Know how I’ve wasted my time lately? MySQL Game.
It’s the type of thing where the barrier to entry (Firefox, Google account, SQL knowledge) is just small enough for me that I’ll jump in a give it a try. It’s also the type of thing that I tend to overly obsess over.
It’s not for everyone. You need a love plain data and a basic understanding of SQL. Depending on your perspective, it’s either an extremely stripped down MMO or a beautifully souped-up query browser. It’s tough to describe, so here’s an action shot:
As niche an audience as you’d expect for this, it has become pretty popular. Built using Google’s AppEngine, they ran out of their allocated bandwidth on Saturday night and as of Monday night, they’ve started five additional “shards”.
[found via Waxy, August 23]