Tim Lambert (deltoidblog AT gmail.com) is a computer scientist at the University of New South Wales.
It would be crass to post a top ten list where your own blog was number one. But if you posted a list where some other blog was number one and then that other blog returned the favour, well, that wouldn't be crass would it? Anyway, here are the top ten Alexa-ranked-by-traffic right-wing Australian blogs.
Tim Blair: 50,087
Catallaxy files: 225,663
Gravett.org (Yobbo plus a bunch of RWDBs I can't tell apart): 488,606
Observation Deck (Bernard Slattery, James McConvill, Peter Faris QC et al): 502,086
Blithering Bunny: 848,020
Man of Lettuce: 1,566,151
Whacking Day: 1,791,563
Evil Pundit: 2,093,488
After Grog Blog: 2,639,280
Australian Libertarian Society: 3,394,951
Notes:
Tim Blair has compiled a list by Alexa traffic rankings of what he calls "leftoid" Australian blogs.
Alexa only ranks by domain. That's why several blogs above are grouped together and no blogspot blogs are included.
Alexa cautions: "Generally, Traffic Rankings of 100,000+ should be regarded as not reliable because the amount of data we receive is not statistically significant." So the list doesn't mean very much but what the hey.
Alexa only collects data from users with the Alexa toolbar. This only works with Internet Explorer. And the latest security hole in Windows means that if you are using Internet Explorer I could have taken over your computer by now. Microsoft's advice is that users "should take care not to visit unfamiliar or un-trusted Web sites". Alternatively, install Firefox. You can still get infected if you try hard enough, but you are a lot safer.
Comments
AFAICT it doesn't matter what browser you're using---you're vulnerable to the WMF exploit if you're running Windows.
Posted by: liberal | January 4, 2006 12:25 PM
"...not statistically significant."
Tim's credentials as global warming and Lancet skeptic just get hotter by the day.
Posted by: dk.au | January 4, 2006 4:48 PM
The Windows vulnerability is a flaw in GDI32.dll and as such is not browser dependent. Firefox will not (cannot) help. GDI32.dll is a fundamental system file so cannot be bypassed either. Apparently the flaw has existed since Win3.0. An explanation is here and an unofficial patch is available here. This patch has been endorsed by SANS and their advice is that the vulnerability is so very, very bad that they have to endorse an unoffical patch as MS has not got one ready yet. SANS also recommends deregistering the shimgvw.dll. Do the following from a command prompt in any NT based system if you wish to do so. regsvr32 -u c:/WINNT/System32/shimgvw.dll
Not only that the details of the vulnerability have been released and apparently it is an easy bug to exploit. **Note: this post relies on other cleverer people than me. Please check the links to reassure yourself.
Posted by: Andrew | January 4, 2006 5:42 PM
Oops...that code should read:
regsvr32 -u c:/WINDOWS/System32/shimgvw.dll
on XP. WINNT is the system folder for Win2K and NT4 of course.
And also, there are no patches for Win98/SE.
Posted by: Andrew | January 4, 2006 5:55 PM
Note, while Tim was wrong about the WMF vulnerability, he was correct in the general sense. And just to make the circle complete, Catallaxy is rightish?
Posted by: avocadia | January 4, 2006 6:18 PM
I didn't say that you were safe from the WMF feature if you used Firefox, but you are safer than if you use IE. F-Secure:
Posted by: Tim Lambert | January 4, 2006 9:36 PM
What OS are you running, Tim? Linux? BSD? OSX?
Posted by: ben | January 4, 2006 11:25 PM
GNU/Linux
Posted by: Tim Lambert | January 5, 2006 4:17 AM
That is so,Tim.
When I read your off-hand mention I thought 'I wonder what that is?', read up on it and thought, 'bugger - that's really bad', so decided to mention it. CERN does say that the Firefox is less vulnerable, but not immune. The suggestion for the patch still stands.
re: the actual subject of the post, I personally will not use those plug-in bars like Alexa or Google as they must be sending something back to home, and I don't particularly want to assist anybody's datamining projects.
In fact it suggests to me that the people who read Tim Blair are more the trusting type.
You may say therefore people who read left-wing blogs are more tech-savvy and cunning than those who read the right-wing blogs. I could not possibly comment...
Posted by: Andrew | January 5, 2006 4:19 AM
Since top ten lists are in vogue I must mention one that dramatically raised my blood pressure:-
The technique seems to be feed us with some statements we can agree with so that we uncritically accept other statements. And that is what the article is really trying to do. Notice how the article taps into the emotional appeal of the phrase "media-fed myths" when in fact it is the media feeding us with a few select myths.
Anyway Tim, I hope you find the time to turn your analytical skills loose on this article.
Posted by: Peter | January 5, 2006 6:18 AM
John Stossel is a real mixed bag when it comes to his reporting. Now and again Stossel does good work on the paranormal, putting skeptics like James Randi and Michael Shermer on TV to counter bullshit like this. Stossel has done lists like these in the past, and some items on this list are actually good information for the public, like Myth # 9, 8, and 2. But some others, like Myth # 6, are pure garbage. At least his work is labelled as "Commentary" on ABC News's website; it wasn't labeled as such when it was broadcasted on 20/20.
Posted by: hardindr | January 5, 2006 10:48 AM
"Myths, Lies and Straight Talk A List of 10 Media-Fed Myths " Number 11: Big fat lips make you more attractive http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com/archives/006813.html
Posted by: z | January 5, 2006 11:57 AM
"Myths, Lies and Straight Talk A List of 10 Media-Fed Myths " Strangely absent from the list:
The economy has recovered and prosperity is just around the corner.
We are making slow but steady progress in Iraq.
speaking of which, did anybody notice the news item sort of quietly hustled through during the holiday lull, that the reconstruction of the Iraqi electrical grid has been abandoned (not "succeeded") after the big new plant comes online, leaving Iraq with less electricity available than before the war? Progress, Bush style.
Posted by: z | January 5, 2006 1:21 PM