Starting a new daily column (basically to get back into blogging) on things to "have in mind" as you traverse the web.

** Howard Chui is a fan of what he calls "meganiches". (via Wired News) Meganiche sites are often based on a mainstream topic, but they carve it into divisions that the market as a whole may barely recognize. Gaia Online, for instance, is a community of anime fans – but not just any anime fans. It appeals to those who want not only to watch Japanese animation but to share their enthusiasm and creativity in ways that broadcast media doesn't allow.

Howard defines a meganiche as a thin slice of the Web that nonetheless represents roughly a million users. "The meganiche is something new, and it will have a lasting impact on online business and culture."

Have in Mind: Look at Crocs, eBay, and hosts of other meganiches and micro/macro cultures on which complete business models are built on the backs of. Amazing. Simply amazing.

** The duality of the binary. Noah's thinking "how can something so simple as binary code make my life so digitally complex." I think the same thing every day. I'm reading fewer books, spending less time with the dog, and all the stuff like that. All because of the 'information age.'

Noah believes that there is more ambiguity in the world for the following reasons. I have some thoughts on these that may or may not be in agreement.

1. We are living in the information age. No one person has enough time to read everything (even in their particular field). As a result, there are more generalists.
** We never have had time to read everything. The information age (read: digital) has allowed us to "search" for what we want. I argue that we're becoming even more specialized. Generalists in any field are harder and harder to come by.

2. The internet has given people access to an almost infinite number of opinions and ideas. There are any number of variations on any topic and whether someone actually consumes them or not, the awareness of multiple viewpoints is very important. In a way it legitimizes ambiguity.
** Access does not connote desire to access. The seeming 'polarization' that happens around election time is, to me, living proof that the information age and the web have done nothing to bring infinite opinions and ideas to the masses.

3. Digital technology has allowed us to change our definition of both space and time. When you pick up the phone to call customer service you could easily be talking to the other side of the world. In many ways, physical proximity no longer matters as much as it once did.
** Totally. I'm a tele-worker on VOIP and a part of the Kinkos Generation. Dead on.

Have in Mind: Ambiguity is a matter of the mind. We should all be so comfortable with ambiguity. There was an interesting caller on Wisconsin Public Radio this morning stating that the reason we have some many 'middle of the roaders' on politics is because we've all stopped seeking the truth. I think she was a conservative, because she sounded like one, but the point remains. The more information we have, the less absolute our absolutes become because of the influx of influences.