December 2010
16 posts
1 tag
“No matter how user-centered a metric is, it is unlikely to be useful in practice...”
– Measuring the User Experience on a Large Scale: User-Centered Metrics for Web Applications
(via)
2 tags
“One of the first systems our engineers built in AWS is called the Chaos Monkey....”
– http://techblog.netflix.com/2010/12/5-lessons-weve-learned-using-aws.html
2 tags
“3. We’re not very good at predicting customer growth or device engagement.”
– http://techblog.netflix.com/2010/12/four-reasons-we-choose-amazons-cloud-as.html
I didn’t mean to go on a Netflix kick, but they’re just so damn deserving of recognition. This post is their official explanation of why they moved to AWS (vs. building their own data center).
Random...
3 tags
“A media analyst at Nomura, called [Netflix-Starz deal] “probably one of the...”
– From The NY Times’s “Time Warner Views Netflix as a Fading Star”. I can’t help but wonder which junior bd guy Ted Sarandos (the chief content officer for Netflix who negotiates all the deals with Hollywood) negotiated with a Starz? (via siguy)
At least Starz took a chance. When this deal was struck...
2 tags
The Walkmen - Holiday Road
Because it’s...
“Of the many deals the industry has made with Netflix — at lower prices than...”
– Time Warner Takes a Shot at Netflix - NYTimes.com
Want to understand why consumers hate their cable operators (especially TimeWarner)? Look no further.
“We imagined ourselves as a venture-capital-backed start-up in Silicon Valley...”
– The Atlantic Turns a Profit, With an Eye on the Web - NYTimes.com
Great example of a business embracing a disruptive business line to survive.
1 tag
“[T]he best leaders and the best organizations have strong opinions that are...”
– Why The Best Bosses Are Confident But Not Really Sure | Psychology Today (via caterpillarcowboy)
Strong opinions, weakly held. One of my favorite mantras.
“But through the Google incident and other increased controls and surveillance,...”
– WikiLeaks Archive - China’s Battle With Google - NYTimes.com
A fascinating look into a divergent view of the web from a different culture and body politic.
“Obama continues to extend his hand to Republican leaders who have made clear...”
– Obama’s Leadership Under Scrutiny Amid Negotiations With GOP - FoxNews.com
Unusual to find a sentence like this in a story on FoxNews.
“Change has come to the entertainment industry, but it’s been a lot more...”
– The Men Who Stole the World -TimeFrames- Printout - TIME
Isn’t it always the case that change is slower and more complicated than we would like? Disruptive technologies don’t nuke industries, they erode their foundations slowly. If you find yourself betting on a quick change in...
“Some of us wish to encourage in individuals the sense of justice which would...”
– After secrets: Missing the point of WikiLeaks | The Economist