Businessman Closes Product, Community Enraged! The Death of Tools of Change
When a popular and iconic product is ended, the outrage doesn’t match the pragmatism and agility we all espouse. TOC’s end is one such example.
It's Not 1995 Again — Why the Threats from the New Big Players May Be Much More Significant This Time
Eighteen years ago, Mosaic ushered in the potential for a sea-change in publishing based on technological prowess and scale. Today, the “open” label covers a set of disparate incentives under a single blanket, one that funders, government, and technology companies are all under, each for its own reason.
OSTP Public Access Memo Deadlines Loom Over Us
The OSTP access memorandum has led to hearings this month. Be sure to contribute and observe.
Leo and Moshimo in Love? A Mother Describes The Matrix
When a mother watches a famous mind-bending sci-fi movie and then has to retell it, the results are lovable and hilarious.
Fighting on Three Fronts — A Presentation to the Council of Scientific Society Presidents
A summary with slides of a presentation for the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP). The argument is that professional societies are now fighting on three fronts: with the new open access mandates, with the large commercial competitors, and sometimes internally when governance is an issue.
iAnnotate — Whatever Happened to the Web as an Annotation System?
A meeting about annotation services and software shows how new tools may be on the horizon, and reminds us that our audiences are likely to be the heaviest users once these emerge.
Three Years of the Sun in Three Minutes — No Sunscreen Required
A stable satellite monitoring the sun reveals three years of images, a comet, a transit of Venus, two partial eclipses, and more as the sun approaches its solar maximum.
The Digital Public Library of America Has Arrived
The Digital Public Library of America has launched, and it is an impressive achievement that is bound to grow over the coming years.
Stick to Your Ribs: The Library With No Books In It
Editor’s Note: This post is being republished to coincide with the launch of the Digital Public Library.
Wolves and Sheep — What To Do Now That Venture Capitalists Are Stalking Scientific Publishing
The recent sale of Mendeley exposed surprisingly naive perspectives on the company’s clear and inherent goals. Other venture capital plays are afoot in scientific publishing and academia. When will we stop being the prey?
Interview with Michael Bierut — Typography, Modern Applications, and Timeless Communication Challenges
An interview with designer Michael Bierut, about the history of typography, its current manifestations, the power of habituation, and why Parma matters.
Disruption Ain’t What It Used to Be
The journals business has not been disrupted and does not appear likely to be disrupted for some time. Journals publishers continue to dominate the institutional market and are seeking to coopt Gold OA services.
What Keeps a Train on a Track? It's Not What You Might Think
A question you’ve probably never thought to ask, an answer that is more insightful than you might have imagined.
Interesting Findings from Ithaka S&R's Latest Faculty Survey
A new survey reinforces so long-term trends, but shows some surprising reversals that anyone interested in scholarly communication should note.
Stick to Your Ribs: Going Legit: The Difficult Path from Piracy to Partnership
Though social networking websites continue to proliferate, turning them into sustainable, revenue-generating businesses is still a difficult prospect. For sites based on the illegal distribution of copyrighted material, the process is even more difficult. Is it possible for a pirate to become a respected member of the business community?