Dumbland

I’m assuming this is like a Time’s Person of the Year-type deal. Right?

This really is a much too easy form of comedy, but screw it, I’m tired and it makes me laugh.

via

Andy Baio for Wired, in reference to the individual behind the short-lived Daring No Balls website:

He was using all the ordinary precautions for hiding his identity — hiding personal info in the domain record, using a different IP address from his other sites, and scrubbing any shared resources from his WordPress install.

Nonetheless, I found his other blog in under a minute — a thoughtful site about technology and local politics, detailing his full name, employer, photo, and family information. He worked for the local government, and if exposed, his anonymous blog could have cost him his job.

Baio raises a good point about the use of third-party sources and their impact on anonymity. He even uncovered a couple of instances where the repercussions of discovery would be a bit greater than the Internet laughing at your childishness.

The comments, as always, are a brilliant reflection of the rational Internet hivemind.

The Google eBookstore has just launched in Australia, giving us a chance to experience this glorious purchasing process.

Jeff Atwood on Twitter:

I bet you one zillion dollars the success of the Kindle Fire forces Apple to finally make the smaller iPad they should have always made.

Not personally convinced that a 7” iPad would be the great idea he thinks it would be. Just shrinking the iPad to 7” would not be satisfactory. Interfaces would need to be rethought as they were when iPhone developers started developing natively for the iPad. Apple would essentially be launching a third iOS platform, not just augmenting the existing iPad line.

I’ve also played with an original Galaxy Tab and setting aside that the software was fairly horrible, the form factor did zilch for me. I hope the Kindle Fire does well. It looks like the first tablet where the manufacturer has actually given some thought to how the customer is going to continue to use it after the initial purchase. But I’m still plenty happy with my COLOSSAL 10” iPad, thanks.