Video Rewind — Unicode, the Video: All 49,000 Characters
Unicode is a vast system for rendering the written word. Here’s a video of its scope and complexity.
Theory of the E-book
There is an unstated theory of the e-book, which assumes that a book consists only of its text and can be manipulated without regard to the nature and circumstances of its creation. This is only one theory of many, but it is now the prevailing one.
Thanksgiving, Football, and The Princess Bride — NFL Analysts Drop As Many References As Possible
What happens when NFL analysts embrace a film classic? They probably mean no harm, and are not at all short on charm.
Why Did Publishers Get So Big?
The recent announcement of the merger of Random House and Penguin prompts an essay on why publishers get big. Surprisingly, their own greed has little to do with it.
Twilight of the Promotional E-book
As e-books have become mainstream, the art of using free e-books to drive print sales is coming to an end. But there are next steps for those who wish to think ahead.
eLife Articulates Its Media Policy, and Risks Some of Its Editorial Power
eLife clarifies its media policies, adopting the mask of an enlightened approach that actually makes it harder for everyone to generate much attention.
Competition, Value, and Sustainability — Why This Can't Go On
Value-based pricing of unique journal products may make sense from a revenue perspective, but not from a sustainability perspective. What are the options?
Reclaiming the Lost Publishing Mojo
Publishers have lost ground in the public debate of the role of publishing in scholarly communications. A new strategy is needed, one that emphasizes preemption, cooptation, and innovation.
Why Are College Textbooks So Expensive?
Purchasing a college textbook can be a very expensive proposition. Why are these textbooks so expensive? The reason lies in the very structure of the industry, where instructors make decisions they don’t have to pay for.
(Re)Defining the Library, Part 2: How?
After exploring why the library requires redefinition, this second part of a two-part post offers a new taxonomy for allocating library functions and roles.
Ask the Chefs: "What's the Best Advice You've Ever Received?"
Good advice is hard to come by. Here’s some of the best we’ve gotten over the years.
Remembering Lee Dirks
A tragic accident has taken Lee Dirks and his wife. A remembrance.
“A Hazard of New Fortunes” — A Review
A review of William Dean Howells’ 1890 novel, “A Hazard of New Fortunes,” which is about finding new business models for media businesses. The book describes an economic landscape that is eerily similar to our own.
The NPR Model and the Financing of Scholarly Communication
The “listener support” model works in some cases. This fact alone suggests it may not have a robust future in the funding of scholarly initiatives.
How Does Science Progress? By Branching and Leaping, Perhaps
For some time I have been working on a basic model of scientific progress (or, since “progress” is a value-loaded term, a model of how science progresses). It has implications for certain issues related to scientific publication, so I thought […]