What Does The Internet Look Like?

scubacuda writes "What does the Internet have to do with the network of sexual partners? More than you think, according to this Economist article on Albert-Laslo Barabasi's attempt to 'present a general framework for improving the accuracy of Internet models' by treating the net 'as though it were a natural phenomenom.' Dr. Barabasi's findings that the Internet is 'scale free' has a lot of interesting implications: resistance to human failures, as well as vulnerability to malicious attacks. Dr. Barabasi's goal is to create models that are 'statistically indistinguishable from the real Internet. When and if that is achieved, the models should have predictive, as well as descriptive, power.' (BBC and News Factor had stories on his work earlier)"

Comments

Uh huh

[Myriad]

What does the Internet have to do with the network of sexual partners?...present a general framework for improving the accuracy of Internet models' by treating the net 'as though it were a natural phenomenom.'

Uh huh.. I think we all know just what kind of 'Internet models' he's referring to! *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

I wonder which site, err section of the net, was his favorite?

bad research

[Raiford]

"That observation may have implications beyond the virtual world. Research has shown that the network of human sexual partners seems to be scale-free, too. In other words, some people have all the luck, while others have none."

This person calls himself a scientist. It's not luck. He obviously overlooks the power of a good pick-up line

Re:bad research

[Ralph Wiggam]

I've talked to a lot of girls about this, and 9 times out of 10 pick up lines work against you. Girls can smell a canned line like a fart in a car. Even if its not a huge cliche, girls know that you've used the same line on 5 girls in the same bar. That makes them not feel special. If a girl doesn't feel special, then it's no time for love, Dr. Jones. The best thing to do is sit down next to a girl who is just about done with her drink. Say hi, tell her your name, and spend the next minute making sure there isn't something obviously horribly wrong with her. Then order a drink for yourself (chug whatever you had and ditch it before walking over...the little extra liquid courage can't hurt) and order another of whatever she's drinking for her. If you feel the need to use a "line", make it original and make it funny. If all else fails, try "I love those shoes". She has to have cool shoes on and she's going to think you're gay for a minute, but girls love it when guys notice thier shoes, become most of them are just staring at their boobs. Once you start talking to her, ask open ended questions and LISTEN to what she says. And always be polite. Ok, that's all I've got. Use this advice at your own risk, my geeky brethren. Good luck.

-B

Consider this:

[Anonymous Coward]

What does the Internet have to do with the network of sexual partners?

If the internet had anything to do with the sexual partners of the slashdot crowd it wouldn't be much of a network, just a collection of standalone PCs.

Re:Consider this:

[Anonymous Coward]

You're just envious of our massive hard drives.

Huh?

[Flakeloaf]

Amd what, exactly, is a phenomenom? If peogle can't be brothered to spell-check their posts, I cam't be botnered to read thek.

Sexual Partners? On Slashdot?

[Jouster]

Wow, now it makes sense:

1. Geeks use Internet, which is like sex.
2. Geeks don't get sex, because they play on the Internet all day.
3. 
   
   And I thought it was because I was ugly....
   
   Jouster

well, it looks like this:

[Em Emalb]

[PC]
|
["The Internet"]
|
|
[porn]

See? It's simple. Why the need to do this? The people that get it, get it. Those that don't, probably don't need to, and you sure don't want to try to explain it to them.

So this means that . . .

[IndependentVik]

If the Internet is like a network of sexual partners, then a slashdotting must be like the most unmerciful gangbang ever.

Simple

[Snork Asaurus]

What does the Internet have to do with the network of sexual partners?

Both are good ways to spread a virus.

The backbone of sex

[Jhan]

So, could anyone give me a few examples of the people who are the backbones of sex? I'd sure like to bone them right back, since they obviously handle a large percentage of all sex in the world.

Even if they won't be boned by me, maybe they could carry my requests to distant parts of the world to someone who might?

Re:The backbone of sex

[Matthaeus]

So, is it coincidence that one of the major routers on the 'net is named MAE WEST? Or did somebody come up with this a long time ago and leave the inside joke for others to get years later? Sounds like an Andy Kauffman job to me...

indeed

[Trepidity]

"Hey baby, you know research has shown that the network of human sexual partners seems to be scale-free."

Re:Topology of the internet

[Em Emalb]

That's not the internet, that's Pacman on LSD.

Get it right dude.

What the internet does look like?

[__past__]

Well, it's mostly white with green with black text, also some parts of it have a grey background. Around it is a black border which on top contains a light-blue ad from Microsoft Small Business Solutions. Oh, and if you've been nice, it contains that neat moderation boxes.

By process of elimination...

[Guppy06]

"from the and-what-does-it-taste-like dept."

It tastes like grape-aid.

Re:network of sexual partners?

[equiraptor]

1. Have great idea.
2. Start company.
3. ??????
4. Profit!
5. Network of sexual partners!!!!!!!

Waste of a story.

[grub]

I could summarize the net in one sentence:

"You are in a maze of twisty tunnels, all alike"


There, the internet.

scale-free?

[commodoresloat]

my sexual partner better be free of scales!

All these Funny posts, and still missing one...

[Cutriss]

So...erm...how many of these hosts have their interfaces set to "Promiscuous"?