Month: August 2001

How much does it cost to have a hit single? The BBC investigates. The interesting thing about this article is how people are finally beginning to think that the age of the single might be over – and that radioplay might become the next criteria for the UK charts – much as it has done in America. Which of course means that more power than ever lies in the hands of the companies that are trying to get the music played and on the radio stations to decide what we should be hearing. I’m not entirely comfortable with this. It’s just a shame that downloads count for so little – actual downloads by real people might be a much more interesting model for chart action.

The one thousandth link in the top links of all time section of Blogdex is gap.com. I make no comments about this. I merely found it interesting.

What happens when you plug Jeremy Paxman into Google. [via Katy KitschBItch]

Derek Powazek‘s book site ‘Design for Community‘ has relaunched and is pretty fine, although not as intuitive as one might like. It’s got more heavily integrated discussion and ‘weblog-like’ characteristics than I’ve seen before, and appears to be a substantial step forward (in the community arena) from using software like Greymatter. The software is provided by Brand Ben Brown of Iloveben brown.com.

I’m really tired and I’m really frayed around the edges. I’m in one of those moods where other people itch away at you, where your magically personal bubble (the thing that protects you and keeps you safe) keeps buckling and where things that should slide off you get stuck in your head and drive you insane.

A list of things that I know about:
1) I know a hell of a lot about web site usability, functionality and structuring.
2) I know a fair amount about assembling content for websites.
3) I know a decent amount about film.
4) I know a decent amount about continental philosophy, greek civilisation and literature.
5) I know a decent amount about art, graphic design and layout.

Jeez – I know lots about lots of stuff. I don’t know why I suddenly have the need to assert it all.

Favourites dump (1) (being a purge of all the links in my favourites menu): The Invisibles Cover Art Gallery, Scene One, Downside’s Deathwatch, Dawson’s Creek Music, Queer Company, UseIt.com.

What’s wrong with you people? Why haven’t any of you bought anything for Lance Arthur or Derek Powazek? Are you mad?

There is nothing more depressing in this world than realising that you will never ever be able to afford a house on the salaries that you earn: BBC News: Property prices continue to rise.

“Curse you Jerwin… That fat thigh comment was too much even for a diva of my stature to bear in good faith. I’ve had my bodyguard spike your Mai Tai with some methylated spirits and monkey pituitary gland. You will be Bob Hoskins before the week is through… Nyah hhahahaha.” [what the fuck?]

CNN has an interesting article on New Media Workers ‘struggling to keep up’ – which I think is a feeling that I completely identified with a couple of years ago, but don’t so much nowadays. I think it’s a question of establishing what you’re good at and developing that angle of your working life. Having said that, I am, of course, unemployed.