The Republic of Letters, Visualized as Social Networks
Predating journals, a social network of scholars known as the Republic of Letters generated many breakthroughs. Now, their social networks, as represented by their letters, are being mapped.
The End of Kirkus Reviews: Gloom, Doom, and Sunshine
Kirkus Reviews is doomed. But for all the losses of old ways of discovering books, new ones keep cropping up. The future is bright for book publishing.
Doing the Kindle Math — Does Amazon’s Opacity Conceal a Shameful Truth?
Is the Kindle really a success? Do the vague and convoluted statements from Amazon about Kindle sales mean anything? The backlash against Amazon’s lack of transparency has apparently begun.
Fighting Fire with Fire — The Only Remaining Option?
The shift to the Systems Age is happening so fast and completely that publishers are left with only one option — fight fire with fire. Will they? Can they? Some examples show the way.
The Age of Systems Is Dawning — How Can Information Providers Respond?
Publishers and librarians are creatures of the Information Age. How can they cope with the coming Systems Age?
Top 5 Trends of 2009 — Harbingers of Things to Come
As 2009 ends, its trends will propel change into 2010 and beyond.
Let’s Hear It for Reckless Enthusiasm!
Innovations in scholarly communications often come about through bold and often reckless investments in new capacity, for which the utility is not always obvious.
The Unstoppable Corporate Force Meets the Immovable Social Network
The companies behind social networks and media are running into conflicts with their users as they try to generate revenue from their services. Recent moves by Google, Facebook and AT&T are all sparking controversy as each encounters opposition to their business models from their customers.
Why Anti-Social Media Will Fail in the Coming Years
Social media is becoming the norm. Will laggards be viewed as anti-social in 2010?
Get a Whiff of Google’s Augmented Reality Stickers
Do stickers point to integrated data in the real-world? Or is augmented reality easier to accomplish? What could data integrated into the real world mean to science and research?
The Expense of Online? We’re Still Coping With the Internet’s Early Compromises
What early design compromises in building the Internet are still with us today? How does it add expense to running sites? Can we upgrade an entire planet?
A First Look at the Nook: An Also-Ran That Can Barely Get Out of the Box
The new Nook is over-packaged, and has design and technical issues that keep it from competing well with the Kindle. Too bad.
Google Will Begin Adding Real-time Search Results in the Next Few Days
As Google adds real-time Web features to its search over the next few days, it may be the last nail in the coffin for publisher-centric commodity information.
ScienceBlogs and “National Geographic” — A Partnership of Online Strengths
In addition to print’s continuing decline, blogs in science are mature, profitable, and going local, as SEED, ScienceBlogs, and National Geographic show through their moves.
Is the Apple Tablet Being Previewed by “Sports Illustrated”?
“Sports Illustrated” is showing off a new reading tablet for TIME properties. Is it also a preview of an Apple tablet?