MOOCs and the Cycle of Hype
Thoughts on the future of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
Does Green Open Access Rot the Brain?
The ongoing Internet conversation about Green OA continues, with members of the library world noting that the availability of Green OA versions of articles is indeed a factor in the cancellation of journal subscriptions.
The Conversation on Green OA Continues
The debate on Green OA continues, as many people challenge the premise that the existence of Green OA articles will result in the cancellation of subscriptions to those articles.
The world is a dynamic mess of jiggling things…
Newly available material from Richard Feynman offers a joyous way to spend your Friday celebrating the wonder of the world.
Online Information, Ebooks, and Moral Panic
Why do ebooks—and e-information generally—cause such teeth-grinding rage and rhetorical hysteria in some people?
Managing Two Companies at the Same Time
Many CEOs of publishing companies find themselves having to manage two companies: the established company and an in-house start-up that is designed to participate in a new paradigm based on digital media. Organizationally this is a very difficult situation to be in, but it is essential if a company is going to persist in the years ahead.
The Basics and History of Typography
A ten minute course in practical typography and a charming short film on its history. A great way to spend your Friday learning some valuable skills.
Stick to Your Ribs: Why Hasn't Scientific Publishing Been Disrupted Already?
Revisiting Michael Clarke’s incisive post about disruption, or rather the lack thereof, in scientific publishing.
Book Review — "The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths"
A new book about the role of governments in long-term R&D and market-creation functions should send shockwaves through the political system over the coming decades. Fortunately, you can read it now.
The Kids Guide to the Internet
From 1997, everything you need to know about the internet.
An Industry Pining for Bookstores
Publishing does not take place in a vacuum but in an ecosystem. The book business is changing not because of a preference for digital books but because physical bookstores are being removed from the ecosystem.
Science and Stories Collide: Carl Sagan and an Unsung Hero of Scientific Inquiry
An audio story of how Carl Sagan found an unlikely philosophical ally.
Lac-Mégantic and the Importance of Digital Archiving
The tragedy of the train wreck and oil fire in Lac-Mégantic, Québec is, first and foremost, a human one, with close to 50 people killed and the homes and businesses of many survivors destroyed. But a smaller tragedy has also come […]
The New Gatekeepers are Economists
Apple colluded with publishers to set prices on books, but the Department of Justice seems not to have noticed the growing market position of Amazon. At what point does a company that trades in cultural products become too big a piece of public discourse?
What Happens When the Marginal Cost of Content is No Longer Zero?
The marginal cost of content may not always be zero as changes in telecommunications strategy and practices affect the cost of bandwidth for producers. Publishing services based on free content may be challenged by this.