I came across an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review. It refutes some aspects of the Long Tail theory, providing some good data to support the author’s view. I found it interesting in view of the unquestioning acceptance I’ve witnessed about the Long Tail theory.

Should You Invest in the Long Tail?

It was a compelling idea: In the digitized world, there’s more money to be made in niche offerings than in blockbusters. The data tell a different story.

In a thought-provoking article in the Atlantic, Nicholas Carr argues the information consumption patterns pervading the Internet are altering our brains. He notes that long-form articles are rare online, and are becoming rarer in print. Citing several pieces of anecdotal evidence, he makes a case that we are becoming accustomed to short-form content and are, in fact, becoming unable to read long pieces without giving up and moving on. One person quoted says he finds it difficult to get beyond three or four paragraphs, another that they find it impossible to read books any more.

I love flowers in the sunshine; the last week or so has seen precious little sun, so photos have had to do.

Update: Rose tells me the yellow flower is also a rose.

I finally completed uploading my favourites from the photos I took in Seattle. Expect more cats, art, flowers and an otter. There’s even a couple depicting yours truly hidden amongst them.

Click either of the photos for the full set.

This bank holiday weekend was the Dot to Dot Festival in Bristol. Dot to Dot features (mostly) lesser known bands and artists across several of Bristol’s venues. Last year there were three venues, the Louisiana, Thekla and Fiddlers. This year the Trinity Centre and Academy were added, making five in total. The Trinity and Academy are both larger than the existing three, which allowed for larger artists to be booked.