Earthquakes... Is there a pattern??

One of the main questions I keep hearing after the recent Japanese earthquake is 'Are earthquakes becoming more frequent and/or stronger??'
These concerns come as the Japanese earthquake struck just 2 and a half weeks after the New Zealand earthquake on the 22nd of February, this earthquake was also of a relatively high magnitude and caused extensive damage and loss of life on the country's south island.

EDIT:: Also got a video below of how the Japanese earthquake and tsunami was caused by the shifting plates..



Below I have highlighted on a map, the largest and the deadliest (causing the highest loss of life) earthquakes which have occured since 1999.
The largest are marked with a blue marker,
The deadliest are marked with a red marker,
and for earthquakes which were the strongest and the deadliest of that year,
they are marked with a red exclaimation mark..
(I have had trouble with this map, as it seems to like to zoom in on the sea near greenland..
you may have to zoom out using the (-) button to view the map)


View Earthquakes in past 12 years. in a larger map

All information in this map obtained from U.S Geological Survey. 

So does this map show a higher frequency of earthquakes?? Or does it just show the natural process of the world and it's techtonic plates moving around? 
I am more likely to agree with the second thought as most of the earthquakes which have occured and plotted on the map from the past 12 years are in/on the 'ring of fire' where 80% of the worlds largest earthquakes each year occur, and is home to 452 volcanoes -& 75%  of the worlds active dormant volcanoes. 

The only worrying thing I can see to support the worrying people's 'theories' that 2012 is coming is that 3 of the earthquakes which have happened in the past 7 years have been both the largest and the deadliest killing at the least the current number in Japan of 28, 050 - unfortunately I fear that number may rise. 

As for all these theories coming about around 2012.. my thoughts? Well.. I think that calls for another blog post soon.. but who knows? Maybe it's all happened before, but there wasn't people like me writing about it, and google maps to track it all... ahh the wonders of technology, making us more informed but also more scared about our demise! 
Just Kidding guys... I'm not so down about it all, it's gotta happen sometime ;)