fixed it.

That’s the shape collaboration between services takes: it consists of respect and IM. Or, alternatively, of long negotiations and laywers. I like the first approach.

Apple’s iTunes podcast directory is incredibly 1.0 and selfish, and denies the ecosystem that created it. Mike nails it here:

mmeiser blog: Apple threatening Podcast Ready over use of the term Pod: “With Apple all traffic is inbound, none outbound.

Bloggers and Podcasters everywhere are driving thousands and thousands of users to iTunes via thousands of inbound itunes links… I’m willing to bet we are THE number one driver of traffic to the iTunes store. I challenge you… who else is driving traffic to Apple? Apple is using YOU.

There is not a single permalink or linkback anywhere where our content is being watched and listened. Not one link in the media playback interface back to our own sites! There are plenty of links from the iTunes interface into the iTunes Store.. but no links to OUR websites… where we conduct OUR businss.. sell our content… or just discuss the podcast episode you’ve just listened to in iTunes.

I’d call it a slick bastardization of podcasters interest… but it’s NOT slick. It’s sickening… an outrage.”

Video blogger gets two days to return to prison | CNET News.com: “Video blogger and freelance journalist Josh Wolf was on Wednesday given two more days to either turn himself back in to prison or cooperate with a federal grand jury seeking unpublished footage he shot during a protest that turned violent.”

How’s that for a title?

We went to bring in Maria’s Apple laptop for fixing the other day, and they had to reformat the harddrive, and they wanted *us* to physically press the “delete” button, to make sure we were agreeing to it :)

In this case, it wasn’t about legal responsability, as it is when they make you sign a paper, it was about emotional responsability, as few people would complain after pressing the button *themselves*.

Amazon is doing some incredible stuff lately.

Amazon Business Solutions – Fulfillment by Amazon – An Amazon Fulfillment Services Group:
“You send us your inventory – Label, pack and ship your items to Amazon.
We store your inventory – When we receive your items, we’ll store them until an order is placed.
We fulfill your order – When an order is placed, we’ll pick, pack and ship the item, and may combine it with other items in the same order.
We manage all post-order customer service – We’ll manage post-order customer service and handle returns as needed.”

Maria is starting a videoblog/ethnography project about Colombian migration.

She’s using havemoneywillvlog, a pretty interesting approach to funding small videoblog projects like this. The havemoneywillvlog people handpick projects and promote them to raise a certain amount of money to help get a project started.

Donate a small amount here now, this project really deserves it: Colombia Migration Project

And send some linkylove to http://colombiamigrationproject.net/

Peter Van Dijck’s Guide to Ease » Blog Archive »

Mefeedia almost 2 years ago: “I added signing up to the me-tv alpha today. A feature/bugfix a day keeps the doctor away. It takes me about 2 hours every day. Bootstrapping. I’m happy I released early, I have already over 50 people using it and they provide great feedback on what’s important to them. It’s a videoblog browser, by the way.”

Boing Boing: More Americans have now died In Iraq than died On 9/11: “While President Bush and other Republican politicians spent the day exploiting the memory of those we lost five years ago, the nation overlooked a grim milestone: More Americans have now died in Iraq than died on 9/11. Iraq didn’t attack us on that day, and our misguided policy there has now taken more American lives than Al Qaeda.

Here are the numbers: 3,015 Americans have died in Iraq as of September 9.

2,666 of these were military deaths and 349 were civilians.”

CastingWords: Podcast Transcript Search | Podcast Transcription Service: “All transcribing is done by people, not machines.”

Castingwords seems to do a great job at transcribing your podcasts.

Drupal 5.0 user management on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

Drupal is doing some interesting experiment: they’re using Flickr to discuss usability improvements…

Mefeedia user profile: stevegarfield: a conversation about when we started videoblogging on Steve Garfields’ profile.

Pixelsoup—jaded Pixel weblog: interesting approach to translation: let the crowd do it.

InfoSpaces » Blog Archive » Tagging Ecologies: “Mefeedia (from Peter Van Dijck) is chronologically the first example of structured tagging. Editors create mutually exclusive facets and users assign tags to facets. The strenght of editors and users together to make large tagclouds more browsable and tags meaning more understandable.”

Podcamp Boston seems amazing, and I probably won’t be able to make it (perhaps half a day… ). Damn!

The newest Mefee release now supports podcasts too, and I’m already seeing some stuff coming up at the podcast tag: Videos and podcasts about podcamp (get the RSS feed!)

David Meade send a post to the videoblogging mailing list: he has managed to put his mefeedia queue rss feed in SecondLife, so you can see videoblogs in SecondLife. It’s hard to explain but easy to see: the videos play really surprisingly great. You can move around in the room, the video keeps playing, it all works great. Here’s a screenshot:

Rosenfeld Media – Search Analytics for your Site: Needed: policies on retention and use of search logs: “The premise of our book is that search analytics, or search log analysis, yields tremendous benefits. We think just about everyone ought to analyze searches their customers perform. If we succeed in our mission, then a lot more organizations will start analyzing their search logs. But the recent AOL disclosure of log information vividly demonstrated the risk to privacy if you let your logs out into the wild. So Lou and I are mulling what an ideal search log retention and use policy would look like.”