Another example of weighted lists is Wordcount. Wordcount is a cool little Flash-based tool that shows you the 86,800 most frequently used English words, ranked in order of commonality. The larger the word, the more it’s used. The smaller the word the less common it is. For example:
[Thanks
R.Bird]
ya know, this reminds me of an automated data analysis tool I saw some years back that was being developed by the NSA. It showed something akin to a 3-D rendered landscape overlaying a geographical map where the peaks represented frequent uses of key phrases in intercepted communications. It would help them zero-in on suspicious activities surrounding the communications. I have no idea if it was ever implemented ....
very odd use... I like the concept of weighted list but I'm not sure how useful they actually are.
I agree, Andrew. Besides providing a nice visual element, how effective are they? Not very, IMO.
This language toy isn't designed for a practical use. It's an experiment in organization; a piece of playful art. Most creative ideas start out like this. The practical applications will come later.