Tag: 07.18.07

Beware Those Predictive Models

Predictive algorhythms are getting more and more accurate. “No-one can argue with statistically based procedures for making complex decisions under conditions of uncertainty, so long as successes and failures are aggregated across cases and the cost of errors is low. But if one is interested in individual cases or if the cost of decision errors is high, then these techniques are problematic.”

YouTube Dominance May Not Serve Viewers Well

Does YouTube, that much-ballyhooed showcase for amateur video, actually stifle creativity? “Web video isn’t an oligarchy, it’s a dictatorship. You’re either on YouTube or nobody’s watching. This dominance has a downside: The popular misapprehension that YouTube and Web video are synonymous has limited our sense of what online video can be.”

Attempt To Zero Out Public Broadcasting Fails Again

The U.S. House of Representatives soundly defeated a proposal by President Bush to eliminate the $420 million annual subsidy for public broadcasting this week. “The 357-72 vote demonstrated the enduring political strength of public broadcasting. The outcome was never in doubt, unlike a fight two years ago when Republicans tried but failed to slash public broadcasting subsidies.”

Where Did The Great Divas Go?

“The prima donna is not the figure she once was,- perhaps partly because the overall position of women in society has advanced to such an extent that her achievement no longer seems remarkable or heroic. Fifty years ago, it was different: a girl had to fight to make a career in opera, and, in a business dominated by flattering yet patronising men, even the biggest stars had to assert themselves aggressively – hence the prevalence of the sexist myth of the difficult diva.”

Potter Leaks Plague Publisher

Only days before the release of the last Harry Potter book, leaked copies are getting out. “With so many copies already printed of what is confidently predicted to be a huge bestseller, the risks of the feverishly anticipated story leaking have always been high, particularly so since the book’s author, JK Rowling, has revealed two characters are to die before the story ends, hinting that they may also be among the most popular.”

Dutch TV Hoax Boosts Number Of Kidney Donors

Last month a Dutch TV show was said to be offering a kidney as a prize. “The Big Donor Show was revealed to be a hoax as the fake donor was apparently about to reveal her choice of patient. But Dutch media say the number of people registering as organ donors has jumped since the hoax. The usual monthly figure is just 3-4,000.” In the past month that has jumped to 12,000.

Lincoln U. Embroiled In Controversy

The school controls the Barnes Collection. “Summer break is normally a time of respite, a pause in the scholastic action to allow administrators, faculty, and students a little timeout and a chance to get the batteries charged. But it seems the only things being charged at Lincoln University in rural southeastern Pennsylvania this summer are highly publicized allegations of fiscal mismanagement and misconduct.”

Thinking Behind The NY Phil Music Director Decision

“Hiring a 40-year-old (Alan Gilbert will be a tad older when he takes over the New York Philharmonic in 2009) who has led just six programs highlights the awkward place several American orchestras find themselves in at the moment. The senior-citizen conductors to whom most orchestras feel comfortable entrusting their podiums are saying no, forcing a little gambling. Will Philadelphia be next?”