Links

Why Don’t Ad Agencies Advertise? Comments Sai 4 May 2006 10:39 pm: Thats hogwash Anand. Just my opinion. Sudheer 5 May 2006 5:50 am: Seems more like a crib article more than one which gives answers… S Anand 5 May 2006 6:09 am: I wonder, though: isn’t it true that ad agencies, in general, don’t advertise? Why is that? Sai 15 May 2006 11:16 pm: Don’t you think the reason they do not advertise in mainstream media like newspapers & tv is that it is catered to the b2c crowd. But i have always thought that Ad firms do advertise in magazines and such read by decision makers, thought that was the case. S Anand 17 May 2006 12:27 am: Quite possible. Even so, it looks like they advertise less than other industries. And that is odd…

Paul Graham on The hardest lessons for startups to learn. So why do I spend so much time thinking about startups? I’ll tell you why. Economically, a startup is best seen not as a way to get rich, but as a way to work faster. You have to make a living, and a startup is a way to get that done quickly, instead of letting it drag on through your whole life. ...

The banana proves God’s existence. I think they’re serious.

Misconceptions spread by textbooks. This site lists the facts, contrary to what most textbooks say about them. Facts: The ocean is blue because water is a blue substance. Not because it reflects the blue sky. The sky is blue because air is blue. Clouds actually remain aloft because they are warm inside.

Jakob Nielsen’s old write-up on how users read on the web. Actually, this is how people read anything. I write my e-mails, PowerPoint presentations, and Word reports this way.

Why I don’t use a registry cleaner

Sketchup (from Google) is now available for free download. It’s a 3D modelling tool.

The Long Tail of information sharing. Even on Wikipedia, fewer than 2% have contributed over 100 articles. Over 85% have contributed fewer than 5 articles. A Wiki inside an organisation is unlikely to reach critical mass, left to itself. Comments Arun 28 Apr 2006 6:10 am: But I imagine, many in the 85% probably contributed stuff that the prolific guys never thought of. For instance, I know one guy who put up something on Ananth Pai (Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha), and i doubt he probably ever added anything else. But you are right about wiki in an organization. Do you know an organization where a wiki has been used effectively? S Anand 28 Apr 2006 10:22 pm: No, not offhand. We were planning to recommend it at one of our clients’, but I’m not going to do that any more. sathish 30 Apr 2006 2:39 am: if the organization strength is large - runs into many thousands or lakhs - I think the required critical mass might be acheived.. for smaller companies and small teams too, it might make sense - since, every one is liable to participate - especially product documentation - it would be easier make/correct and change. Arun 30 Apr 2006 6:02 am: Ah, ok. S Anand 30 Apr 2006 8:45 am: A colleague just reported that his current client is successfully using a Wiki. So may it’s not impossible after all… Madhu 2 May 2006 12:24 pm: wiki is all about scale i think. The sergery brin special lecture at UCB is a case in point. You can access this at google videos

What Drives Bloggers? I think what most bloggers are doing is thinking out loud. It’s a little misleading to talk of “putting things into words,” because that implies the ideas come first. In fact, expressing thoughts creates them. And especially expressing thoughts to other people, even people you don’t know. So I think the reason many people like blogging is that they like the thinking it causes.

Why are you afraid of process? … we bristle when we’re asked for our weekly goals sheets, or when the boss wants us to use a database or when the insurance company requires docs to follow data-driven guidelines. We pass up the tenth novel by a successful author… because the process has become too transparent. And yet, in many cases, process is underrated. Process is your ace in the hole when your intuition stops working. ...

How to get Yahoo Mail Beta. Since I’m in the UK, I have it already. It’s excellent. I now actually check my Yahoo mail thrice a week, and feel happy while doing it.

The Great Google Float. Interesting article on how Google makes money by holding Adsense payments until it hits $100.

Create Google calendar events via SMS. Just SMS 48368 (in the US) with a message like “dinner tomorrow 7pm”. 48368? GVENT?

How to tie a bandage without it falling off. It’s in Japanese, but the video is pretty clear.

Pirates still exist. According to the International Maritime Organisation, 266 committed or attempted acts of piracy were reported last year. Although this was a lower figure than in 2004, in part because many small-time pirates died in that December’s tsunami, risk experts say that a more brazen, violent and organised strain has emerged. Pirates are said to have injured or assaulted 152 crew in 2005; they abducted 652, of whom 11 are still missing. They hijacked 16 ships; a tug and a barge are unaccounted for. ...

The virtues of a second screen. So now, while I am editing this article on my main screen, the screen beside it shows the outline or earlier draft I am working from – and, sometimes, Web sites or other documents I keep referring to. When I edit photos, the second screen lets me compare the copy I am working on with the original, or shows tool palettes and thumbnails of other images, and I can blow up panoramic shots for closer viewing (though with a bar down the middle, like the central pillar of an old car’s windshield). ...

Angry or negative people can be bad for your brain.

It’s worth starting a startup based on an idea even if it is easy to copy. First of all, it will take competitors a long time to realize that your idea is even a good thing to do. Even when competitors realize your idea is good, (a) it will take them a long time to implement and (b) they’ll probably screw up critical things. And finally, working on your ideas will lead you on to new ideas. So you’ll be a moving target; by the time competitors copy what you’re doing now, you’ll be doing more. ...

Determine a sex by name. If you don’t know if a name is male or female, just search for the name on Google images. (e.g. “Priti”) Comments Umasuthan 18 Apr 2006 5:36 pm: That is not always true. Try ‘Kiran’ S Anand 18 Apr 2006 10:17 pm: You’re right. The article does warn of unisex names!

The Economist takes a good look at retailing in India.