November 2009

Algorithms and the quest for happy accidents

by Bill Wren on November 29, 2009

If I understand (not likely) the way Google delivers search results and the way Facebook delivers its feeds, using algorithms to present what it is we’re looking for or what is of most interest to us, then I have a question. Why not have an option to turn it off? Why can I not get [...]

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Writers write too much

by Bill Wren on November 24, 2009

Yes, writers write way too much (including me). There are a number of reasons why. I’ll outline some below but first, how can I make such a claim? I can because I am a writer and a reader. It’s the reader that tells me we write too much. It’s the writer that tries to figure [...]

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Confusing the mode with the use

by Bill Wren on November 23, 2009

I came across two links that I thought were worth sharing. The first is a blog post by Dave Winer and it’s called How Hollywood portrays bloggers. In it he says, “A blogger isn’t just someone who uses blogging software, at least not to me.” I agree and this is one of the misperceptions about [...]

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Five limericks (plus one)

by Bill Wren on November 22, 2009

Having lost his mind and making himself what I imagine to be the recipient of gazillions of limericks, Roger Ebert is running a little limerick contest. Below are five six of my lame efforts, only some of which I submitted. Please note: limericks are almost by definition ribald, so if you have a polite sensibility — [...]

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Expectations of deceit

by Bill Wren on November 20, 2009

Since moving to New Brunswick (NB) about three years ago, the proposed NB Power/Hydro-Quebec deal is the first time I’ve seen some genuine public interest in what this province is about and where it is going. In that sense, regardless of the deal’s merits or whether it goes through or not, it has been a [...]

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