“Cognitive Surplus” — Look What Can Happen When We Turn Off the Television
Clay Shirky’s new book is smart, snappy, and insightful. You should read it if you want to understand why people are adding social media to their lives.
E-book Sales Beat Hardcover Sales at Amazon: Tipping Point or Fluke?
Amazon’s Kindle and e-book sales take off, and the overall trend is for a huge shake-up in the retail book space.
The Chefs Meet “I Write Like” — or, the Long Arm of David Foster Wallace
The I Write Like site was the hot trend recently — but what of Scholarly Kitchen authors? An analysis tells you who we write like, among other things.
Clay Shirky on Generosity, Erotic Novels, Civics, Lolcats, and Scholarly Journals
The cognitive surplus of our age is being unleashed. This video discusses some of the side-effects and trends that will shape our futures.
The RIN Report on Researchers and Web 2.0: If You Build It . . . Well, You Know the Rest
The Research Information Network’s new report on researchers and Web 2.0 offers a similar set of results to previous studies: uptake is relatively low, and the trustworthiness and quality of online resources are suspect. The report offers contrary evidence to common myths about “digital natives” and some useful advice for anyone looking to build social media.
Measuring Reading Speed on E-Readers Teaches Us That Speed Isn’t Usability
A Nielsen usability study confuses speed with usability, raising many questions in so doing.
Cups, Buckets, Pools, and Puddles: When the Flood of Papers Won’t Abate, Which Do You Choose?
When most papers submitted ultimately get published, and in an age driven by pooled philosophies and practices, are we already participating in a “filter failure” of immense proportions?
The iPhone 4 Unboxed: Early Observations for Publishers
Some early observations on the iPhone 4. I will leave the technical reviews to others and just focus on what the new iPhone 4 means for publishers, and particularly STM and scholarly publishers.
The Content Graph: How Brands, Trust, and Quality Can Network the Future of Online News
By realizing content links news outlets and creating a barter system, Scott Karp’s Publish2 offers an interesting approach to the “content graph” networked information has created.
The iPad in Medicine: The Good, the Bad, and the Germy
A physician uses the iPad, and it works great. But can you wash it enough for the hospital setting?
The Subordination of Browsers, Search, and Links: Will Apps and Mobile Redefine Our Digital Lives?
A recent Atlantic article talks about how the Web is shifting into a subservient role to mobile apps. The implications for strategies are clear.
SSP Attendees Visit the Internet Archive, a Cathedral of Universal Access
SSP Annual Meeting attendees tour the Internet Archive, and see what it really takes to make this modern Library of Alexandria.
Apple’s iPhone 4 and iOS4: What Do They Mean for Publishers?
Apple announces a new model iPhone and an updated operating system for all iPhones/iPads/iPod Touch devices. What impact will these new technologies have on publishers?
Fears and Hopes: Publishing Through the Lenses of Sustainability, Quality, and Chaos
Quality, chaos, and sustainability — terms we throw around, yet each requires more careful thought. Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky square off to debate where we’re headed in roughly these terms.
A Weapon of Mass Instruction: The Bookmobile Meets the Batmobile
Giving books away for free, with panache!