That was not when Sgt. Pepper taught his band to play. But it was the first time that my proto-weblog was archived by the universal online virtual library of humanity. What did it then find?…
Earliest comment of mine (different name) I can find on the Typepad version is 2007, although I think I was reading by 2004-2005. I can't remember how I got linked though.
Fast-forward and you get ♥️s from guys like me who moved to Berkeley w the idea of getting a degree in International Development, but pivoted to a career in Quant Finance, using the tools of econometrics and ignoring the issues of macro and the social impact of political economics
Who yes, find “value above replacement” for the time we spend reading what is still very high-density insight per minute reading, maybe also per square inch on my little screen
"The first thing that strikes me is the—very appealing, to me at least—information density: much more information per square screen inch than these days, "
I thought you were going to say that you had read Edward Tufte's design book[s] that emphasize data ink density. e.g. minimize the peripheral stuff like axes on graphs and charts so that the data stands out. His books also had illustrations from the past to show the value of good data design. [You just posted one by Kindleberger - the spiderweb showing the course of the start of the Great Depression.]. Information density is still good. The browser allows one to see the overall shape of data and allows the user to expand the image to view the details. Sadly, many do not place a high enough resolution link behind the fuzzy jpg in the text, which keeps the data obscured.
I remember your blog, fondly (obviously, cuz here I am)
Sold my business in Singapore, moved into a cottage in the hills of Montecito CA (which necessitated a shift down from the T1 line of my office to the 4800 baud modem (tricked out to 9600) and marvelled at the accelerating information flow, so much of it earnest (I miss that part).
Thanks for the memories, and the Thucydides references.
"That stuck with me. And I reflected on the appallingly low number of people who actually read the articles I had published in the “top five” economics journals."
Modus ponens modus tollens is my intuition here. Like sometimes all that matters is getting one eyeball. Videos can get millions of views and be nothing more permanent than raindrops in the sea
Thanks for 25 years of great economic insight. I started reading in 2003 or 2004. It was a massive relief to find some economic sense rather than blatant press stenography or ideological hackery. Unlike all those cats we used to love on the early internet who have long since left us, there are still some old school bloggers out there keeping us informed. I'd wish you another 25 years of great blogging, but I understand the limits of human flesh. Still, keep up the good fight.
P.S. I still miss those high density web pages, but I understand that tastes change. There is a move by web designers towards "progresive enhancement" which is surprisingly old school, so we may yet see a high density web page revival.
I try, and fail to remember when I found your blog. I think in the late 90' or 00's.
Thanks for providing free mental chewing gum.
I found it when desperate for something sensible in the George W. Bush years (clearly, at the time, the worst president I would ever see).
Link from Krugman's own excellent blog when trying to stay sane in the GFC
Earliest comment of mine (different name) I can find on the Typepad version is 2007, although I think I was reading by 2004-2005. I can't remember how I got linked though.
Fast-forward and you get ♥️s from guys like me who moved to Berkeley w the idea of getting a degree in International Development, but pivoted to a career in Quant Finance, using the tools of econometrics and ignoring the issues of macro and the social impact of political economics
Who yes, find “value above replacement” for the time we spend reading what is still very high-density insight per minute reading, maybe also per square inch on my little screen
"The first thing that strikes me is the—very appealing, to me at least—information density: much more information per square screen inch than these days, "
I thought you were going to say that you had read Edward Tufte's design book[s] that emphasize data ink density. e.g. minimize the peripheral stuff like axes on graphs and charts so that the data stands out. His books also had illustrations from the past to show the value of good data design. [You just posted one by Kindleberger - the spiderweb showing the course of the start of the Great Depression.]. Information density is still good. The browser allows one to see the overall shape of data and allows the user to expand the image to view the details. Sadly, many do not place a high enough resolution link behind the fuzzy jpg in the text, which keeps the data obscured.
"And so I doubled down." I'm so glad you did; the benefits have flowed in one direction since. Thank you.
I remember your blog, fondly (obviously, cuz here I am)
Sold my business in Singapore, moved into a cottage in the hills of Montecito CA (which necessitated a shift down from the T1 line of my office to the 4800 baud modem (tricked out to 9600) and marvelled at the accelerating information flow, so much of it earnest (I miss that part).
Thanks for the memories, and the Thucydides references.
"That stuck with me. And I reflected on the appallingly low number of people who actually read the articles I had published in the “top five” economics journals."
Modus ponens modus tollens is my intuition here. Like sometimes all that matters is getting one eyeball. Videos can get millions of views and be nothing more permanent than raindrops in the sea
Thanks for 25 years of great economic insight. I started reading in 2003 or 2004. It was a massive relief to find some economic sense rather than blatant press stenography or ideological hackery. Unlike all those cats we used to love on the early internet who have long since left us, there are still some old school bloggers out there keeping us informed. I'd wish you another 25 years of great blogging, but I understand the limits of human flesh. Still, keep up the good fight.
P.S. I still miss those high density web pages, but I understand that tastes change. There is a move by web designers towards "progresive enhancement" which is surprisingly old school, so we may yet see a high density web page revival.