Jakob Nielsen on latest web growth statistics: 100 Million Websites Online as of November 2006

This recent Alertbox article discusses the growth in the number of websites each year since the Web's founding (considered here to be 1991). Jakob Nielsen (pictured in icon with Hoa Loranger) recalls the year 1994, when the web expanded by 16 thousand percent by increasing its number of websites that year from 700 to 12,000.

When I calculated the percent change between 700 and 12,000, I got 16 hundred percent, not 16 thousand. Did I do that wrong, or did he? Anyone else care to try? aldoushuxley is a bit of a math head. As are vyus, probably blorky, twid, and others.

Voting day considerations

Via aldoushuxley, I believe, this op-ed piece issues forth a concise and directed indictment against the G.W. Bush presidency. The following excerpt sums everything up nicely:

There may be little Americans can do to atone for this presidency, which will stain our country’s reputation for a long time. But the process of recovering our good name must begin somewhere, and the logical place is in the voting booth this Nov. 7.

Indeed, the reputation of America abroad must be in the proverbial tatters. I can't help but think that the optics would be good for regular Americans if they were to roust as many Republicans from office as possible tomorrow.

So go to it! All whatever-the-crazily-low-percentage-of-registered-US-voters-
who-actually-fills-out-a-ballot-in-midterm-elections of you.

More voting day considerations (this time by Michael Moore)

This made me chuckle a little bit. It's from an e-mail newsletter Michael Moore sent out this morning. As per his norm, he's nothing if not dramatic.

Friends,

Tomorrow night, those who sent 2,800 of our soldiers to their deaths -- all because of a lie the president concocted -- will find out if America chooses to reward them -- or remove them.

As good as things look for the Democrats, do not pop the corks and start the partying yet. Do not believe for a second that the Republicans plan on losing. They will fight like dogs for the next 24 hours -- relentless, unforgiving, nonstop action to squeeze every last conservative voter out of the house on election day. While the rest of us go about our day today, tens of thousands of Republican volunteers are knocking on doors, making phone calls, and lining up rides to the polls. They're not sleeping, they're not eating, they're not even watching Fox News. A day without Fox News? That's right, that's how insanely dedicated they are.

But the reason they have to work so hard is that, before they can get the vote out, they first have to completely turn around the massive public opinion against them. Almost 60% disapprove of Bush. Over 60% are opposed to the war. Those are landslide numbers. And the American people are not going to turn pro-war or into Bush-lovers by tomorrow morning. So it should be easy for us, right?

Yup. Just like it was when we won the popular vote in 2000 and when we were ahead in the exit polls all day long in 2004. You know the deal -- the other side takes no prisoners. And just when it seems like things are going our way, the Republicans suddenly, mysteriously win the election.

Well, it's not really that mysterious. They're out there busting their asses this very minute, right down the street from you. What are YOU doing? You're on a computer reading my cranky letter! Stop reading this! We have only a few hours left to wrestle control of the Congress away from these "representatives" who, if returned, will continue shipping our young men and women over there to die.

Here's what I'm imploring you to do right now:

1. Go through your address book on your cell phone and computer and call/e-mail everyone you know. Tell them how much it would mean to you if they vote on Tuesday. If they don't know where to vote, help them find their polling place.

2. Contact MoveOn.org ASAP. They will connect you to the folks who need you to make calls.

3. Contact your local Democratic Party headquarters. There are close races in nearly every state. They'll put you to work -- on the ground or on the phones. Or go to the local HQ for the Dem candidate running for the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate and say, "Put me to work!"

OK, turn off the computer -- and I will, too. There's serious work to do. The good news? There's more of us than there are of them. Let's prove that, once and for all.

Is there anything more important that you have to do today? Nothing less than the rest of the world is depending on us.

Yours,
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
mmflint@aol.com