以前看到描述长尾的文章，如果里面有图，一定是一个大头，然后曲线迅速下降，形成一个细长的尾巴。然后文章就开始解释，这个尾巴的面积比那个头的要大好多。
If you pick an article describing “Long Tail”, and pick one that has a picture in it, normally you’ll see a big head, then the curve drops dramatically, and forms a long and thin tail. And the article argues, the area in this long tail is much much larger than the seemingly big head.
听起来很有道理不是？不过，你相信丫么？
Sounds reasonable, huh? But, do you believe it?
上周末，我老婆和女儿在看迪斯尼的片子，我独自对着一段程序发呆。忽然一段歌剧飘过来。“歌剧？”我觉得有点怪，就随口问：“在看《木兰》？”
Last weekend, my wife and daughter was watching some Disney DVD, and I was staring at some code. Then I heard something sounds like opera. “Opera?” I wondered. “You guys watching Mulan?”
“是《拇指姑娘》”
“It’s Thumbalina”
我笑：难怪没有Pixar生意好，什么东西都弄的一个样子。
Quite amuzed, I know why Pixar kicked Disney’s ass, ’cause Disney made everything the same.
然后我就没心思写程序了，因为这是一个很有意思的事情：以前在没有《寻找尼莫》的时候，我如果要找儿童电影或者童话故事，多半是找到迪斯尼的片子或者安图生童话，因为这些东西质量还行。不过，现在可以看《寻找尼莫》和《冰河时代》了，我才不要什么老掉牙的县长儿子（又称“王子”）跟牧羊女的爱情故事，弄的跟歌剧一样，最后还“从此幸福的生活在一起”，这里再问一句：“你相信丫么？”如果信的话，那么18年以后那个残酷的王后和昏庸的国王是哪里来的？
Then my mind wondered away from my code. Before the born of “Finding Nemo”, if I need some movie or fairy tale for my daughter, I would pick Disney or Mr. Andersen, simply because their OK quality. But now I have “Finding Nemo” and “Ice Age”, then why would I buy something old fashioned, like the love story between son of a county chief (aka. Prince) and some random girl? Why should I watch a cartoon opera, and in the end it’s always “live happily ever after”. BTW, do you believe it? If yes, then who become the cruel queen and stupid king 18 years later?
从这里想开去，其实所谓长尾的大头，在没有多少选择的时候，的确是存在的，因为我们没有其他的选择，只能“削足适履”，被迫适应。你想，让你做选择题，哪怕选项都是错的，你也只能选一个不那么错的。但是，现在选择多了，甚至，你可以自己创造一个新的选项，这个时候，你还会被迫选择那个大头么，长尾还会是细长的么？
My point is: the big head of the Long Tail does exist - that is - when you do not have much choice, you have to change yourself and fit into the options you have. This is like working on a multiple-choice quiz, even if your professor go nuts and made all options wrong, you have to pick one that’s less rediculous. But now, when you have thousands, or even millions of options, or you can create your own answer, will you still force yourself into that already-crowded big head, or you’d rather join the Long Tail, and make it stronger?
我想，当没有人限制你选择大头的时候，最后曲线会变成平的：没有大头，只有粗壮的一条尾巴。到那个时候，你就只能在Wikipedia里找到长尾的定义了。
My view of this is: when there’s nothing pushing us to the big head, the curve will go flat eventually, there will be no big head, only a flat, strong, long tail. That’s when Wikipedia is the only place you can find ”Long Tail”.
注：是翻译的我自己的东西 