Google's Worst Idea Yet

Sidewiki. It's like handing a bunch of junior high boys a can of spray paint as they enter the museum. And the helpful/unhelpful community rating system won't help. I actually hope every sidewiki ends up a spam and p0rn link ghetto. Then it might die.

Evolution of Divination

I have had a very minor (and I hasten to add, academic) interest in divination ever since I learned about the ancient Chinese practice of heating animal bones and reading the future in the resulting cracks (scapulamancy). What fascinates me more than the divination itself is the amazing proliferation of techniques over the centuries. This wikipedia entry here (scroll down to "common methods") barely scratches the surface. This link gives a better picture, and is good for a few laughs. Scatoscopy, anyone?

If you bother for consult the wiki list, you will notice one called "cybermancy," which employs computers. This is not really new. It's pretty well developed and you can even purchase software that will allow your computer to pray for you, round the clock. It's not yet available on the iPhone.

Well, move over Cybermancy, there's a new kid on the block. Still needs a -mancy or -scopy name, though. It's divination by "asymetric language trend analysis" of random web postings.