Links for 12-05-2008

• Dynamist Blog: Depression Lust, and Depression Porn - "If anyone should fear a Depression, it should be journalists, who are already the equivalent of 1980s steelworkers. But instead, they seem positively giddy with anticipation at the prospect of a return to '30s-style hardship--without, of course, the real hardship of the 1930s."
• Understanding Google’s Strategy - I would need some time to really digest and think about the details but looks to be a rather thorough presentation about Google's business model and opportunities.
• Google Slows N.C. Build, Foregoing State Grant « Data Center Knowledge - Google apparently moderating the pace of its datacenter buildout.
• Creative Commons vs MIT OCW: Interpreting the Noncommercial Clause at iterating toward openness - MIT OCW takes an approach to defining commercialization which is much more in keeping with the normal meaning of the work in photography. If you're going to draw a distinction makes much more sense to me.
• What Drug Dealers can Teach us About Free « SaraD, That’s Sara + a “D” - Nice short piece (obliquely) about pure play open source models.
• Do you watch the DVDs and Blu-rays you buy? | The Audiophiliac - CNET News - Steve's spot on. I've really tried to wean myself off buying DVDs for the most part unless it's something like the Lord of the Rings trilogy that I really want to delve into all the extras. I've spent way too much money over the years buying movies that I watched once (or not at all).
• 25 Motivational Posters. | Village of Joy - Some of these are pretty good.
• Flickr: The Help Forum: Yet another CC Non-Commercial Thread- adaptivereuse.net using flickr photos - In a debate around CC-Noncommercial on flickr, I think this comment about sums it up: "Creative Commons is not designed to facilitate control, it is designed to facilitate sharing by giving up control. If any degree of commercialisation is an issue for you then shouldn't use CC at all, you should reserve all rights."
• Blame it on the polling location « - Evidence that suggests the type of polling location can affect how someone votes on certain issues.
• To Publish Without Perishing (Clay Shirky guestblog post) - Boing Boing - Wow. Great post. And I like Gleick's writing but I couldn't agree with Shirky more here.
• Fancy Cats - The Modern Materialist - OMG.
• Travel Tip: Make Your Pictures Pop - The Modern Materialist - This is sorta cool (obviously not for an SLR).
• Zagat on iPhone: 'A disappointment' die-hards will still 'love' | Appliances and Kitchen Gadgets - CNET Blogs - I give Zagat's *some* credit for not just giving away the store with the rise of the Internet. But it seems they could have done much, much more with their brand.
• Sears on my mind - Megan McArdle - An amusing tirade about Sears customer service. Personally I've been generally happy with their appliance repair although it's more or less a given that they will never show up the first time with the part no matter how accurately you describe the problem.