Marcoullier.com

In June 2007, comScore announced they were tracking widgets. Because only flash units were counted, MyBlogLog (with ~65M unique viewers that month, theoretically 3rd on the list) was excluded.

Today, I was shocked to see the Alexa and Compete graphs for MyBlogLog’s post-acquisition traffic. We were constantly growing during my tenure and Todd laid out some pretty explicit (and impressive) numbers on the official blog recently.

It seems that traditional metrics services still haven’t wrapped their minds around a data-portable world. Information wants to be free, but I wouldn’t mind for it to be audited properly along the way

(Length: 100 words)

We talked about this a lot last year but I never expected to see something this good. When MyBlogLog 2.0 goes live later tonight, take a few minutes to savor this. You’ve built something really, really cool.

(Length: 37 words)

I’ll leave for another post my fervent belief that Apple is now first and foremost “The iTunes Company”. I’ll settle for figuring out how to suck the pod- and videocast teat from several sources in my life.

I have an iPod that I sync to my Macbook. The Macbook is only on when I’m using it. I also have a Mac Mini in the loving room and AppleTVs in the bedroom and home theater. I want to download a podcast once and play it on any of the five devices. This doesn’t seem even remotely possible. What am I missing?

(Length: 100 words)

So I almost got arrested picking Jud up from the airport today. It seems that unless someone is in the act of getting in or out of your car, you are forbidden to stop in the arrival zone. I pulled over and started to text Jud to find out which of the six United exits he was at. An SFPD officer raced over and we had the following conversation:

Officer: Please move your car, sir.

Me: I just need to text my friend and tell him I’m here.

Officer: Move your car now, sir. Call him from the cell phone waiting lot. (NOTE: The lot is apparently 2.5 miles away)

Me: He’s right inside. I just need to let him know I’m here.

Officer: Move your car now or I’ll give you a ticket.

Me (officially losing my cool): That’s pathetic. You know what? Give me the ticket.

Officer: Move your car or I’ll have it towed.

Me (moving to idiot territory): Fine, tow me.

Officer: MOVE!

So I text Jud while driving around the loop, only to learn he’s going to be a few minutes longer (so this is partially his fault ). The next time around, this same officer is writing a ticket for someone who is literally loading their car. I’ve moved beyond idiot territory and into parts unknown. I stop and roll down my window:

Me: Are you really giving someone a ticket for loading their car in the Loading Zone?

Officer: If you don’t move your car now, I’ll have you arrested.

So yeah, I was a horse’s ass, but I’m just amazed at this latest security clusterfuck. We’re now supposed to drive six minutes away from the airport in order to tell the person we’re picking up that we are (well… were) outside and waiting. I sure feel safer.

(Length: more than 100 words, and I don’t care)

After seeing that Todd had linked to Johnny’s awesome DIY multi-touch display demo, I felt it was only right to link to his mind-blowing head tracking demo. CMU doesn’t have quite the same cachet as MIT or Caltech, but every Carnegie Mellon CS and Engineering grad I’ve met has been scary smart. Keep up the great work, dude!

Low-Cost Multi-touch Whiteboard using the Wiimote
Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote

(Length: 75 words)

FriendFeed announced that they are opening the doors to everyone today. They lead the pack, with a more refined experience than Iminta, Plaxo Pulse, Spokeo, Profilactic, Second Brain, etc. But they still fundamentally suck.

The current standard for these feeds is reverse chronological order, with all the content lumped together, as if everything is equally important. Services need to investigate context-sensitive display mechanisms that enable users to zero in on content of interest .

Ultimately, this race will go to whoever most elegantly allows users to ignore 90% of the data at any given time.

(Length: 95 words)

Best title ever: Zemanta Will Sex Up Your Blog.

Email me if you’d like to get into the private beta next month.

(Length: 22 words)

Even before having kids I knew that “you can do anything” would be verboten. I’m not seeking to hamper exploration or even manage expectations in the narrow sense, as Alen Shimel writes.

That innocuous phrase set in me an unrealistic expectation that I should do everything. Regardless of my successes, I still feel a tinge of disappointment when I encounter someone who has achieved elsewhere — written a book, played an instrument, climbed Kilimanjaro…

It’s important to build a lifelong curiosity in our children, but it’s just as important for them to learn that they don’t have to do everything.

(Length: 100 words, and damn was it hard!)

Paul Graham posted the excellent Six Principles for Making New Things; it’s a must-read for any entrepreneur.

Anyone I advise will tell you that my two basic sentiments are “rip it out — it’s not vital” and “who cares — launch and let the users tell you the answer”. If I wasn’t so belligerent about things, I’m sure these teams would worry that I don’t care about their companies.

You’re going to guess wrong. A LOT. Launching simple apps means you can fix them quickly before adding the next boneheaded feature

See the principles on the permalink.

(Length: 99 words)