Christmas time

.... bloody bloody hot (the usual really for Queensland at Christmas time). Still, at least its dry, so we can't complain about that.

Data mining

Not so much data mining at this particular moment, or perhaps I should say, not just data mining. I find I'm also spending a lot of time wondering why there doesnt exist a better way to graphically represent some particular sets of data, to show relationships that way.

At this particular point, I'm talking about the data that's involved in doing a post analysis of a internet campaign.

I have some ideas on how to do stuff and make a start - glad I have that little break between Christmas and New Years when its quiet, so I can get around to implementing/playing with them.

If anyone in the meantime (or anytime) knows of any good packages or services or tools (eg perhaps along the lines of the DoubleClicks, the Atlas DMTs, the Facilitates) that have already taken this approaches and made the implentable, I'm v. keen to hear from you.

singing "hot hot hot!"

aircon's currently broken at work .... damn!
walked in this morning to it being hotter inside than out (well, it was sort of early in the morning)

the whole building is sweating, with our GM walking around cold drinks (and it's only 9.30!).

you have to love summer and incapacitated electricity providers...

Data between the cracks...

... or more accurately 'data replicated and misplaced and recreated' ...

Ever wonder how much time in company hours is spent re-sourcing the same data again and again, simply because the first time it's not dealt with properly?

Ever wonder why, if data storage and organisation is tackled as such a huge issue by big corporations (I'm talking the likes of big accountancy firms, and consultancies, and computer cos etc) management at medium size organisations don't recognise what's currently being lost, and what could be gained?

I do .... very often ...

It's no wonder internet shopping is going to be bigger this Christmas...

... its because the proposition is so simple:

"You won't have to go near the snotty little kids, the meandering old people,and the omnipresent school students that seem to exist solely to crowd up Queens Street Mall and surrounds during the only legitimate time most 9-5ers have to do their Xmas shopping..."

10,958 days

Thats how long my parents have been married as of today - yes, it's their 30th wedding anniversary.

Thats a looooooooooong time to stay together, let alone contribute sooo much to their little corner of the world (not least of which involves raising and educating 3 (relatively) normal children).

msn's desktop search: i have but one problem

The download page itself
MSNSearch team's blog
The interviews on Microsoft's Channel 9

... and no, its not that the MS search doesn't index cached web pages, or how it will undoubtedly ship the desktop search product with everything new from now on (not that I love MS overly, but really - doesnt the "monopoly" they currently have all come back to the fact that at some point in the past they were faster, better and/or smarter than their competitors? we punish people for being good now?).

No, no, my problem with the new msn desktop search is that they released the beta version the day after I finished writing a 2004 search wrap up to send to clients!!! True, my wrapup is just that - a top level look at all search happenings in the Aust market in 2004, so the details of the msn desktop search wouldnt get much of a look in no matter when it was, but it's one of those annoying timing things!!

If you want a copy of the overview (it comes to two pages, and is a very brief overview of general search happenings in Aust in 2004, intended for an advertising/marketing audience with little knowledge of interactive media), just let me know either by email or posting a comment etc

iTunes now does PayPal

Aust IT story here

PayPal promo page here

Of course the business decision has been made with the aim of increasing the number of new iTunes music store users

... but it's of most interest to me because of its potential to let Australian users access to the itunes music store ahead of an official release here. I haven't actually checked it out to see if it would work - anyone got any info on why/why not?


[and yes, I know I was only one post in before violating the "blog often" rule]