More On the Power of Mobile — Trends, Functionality, and Adoption All Point to Dominance
Mobile integration with plants, carpets, and shoes? Yes, they are increasingly being used, as the centrality of mobile devices increases.
The Broader Context of Patron-Driven Acquisitions
A new book edited by David Swords on patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) provides a good background on the topic, but there is a broader context of PDA, which is not fully addressed.
The Costs of Print
The question of when print will end is often framed as if it is a natural occurrence, an evolutionary question, or the likely outcome of a sporting event, rather than a business decision that publishers may revisit on a regular basis.
Little Printer — Possibly a Big Disruptor
Can a cloud-based printer with a small footprint insert print back into daily information flows?
Healing the House Divided — A Side-Effect of Shifting to the Attention Economy?
Editors need to act more like publishers, and publishers need to have more editorial skills. Will the demands of the Age of Attention finally mend the editorial-business divide?
What We Should Learn from the Collapse of Borders
The collapse of Borders should be a wake-up call to publishers that assume that the core infrastructure of their legacy businesses will always be there to provide essential services.
Realistic Approaches to the US Federal Public Access RFIs
The two Requests for Information recently put forth by the federal government require a realistic set of responses, and hint at some changes in attitudes and approaches.
The World's English Mania — The Power of Pull and Opportunity
With the largest English-language countries emerging in Asia and billions of people acquiring English language skills, what will the future hold? Are we losing more than we’re gaining? Or gaining something that has eluded our predecessors for centuries?
The "Open" Prescription — Why It Doesn't Always Make Sense
The rhetoric of “open” seeks to rally science to some higher state, but it’s not clear what “open science” means, why it’s any better, and what the risks of its adoption might be.
The Stubborn Persistence of the Subscription Model
The clear benefits of the subscription model make it enticing even for those who supposedly abhor it. And while it’s right to try to make it as efficient as possible, it will likely be with us for a long time to come.
The White House Calls for Information on Public Access to Publications and Data
The US government’s requests for information are of great importance for the future of academia and scholarly publishing. If you’re a traditionalist who sees open access as the downfall of civilization, an advocate who thinks information must be free, or someone who falls somewhere in between, this is your chance to create the future you’re seeking.
The Internet Can Be Touched — The Physicality of Cyberspace
The Internet was built and is being built. This fascinating little video shows the unique characteristics of this construction project, including why some big buildings are so important to its existence.
Is Anyone Immune? "Race Against the Machine" and Today's General Purpose Technologies
General purpose technologies are broadly applicable, and when they double in effect like IT has been doing for decades, they can start taking fast tracts of land. Is there anything safe as we “Race Against the Machine?”
Ask the Chefs: "Who Will Win the Future — The Small, the Mid-sized, or the Big Organization?"
Does the future belong to the small and nimble, the flexible mid-range, or the large and powerful? The Chefs reflect on this question in our second installment of this monthly feature.
Siri and the Resurrection of the Semantic Web
Siri may be many things — cool feature, Google killer, source of amusement — but it is perhaps the ultimate expression of the semantic Web. And it’s still in beta.