Highlights from This Week’s Comments in the Kitchen
Highlights from this week’s reader comments, pointing the way to dialog you might have otherwise missed. Also, let me know if you like this as a weekly feature.
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?
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.
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?
Can the Creativity of Social Persuasion Cure “Corporate Asperger’s Syndrome”?
When we lose track of the social role of our materials, we miss opportunities to accomplish our goals in refreshing ways.
arXiv Receives $883K Stimulus Grant
A three-year NSF grant will create new tools for arXiv e-print repository.
How Many Books Dance on the Head of an e-Pin?
Can the model used in the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records be extended to embrace e-works? Or should it be trimmed instead?
iPhone + Book = PhoneBook
A mixture of traditional and new that is effective, simple, and rather astounding.
Welcome to a Synchronous Digital Hell
We’re accustomed to a digital world of asynchrony. But as bandwidth becomes the norm and communication becomes more real-time, can we design the human-centric systems to buffer the effects?
Morgan Stanley’s 2009 Trends Favor the Mobile and the Social
Mary Meeker from Morgan Stanley presents her Internet and economic trends for the sixth year, and it’s another tour de force.
What is “Library Bypass”?
Publishers are seeking new markets by finding ways to bypass libraries and selling directly to end-users. Do we need new approaches here?
Metaphors of News at “The Guardian”
The Guardian is doing what every news organization — every publishing organization — should do. Are you listening?
Will Mobile Broadband Close the Connectivity Gap?
Mobile connectivity is trending upward, and may eclipse other forms in the coming years. What will that mean for publishers?
Easier Access for Small and Medium Enterprises
Access to the scientific literature by small and medium-sized businesses is good, although it could be a lot easier, according to a new report.