The Long Tail/Anderson 117-123

118 One person’s noise is another’s signal.

119…filter technologies are so important. They not only drive demand down the Tail, but they can also increase satisfaction by connecting people with products that are more right for them than the broad-appeal products at the head.

121 “power law” distribution, a term for a curve where a small number of thing occur with high amplitude (read:sales) and a large number of things occur with low amplitude. A few things sell a lot and a lot of things sell a little.

Since most stuff doesn’t sell very well, the volume of the material available—and by extension the volume of stuff you don’t want—rises as the Long Tail falls.

123 …the survivors obtain a credible reputation for having some sort of mystical insight into the consumer psyche.

…in Long Tail markets—where distribution is cheap and shelf space is plentiful—the safe bet is to assume that everything is eventually going to be available.