Mem Words and Stats

Memwurdz
I came across a post about "mem words" at MarketingFix.com which spoke of the idea of inventing a new catchy word or phrase, or taking an existing one, and using it on your blog to draw traffic from those searching it as a keyword.
In reflection that is exactly what I did with this site. It was instinctive and entirely unplanned. Although I have very few affiliate links, my stats have shown 20,000 hits a month since I published this Whuffie blog (now Whuffie.com) there appears to be only about 2,000 unique visitors and around 150-200 referral links. Around 100 search strings (mostly from Google) searching with keyword. Learn more about mem words here.

update: Here's a funny political mem word- "Dixie-Chicked" I am afraid it might stick. Read Drudge here for a good definition.

via Blogdex via AdRants

List of works By Cory Doctorow

Here is some info about Cory Doctorow and a list of his titles.
From the "Internet Speculative Fiction Database".

Space 'Coptors & Voices in your Head

Space 'Coptors & Voices in your Head
Copious inventor known for what is now called the Sonogram, Woody Norris has invented a personal helicopter the 254lb. ultralight "AirScooter" is easy to fly and requires no liscense. According to some AirScooters and Segways may become as popular as cell phones and the internet.

Norris has also come up with a new phenomenal way to hear sound inside your head without speakers. This leads me to question, will privacy laws have to be extended to inside your own skull? As if spam, junkmail, and phone marketers were not enough imaging advertisements interrupting your thoughts! The consequences of this new sci-tech aside, it is rumored to replace massive concert audio systems in a way that everyone in the event would hear at the same volume eliminating the bain of concert attendees: "FRBES" or front row bleeding ear syndrome. Not to mention the military implications: "Saddam, this is Allah, TURN_YOURSELF_IN."

Full 6 page New York Times story here

via boingboing

Automated Whuffie bots?

After some comments were exchanged both on this blog and a few others, Kevin was finally able to get through to my thick head about the issue of "Votelinks". Which seemed like a lot of trouble for nothing and a repeat of the wheel. I had misunderstood that the purpose was to have people voting on thier outbound links. Kevin clarified as did Rainer that although this may be observed by individuals, that the real motive was to correct a flaw in the current spider search engine systems, that essentailly say the more links you have the better, which potentially could boost some lame-o yet controversial blog or website. This brought to mind a subject I had not yet considered: bots, spiders or otherwise automated devices that are "secretly logging your activities and words and generating Whuffie points".

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

"Digitally distill a person's identity into data. Newborns are outfitted with a 'stack,' a lipstick-size data-storage device at the base of the brain's cortex" "..When someone dies, this backup identity is downloaded into a new body, or "sleeve." Real death occurs only when someone without remote storage dies and the 'stack' is destroyed..."
Obviously if you are Cory Doctorow, or one of the readers of his new book, this is not new subject matter. But, okay, he is an innovator and his ideas are just reverberating in new fictional materials? But is Altered Carbon available for free online? Well it is not due for release in the US until next year. While available soon in the UK. Via USA Today FULL STORY