8 Memorable Links

These links stand out in my mind as some of the most memorable sites on the internet. I love them for the fact that they are so perfect, so funny, or so wonderfully capture the point of the internet.

The Story of Mel

The Story of Mel is a really great story of the culture of computer programmers. By today's standards, there is much to criticise in Mel's techniques - but it nevertheless remains a beautiful story. In fact, if you found the Story of Mel of interest, I would recommend the entire Jargon file as a fascinating and entertaining read.

I have often felt that programming is an art form, whose real value can only be appreciated by another versed in the same arcane art; there are lovely gems and brilliant coups hidden from human view and admiration, sometimes forever, by the very nature of the process. You can learn a lot about an individual just by reading through his code, even in hexadecimal.

Cyc

The Cyc project is a 20 year attempt to code common-sense knowledge into a computer. When I started my PhD it was my belief that this project or something like it will one day change the world. Now I know the story is a little more complicated, but I still find Cyc and Project Halo very inspiring. Tools like RDF, Description Logics, WordNet, Attempto Controlled English and Commonsense Computing are all pointing to a world where computers will be able to reason with natural languages. I'm not saying that these projects will pass the turing test or acquire consciousness or anything overly romantic like that - but this kind of research will change the world. One obvious application, for example, may be search engines that actually understand the text on the internet: rather than searching with keywords, the search engine will understand your query and find the page which matches the meaning of your query.

Commonsense knowledge is invisible. It's defined as much by what we don't say as by what we do say. Common knowledge is what we assume everyone has, because it's, well, obvious. This is precisely what makes commonsense knowledge so powerful as an intellectual tool\uFFFDbut it's also what makes it so hard to identify and codify.

Spamusement

Like many others on the internet, I receive hundreds of spam each day. My work email address receives about 8000 Spams each day (I'm fortunately using SpamBayes to manage this load). Spamusement is a clever cartoon series inspired by spam subject lines. The cartoons are crudely drawn, but reflect a bizarre sense of humour that brings a new sense of appreciation to the daily barrage of spam.

Watch those lips wrap around a big toy.

09h09

At 9:09am every morning, Frenchman Jean-Michel Gobet photographs himself and places his photo online. A little bit strange, and a curious feeling of anonymous connection. 09h09.

ooch! 9:9am, it's early on sunday, no?

Engrish

One of the most amusing aspects of any trip to Japan is the poorly written, but absolutely hilarious, English on every corner. Whether bizarre, incomprehensible or full of unintended innuendo, the collection at Engrish.com always guarantees a laugh, and reminds me not to take my own Chinese studies too seriously.

When you take a bath, please close the door and switch on the fun without fail.

GroupHug.Us

Group Hug is an online public confession site. Confessions range from the trivial to the deeply disturbing - but it is nevertheless a fascinating glimpse into other people's lives, and a reminder and relief from my own failings.

if i had one wish, i wouldn't wish for health, happiness, or wealth. i'd wish to be a drop-dead gorgeous lingerie model. pretty shallow, isn't it? but that's my wish!

Rate My Poo

I was torn whether to include this or not. I love this site because it represents the freedom of the internet. Is it not astonishing that there are people who upload photos of their "accomplishments" to have them rated by other users (on a log-or-not scale)? Just visiting it makes me want to throw up, but I love the fact that the site exists. Rate My Poo.

The "All Natural" Prank

In The "All Natural" Prank, John Hargrave eats and reviews various "natural" household products such as "Tomato Garden Soap", "Aloe Vera Shampoo" and "LifeTree Bathroom Cleaner". Very funny.

"I have an unusual question," I said. "I run a comedy site, and I'm going to eat these products next week, then write a food column where I critique the taste of each one. I need to know, is there anything here that will kill me?"

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