Metro NY is roughly 4 times larger than metro ATL and only has 2 times the number of tech jobs... Of course, this comparison is pretty much as valid as the craiglist one.
Anyway this report is about new business creation which is an interesting data point.
They are showing 158 right now.
I think Seattle, with their rich ecosystem of Microsoft-centric startups easily beats SV/SF as far as technology startups are concerned. Austin/Dallas duo is also tech-heavy, as well as Boston area.
Internet-media is only a niche and "technology" isn't just an alias to "web site", it actually has its own meaning.
You're right that the bay area startups that you /hear/ about are largely media-oriented, but that's just confirmation bias. There are just tons of other startups and small companies that you don't hear about. In Seattle, people still look at you a little funny if you work at a startup (why wouldn't you just work at Microsoft or Amazon?)
Nice illustration of all the meetups, organizations, conferences, etc:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2009/05/19/ent...
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2009/05...
If i had to guess its a positive pr push from business associations based on a study that found in the states favor...
As for why the study is dumb see the thread thats the parent of this guy's comment: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=598317
I'm not knocking atlanta in anyway, just didnt see the need for the downvotes on anyone who tried to offer a counterpoint to the lovefest
Interesting tidbit: "Internet publishing" was considered a low-income-potential business but "software publishing" was considered a high-income-potential business.
