Hoopla!

reports today that AOL has decided to publicly release the combined search data of thousands of it’s users. This is quite possibly the dumbest thing AOL has done in years.

They’re offering a free download of the statistics for research purposes here. It’s their research department that’s releasing this in an attempt at goodwill – but it’s certain to backfire.

There’s no telling how long the file will be offered for download but I’m 28% of the way to a full file transfer and I’m already building a front-end so folks can seaerch the results.

Come visit aol.6brand.com in a few hours and you’ll be able to search through this “research data” on your own.

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[ ["ALABAMA","AL"],
  ["ALASKA","AK"],
  ["AMERICAN SAMOA","AS"],
  ["ARIZONA ","AZ"],
  ["ARKANSAS","AR"],
  ["CALIFORNIA ","CA"],
  ["COLORADO ","CO"],
  ["CONNECTICUT","CT"],
  ["DELAWARE","DE"],
  ["DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA","DC"],
  ["FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA","FM"],

  ["FLORIDA","FL"],
  ["GEORGIA","GA"],
  ["GUAM","GU"],
  ["HAWAII","HI"],
  ["IDAHO","ID"],
  ["ILLINOIS","IL"],
  ["INDIANA","IN"],
  ["IOWA","IA"],
  ["KANSAS","KS"],
  ["KENTUCKY","KY"],
  ["LOUISIANA","LA"],
  ["MAINE","ME"],
  ["MARSHALL ISLANDS","MH"],
  ["MARYLAND","MD"],
  ["MASSACHUSETTS","MA"],
  ["MICHIGAN","MI"],
  ["MINNESOTA","MN"],
  ["MISSISSIPPI","MS"],
  ["MISSOURI","MO"],
  ["MONTANA","MT"],
  ["NEBRASKA","NE"],
  ["NEVADA","NV"],
  ["NEW HAMPSHIRE","NH"],
  ["NEW JERSEY","NJ"],
  ["NEW MEXICO","NM"],
  ["NEW YORK","NY"],
  ["NORTH CAROLINA","NC"],
  ["NORTH DAKOTA","ND"],
  ["NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS","MP"],
  ["OHIO","OH"],
  ["OKLAHOMA","OK"],
  ["OREGON","OR"],
  ["PALAU","PW"],
  ["PENNSYLVANIA","PA"],
  ["PUERTO RICO","PR"],
  ["RHODE ISLAND","RI"],
  ["SOUTH CAROLINA","SC"],
  ["SOUTH DAKOTA","SD"],
  ["TENNESSEE","TN"],
  ["TEXAS","TX"],
  ["UTAH","UT"],
  ["VERMONT","VT"],
  ["VIRGIN ISLANDS","VI"],
  ["VIRGINIA ","VA"],
  ["WASHINGTON","WA"],
  ["WEST VIRGINIA","WV"],
  ["WISCONSIN","WI"],
  ["WYOMING","WY"] ]

I wrote out a lengthy essay before I realized this is a rather straightforward endeavor. The how to’s of launching a (successful) website are simple and few. I’ll make this short. In fact, I’ll make it a list.

How to Launch a Website:

• Make something that has value to a certain, specific group of people
• Release it as soon as you have the minimal amount of functionality required for it to work.
• provide your users with an easy way to contact you
• Listen very closely to what your users tell you (and respond!)
• Surprise your users with your candor
• Surprise your users with innovative new changes shortly after launch
• Never (NEVER) allow data that your user has added to the site to become lost or irrelevant.

That last one especially. You can have all the bugs in the world and the users will understand – unless you make them fill out the same form twice. That’s unforgivable.

It took me forever to find this list. I figured I’d post it prominently just so nobody else had to go through the same trouble.

This is a CSV file of zip codes, main city within the zip code (by the USPS’s reckoning) and the two-letter state abbreviation.

Download directly: download zipcode list as csv file

ZIP,City,ST
00501,Holtsville,NY
00544,Holtsville,NY
00601,Adjuntas,PR
00602,Aguada,PR
00603,Aguadilla,PR
00604,Aguadilla,PR
00605,Aguadilla,PR
00606,Maricao,PR
00610,Anasco,PR
00611,Angeles,PR
00612,Arecibo,PR
00613,Arecibo,PR
00614,Arecibo,PR
00616,Bajadero,PR
00617,Barceloneta,PR
00622,Boqueron,PR
00623,Cabo Rojo,PR
00624,Penuelas,PR
00627,Camuy,PR
00631,Castaner,PR
..................
48730,East Tawas,MI
48731,Elkton,MI
48732,Essexville,MI
48733,Fairgrove,MI
48734,Frankenmuth,MI
48735,Gagetown,MI
48736,Gilford,MI
48737,Glennie,MI
48738,Greenbush,MI
48739,Hale,MI
48740,Harrisville,MI
48741,Kingston,MI
48742,Lincoln,MI
48743,Long Lake,MI
48744,Mayville,MI
48745,Mikado,MI
48746,Millington,MI
48747,Munger,MI
48748,National City,MI
48749,Omer,MI
48750,Oscoda,MI
48754,Owendale,MI
48755,Pigeon,MI
48756,Prescott,MI
48757,Reese,MI
48758,Richville,MI
48759,Sebewaing,MI
48760,Silverwood,MI
48761,South Branch,MI
48762,Spruce,MI
48763,Tawas City,MI
48764,Tawas City,MI
48765,Turner,MI
48766,Twining,MI
48767,Unionville,MI
48768,Vassar,MI
48769,Tuscola,MI