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Chopping the Long Tail down to size (theregister.co.uk)
1 point by chmike on Nov 13, 2008 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments


Looking at the lognormal curves shown here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log-normal_distribution I see tails. Don't you ? And this tail can be long.

The real question is whether it is possible to build a viable business by exploiting the tail. From what I understood this depends on two things: 1° on the benefit you can make by exploiting the tail, 2° on securing it against the businesses exploiting the belly of the curve.

What Will Page tells us is that the tail is a starving zone. Since he works for the belly business he simply tells us that the second rule applies. Whether the first rule apply depends on the costs and benefits which may vary greatly with the business model considered.

Once again the Register demonstrates a lack of common sense.





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