Coding Horror: Trouble In the House of Google

If this is true, is this the beginning of the end for Google? Can Google change its algorithms to resist the impact of spammers? Does it need to? Are "closed" networks (such as Facebook) better at resisting spam?

From Coding Horror:
"Trouble In the House of Google" by Jeff Atwood
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2011/01/trouble-in-the-house-of-google.html

When will government stop interfering in business?

Yet another story of government interference for personal benefit. Surprised? Of course not.

From Techdirt:
"Time For Google To Leave Italy? Italy Announces That YouTube Responsible For All Content"
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110102/13373312486/time-google-to-leave-italy-italy-announces-that-youtube-responsible-all-content.shtml

"The Italian government has long had trouble comprehending how YouTube is simply a platform for users. Of course, some might say this is willful ignorance. Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi owns Italy's largest private broadcaster, Mediaset, and doesn't much like the competition."

"The latest in the Italian government's war against YouTube is that it's declared that YouTube qualifies as a TV station and is subject to television regulations."

"I imagine Google will fight this in the courts, but at some point, it makes you wonder if Google wouldn't just be better off leaving Italy altogether, and seeing how folks there feel about its government's decisions."

Government interference affects business decisions--to the detriment of its citizens.

Holding YouTube responsible for the actions of users is like holding gun manufacturers responsible for the actions of gun users, like holding cigarette makers responsible for the decisions of smokers, like holding fast food providers responsible for the decisions of individual consumers, like holding earth moving equipment manufacturers responsible for people who remain in the path of the work being done (unknown to the operator of the equipment). Oh wait, government already does all this stuff. No wonder we're so screwed up.

Song of the Day: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Heart In Your Heartbreak

Here's a song, just because I like it.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Heart In Your Heartbreak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewhQrteR9OQ&feature=related

Oh those crazy trees!

You could accuse me of having a high school boy sense of humor. And you'd be right! I admit it, I find this hilarious. Gotta love the "piercing" on the first picture. :)

From Funny or Die:
"11 Trees That Look Like Genitals"
http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/e5ea53c64d/trees-that-look-like-genitals

Cable TV pricing for our cell phones?

How will we pay for data connectivity on our cell phones in the future? Here is one possibility, from Ars Technica.
"Imagine a world where every app has its own data plan" by Nate Anderson
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/12/net-neutrality-nightmare-a-world-where-every-app-has-its-own-data-plan.ars

Why do I have a bad feeling that our cell phone data plans will look cable TV pricing in the future? I am so lucky that my employer pays for my cell phone data plan, on my work phone anyway.

Song of the Sausage Creature

I was reminded the other day of this classic piece. It is loosely about motorcycles, but it is mostly about a certain mindset, I think. What do you think?

"Song of the Sausage Creature" by Hunter S. Thompson
http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html

Select quotes:

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them - but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one. That is why they are dangerous."

"Of course. You want to cripple the bastard? Send him a 130-mph cafe-racer. And include some license plates, he'll think it's a streetbike. He's queer for anything fast."

"Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I've always believed this, in spite of the trouble it's caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba...."

"That is the attitude of the new-age superbike freak, and I am one of them. On some days they are about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. The Vincent just killed you a lot faster than a superbike will. A fool couldn't ride the Vincent Black Shadow more than once, but a fool can ride a Ducati 900 many times, and it will always be a bloodcurdling kind of fun. That is the Curse of Speed which has plagued me all my life. I am a slave to it. On my tombstone they will carve, 'IT NEVER GOT FAST ENOUGH FOR ME.'"

Should You Accept Mom & Dad's Facebook Friend Request?

Have your parents joined Facebook yet? (Luckily, mine haven't.) Have they hit you with the question yet?

If yes, here is some helpful advice for you. From Mashable:
"Should You Accept Mom & Dad’s Facebook Friend Request? [FLOWCHART]"
http://mashable.com/2010/12/10/parents-facebook-flowchart/