The long tail of community

The last year I was diagnosed as Gerd, the name of the disease of course I had never heard of before in my life. It happened to me that disease not a serious one at least at that time and hoping not now, either. I asked around if someone knew about the disease, my wife didn’t, none of my colleagues. But luckily only one from the mailing list of the junior high, who now lives in the US generously provided the advice on the ideal eating habits (sorry in Japanese, and Mari, hope you don’t mind ):

“寝る前、３時間は、食事をとらない。シトラスフルーツや柑橘系ジュースは、な るべくのまない。Ｐｏｐ（炭酸飲料）をのまない。なるべくプロセスフードをたべない。ペパーミント・たばこ・トマト・オニオン・カフェイン・糖類を控えて みる。歩く。自転車。LowーImpact エアロビ。寝る時頭を上げて寝る。怒らな い。長期間、市販の胃薬をつかわず、医師にちゃんとみてもらう。狭心症や心臓 発作の初期症状も、ＧＥＲＤのそれに似ているので注意。左手に痛みが続いたり、ふらふらしたり、息苦しかったり、Feelin Ｏｆ Weaknessがあったら、すぐに、先生へ！女性の場合エストロジェンの変化によって、ＧＥＲＤになったりするので、われわれガールズ、気をつけましょ う。）”

Then I went to mixi, searched for that disease (in Japanese Gyakuryu-sei-shokudou-en 逆流性食道炎) and found one community . The community at that time was the size of about 30 and now 111.

The community size of membership 111 of all 0.7 million in mixi is statistically speaking nothing, in the entire long tail curve. It’s in way down the long tail curve.

You see what I am saying? I could reach zero in my neighbor. I could reach one from the mailing list (online, that is) from about 80 members.

But, hey, I could reach about 30 (and now 111) from MIXI. I’ve never met any of them offline yet; Never will I probaby meet offline for the rest of my life. Only online. Just Talk. But I benefited the lot. I suppose that’s how a long tail should work.