I know, I’ve criticized magazines before as vestiges of an old fashioned past, but I confess: I bought one today.
All in Media
All it will take is one high-quality rebel to jump into digital textbook distribution. I studied the economics of that business last year for a client and saw the raw numbers of what you say. Someone’s going to come along and convince a large state to go with digital distribution, bundled with something like this new e-book. Talk about a saving in gasoline for shipping!
It’s interesting to see how the mechanics of market research have been impacted by the web based and online tools now available for gathering and reporting information about personal preferences and behavior.
From Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University comes this review of copyright law, explained in super-clever terms using snippets of video and dialog from Disney and Pixar animated films.
Using New Media To Sell Old Media
I ordered a book from Amazon today that I heard discussed on a recent podcast. I think this transaction is a good example of how challenging it can be to trace the influence different media can have on a purchasing decision.
The Revolution Will Be Online, Not Televised
Last week in Social Media, Demographics, and Antiwar Demonstrations I commented on how the demographics of large protest demonstrations seemed to be changing due to availability of electronic alternatives for organizing and conducting protests.
Mr. Lincoln's Telegraphy Practices and Modern Email
A while back I published an announcement about a new book by Tom Wheeler called Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War. Tom sent me a note suggesting I also check out the book’s web site, which is here.
One of the things listed on the web site is a discussion of how Abraham Lincoln used telegraphy and how this might relate to modern usage of email.
Abraham Lincoln and the Telegraph
If you are a fan of the history of technology, this new book might interest you. Bob Willard has been kind enough to forward to me information about Tom Wheeler's book Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War.
Comparing Eras of Innovation: 1950's Aerospace Advances and Today's Web
We are now in the midst of a very innovative period of social and technological change that is being partly driven by the increasing availability of web based tools that support the development of relationships, the sharing of information and experiences of all kinds, and the manipulation of information on a scale that was difficult to contemplate just a few years ago. The experiences we have online are taking on increasingly important roles in terms of individual emotions, financial consequences, and personal relationships.
There have been other periods of intense social and technological innovation. One of my favorite ones for study is the post Word War II aerospace industry.
Duke Law’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain has published a comic book titled Tales from the Public Domain: BOUND BY LAW? A cross between a superhero adventure and the Crypt Keeper, the comic tells the story behind the knotty copyright, public domain, and fair use issues associated with contemporary documentary production.
What is "Personal Data?"
When you start reading up on personal data and the definition of ownership, you quickly get caught up in questions about "what is property?" and "what data about me do I really own?"
These are tricky questions.
Proposed: A Choice-Based Approach to Controlling the Commercial Exploitation of Personal Data
Today significant commercial trafficking occurs in personal information. Credit bureaus, research companies, insurance firms, and corporations regularly buy and sell personal information. While much of this trafficking may be benign, most is either unknown to, or beyond the control of, the individuals this personal information describes.