Everything old is new again

All of these are from the last couple days about the Second Life numbers controversy.

"Linden Labs[sic] recently released figures to"

"wrings realistic Second Life data out of Linden Lab"

"Yesterday a reporter ... got the numbers from Second Life owner"

What's wrong with this picture? Well, nobody got any new information. Nothing that hasn't already been sitting on the web, easily accessible, in some cases for months.

For all the sudden touting of new, real, recent, we're talking about preexisting data that journalists and bloggers have been able to turn up with Google (et al) for quite some time.

I wonder just how many calories that hype cycle burns, pedaling it so breathlessly and all.

Point goes to Clay Shirky - assuming he can stop pedaling. And a bonus point to Bill Thompson of the BBC for reading and listening to it all, and presenting some clear, reasoned thoughts that actually add something to the broader issue of online identity.

And don't throw the past away
You might need it some rainy day
Dreams can come true again
When ev'ry thing old is new again