UC Irvine scientists “exposed volunteers to a fake print advertisement describing a visit to Disneyland where they would meet Bugs Bunny. Later, 33 percent of these volunteers claimed they knew or remembered the event happening to them. (Bugs Bunny is a Warner Bros. character and has never appeared at Disneyland.)” Link

Want to vent? Go Shakespearean. (Thanks Dora!)

What is Google doing with Blogger? Dow Jones says “Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch online newsletter, said one possibility is for Google to post small ads related to the themes of specific Weblogs that use the Blogger software. For example, Google might display travel-related links from advertisers that wanted to reach Web surfers visiting a travel blog that relies on the Blogger software. ‘I think Google sees this deal as a great way to grab some content and get their ads out on it,’ Sullivan said.”

Great. Come on Google, let’s rumble.

Good power law graphs. (Via Interconnected.)

[Five] Eight years ago today, Dave Winer wrote: “Every new website begets more websites. If I have one, I want my friend to have one, so I can point to it. And so they can point to my site. Someday I’ll be able to walk a network of friendships, automatically knowing that each of us has mutual friends. It’ll be cool.” His prophecy was called “Billions of websites.” Read the whole thing — it will make your spine tingle.

Glenn Reynolds gave a nice plug for Blogads yesterday. “Now that Google has seen the value of tapping into the blogosphere, I think that a lot of other folks will want to, too.” Blogads “lets advertisers reach select audiences with highly desirable demographics for next to nothing,” writes Glenn.

A friend writes:

A couple of thoughts occurred to me on the Google/Pyra deal. I think it’s good all around, having been to the Googleplex a couple of times and worked with them on XXX. They’re great people, and yes, the food really is that
good.

Firstly, I understand they’re in the runup to their IPO. They have a good cash position and are looking to generate interest. Wouldn’t that mean more purchases of smaller companies at fire-sale prices are on the way? The really interesting question is, who’s around that would make sense for them really?

A while ago I saw something in E&P a couple of weeks ago about their ability – if they wanted to – to turn Google News into a huge aggregator and paid content mediator.

In this way, a Pyra tie-up would give them a leg up on spotting the new “hubs” as you call ’em.

Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if Winer’s talking to one of the SOAP players. Maybe Microsoft themselves?

Just as Blogger was bought by Google, it sounds like proto-blogging software company Userland has a deal cooking with another major player. Or at least that is what Userland owner Dave Winer seems to be hinting when he writes: “I wouldn’t be surprised if the other popular blogging tools had similar deals cooking. Not much more to say at this time. Except…”

Also, it is worth noting that Jeff Jarvis is one of the wise people who helped keep Blogger afloat.

Ken Layne mentions that Google, the Internet’s most successful company, has bought Pyra, the company that owns Blogger.

Wow.

A Google spokesman says blogging is “a global self-publishing phenomenon that connects Internet users with dynamic, diverse points of view while also enabling comment and participation.”

Looks like Dave Winer is going to win his $1000 bet with NYTimes.com’s Martin Nisenholtz sooner rather than later. Last April Dave bet that “in a Google search of five keywords or phrases representing the top five news stories of 2007, weblogs will rank higher than the New York Times’ Web site.”

Google serves far more than the 150 million searches a day it admits publicly. And Google already serves far more people seeking New York information than does the New York Times.

Processing more than half all Internet searches, Google already has cornered the demand for information; with Blogger, it has a chance to dominate the supply as well.

Blogging… no… Internet publishing now moves beyond the beta-test.

Update: Cory Doctorow gives a good overview of Blogger history and suggests one future. And the New York Times reports on the deal and recycles the specious “150 million searches a day” number. AGGGG.

On a milder note, I noticed that Ken has been going to see UNR Wolf Pack college basketball games. We’ve also been enjoying college hoops this winter, watching the Amherst Jeff’s (20-3!) win three games. In contrast to Reno, the bleachers hold only 400 and there’s no beer… but seats are free. I haven’t watched division III college basketball in 20 years and amazed at how swift and muscular the action is. The shot clock and weight-lifting seem have transformed the game.

Slashdot is having a good free-for-all about power laws and communities. Do all communities (or networks) inevitably over-reward some participants and under-reward others? And, if this is true, do enough benefits accrue from the sorting to overshadow the unfair distribution of rewards? As one Slashdotter puts it: “Friend/foe systems, such as the one here at Slashdot, tend to actually make community better rather than worse.” I’ve chewed on this questionhere before.