OA Rhetoric, Economics, and the Definition of "Research"
Rhetoric can’t hide financial realities. Is trading research for access a good use of funds?
Uninformed, Unhinged, and Unfair — The Monbiot Rant
An inflammatory essay reveals its author to be neither well-informed or fair.
Wile E. Coyote and Print Publishing — The Tragicomedy of Desperate Measures
Print aficionados and newspaper companies are rushing to bridge a chasm, but even their ACME product may not be enough.
Old and Busted: Facebook for Scientists — The New Hotness? eBay for Scientists
Hitting the wallet, watch, and workload makes more sense, but Science Exchange still has some details to iron out.
Software and the Audience of Audiences — Is Academic Passivity Inhibiting Cultural Change?
The world is changing. Is academic culture an artificial and unhelpful cap on inevitable and productive innovation in communication potentialities? Or is there a failure of leadership?
I'm Being Followed — New Advertising Technologies and User Self-Identity
Following users across the Web is an increasingly common way to expand ad inventory. But can scholarly publishers expect users to accept it?
Is "Dissemination" Mission-Worthy Anymore?
Dissemination may be necessary but not sufficient as an element of an information mission in today’s world.
The New Face of Social Media
Social media continue to evolve, with Google Plus being the most recent conspicuous entry. Scholarly publishers may find these new platforms can be useful in evolving new forms of communications.
The Good, the Bad, and the Sexy: Our Espresso Book Machine Experience
Being an early adopter of an Espresso Book Machine has its price and rewards.
Post-Mortem of a Book Empire — Borders, and the Mismanagement of the Future
The demise of Borders is a lesson in management pitfalls. Are STM publishers up to the challenges they’ll be facing soon?
Treat a Book Like a Start-Up? Only By Confusing Process With Form
An experiment in agile book publishing reveals some interesting divisions between process and form.
What Happens If Science Becomes a Low-Yield Activity?
Smaller animals, smaller planets, smaller elements, and fewer effective drugs — is science becoming lower-yield, even at the paradigm level?
Creativity or Responsibility — What Happens When an Organization Chooses Poorly?
Google and Apple have different cultures. One is thriving while one has chosen a different path. That choice may prove significant.
A Bizarre Approach to Accessing JSTOR Earns Federal Charges for an Internet Activist
An Internet activist hacks MIT to hack JSTOR, even though he had access through Harvard. Now, he’s facing federal charges.
Will a Renewed Re-examination of the Big Deal Itself Be a Big Deal?
As budgets make librarians look for better deals, the Big Deals fall under close scrutiny.