I have mixed feelings about the unfortunately named Raging Search (raging.com) by AltaVista.

I like that I can choose my font and color scheme (I recommend verdana with the default colors). Other nice options include being able to turn off basically every feature (spelling suggestions, etc.) and choosing what info is displayed with the results (URL, date, size, etc.).

All in all it is quite a nice search engine with nice results. I do, however, feel a pang of guilt for using what is so obviously the result of a board meeting in which AltaVista execs decided they needed to be more like Google. I doubt they have the balls to make the enormously popular but cluttered altavista.com point to virtually advertising-free Raging Search.

May the simplest win.

re: Napster Thrives!

rob said:

I question CNN’s line:

“That made Napster the fastest-growing software application ever recorded by the Internet research company.”

CNN may have their ‘fact’ straight, but the hell is the “Internet research company.”

The Open Directory Project at dmoz.org is another wacky love child of the AOL-TimeWarner merger. Other bizarre offspring of the corporate mega marriage include Mozilla and Gnutella.

Basically an open-source version of the Yahoo editorial system, dmoz has the advantage of having actual human beings (of varying quality) decide which site goes in which category, without the disadvantage of possible censorship associated with a central system. Anyone can signup to be an editor.

Anyone can use the Open Directory Project data on their site. Sites using it include Google, Altavista, Netcenter, Lycos, and Hotbot.

Acts of Volition is proud to be listed under on The Open Directory Project under:

Top: Computers: Internet: WWW: Web Logs: Personal: A

• Signal vs. Noise – take a few minutes to read the many pages at their company site, 37signals, and wonder why you aren’t as smart as they are.
• dack.com – the sarcastic bastard and creator of such brilliant works as
  Amazon 2001: A Navigation Odyssey
• Jeffrey Zeldman Presents – for web people. this guy updates his site every morning for breakfast, literally.
• useit.com – for even webbier people
• kottke.org – some guy
• k10k.net* – the brave designers paradise

I remember reading an article about how the web and hyperlinks were going to change the way children thought. At the time I dismissed it as mumbo-jumbo about non-linear thought patterns and other such nonsense. I fear the hypothesis have been proven true in myself.

Sitting in an evening university class (a place which is both foreign and familiar to me), I found myself constantly wanting the professor to move on. I found myself ‘skimming’ the lecture and was incredibly frustrated when I couldn’t control the movement from topic to topic.

Clearly, part of the problem is my inability to interact with people who don’t exist on my computer. However, I think this points to a clear conclusion: The Internet has fried my brain.

Humankind Systems, maker of a fine webmail template I bought recently, seems to be diversifying.

Their product, The Flasher, occasionally flashes on your computer screen while you work with affirmative messages like:

• cigarettes taste bad
• smokers are ugly
• lung cancer is painful
• I like to exercise
• I love my body
• I Chew My Food Thoroughly

I did not make this up. However, I wish I had.

A fine demonstration of how to make a point with interactive media by the Laramara Foundation. Be patient and do what it says. Try It >>

Requires Flash and a set of speakers.