Power of the Web

Websites like CollegeRPI seem to demonstrate the power of the web best to me. Combine free information with the power to project it into the future and we'll be cooking with gas. This Purdue math grad set up his website a few years ago to simulate the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) and the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index). He spent a crazy amount of time replicating all of the formulas and polls to let people see how the NCAA DI-A football and basketball touranment/bowl teams are selected by their various cronies. During the process, he discussed with anybody out in cyberspace the various ins and outs of the systems. He even managed to catch some of the chicanery of the various pollsters (called Jeff Sagarin on his formula switching and even called the BCS committee to the carpet). Unfortunately, Jerry Palm now charges money for details on the men's basketball and football information, but he does the basic men's RPI and women's complete information for free. Fascinating combination of database programming, commentary, and net "commons capital."