Archive for Technology
First newspapers, now the U.S. post office
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Whenever there is a revolution, something is often left in its wake, and that apparently is the U.S. postal service.
In the words of the US Postmaster General, Jack Potter, there has been a macro change in society and all posts around the world are challenged by the diversion of hard copy to electronic medium. Unlike other postal services in other parts of the world, the USPS is constrained by regulations and cannot expand into other areas. Facing a huge mountain of debt, they are proposing that delivery on Saturdays be eliminated. Another likely possibility is a significant hike in postal prices after 2010.
While the speed and convenience of electronic delivery are well understood, nothing quite captures the thrill and quaintness of receiving a handwritten letter. Perhaps the USPS will eventually privatize somehow. I would hate to see this element of American society disappear, but as I watch teens and twentysomethings with their individual smart phones, I don’t doubt that 30 years from now when my generation has gone, our modes of communication will be housed in museums as curious oddities.
Apple iPad and a look back at the first ebooks, 1983
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Master's thesis, Boston University, 1984
Steve Jobs demoed the Apple iPad today, which although not available for several months, promises to take us closer to e-book reality.
Master’s Thesis
I first researched e-books in 1983-84 as part of my master’s thesis at Boston University’s College of Communication. The project analyzed what was then an emerging communications technology, driven through the videotext channels at the time. Videotext is a two-way interactive system which transmits information on telephone or cable lines to a specially adapted television set or home computer. Book publishing stood to be affected by videotext because it offered an important alternative to the familiar physical book that we all know. Read More→
An easy online database of www.mediaontwtter.com
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If you’re trying to find a quick list of media twitter handles, or you want to add some of your own lists to a free, online repository, check out www.mediaontwitter.com.
The site is a community-built platform that runs on online database software by TrackVia. It launched march 2009 and has almost 2,000 names so far. It’s a work-in-progress and more features will be added in 2010, according to Melissa Hourigan, one of the collaborators. You can currently sort by outlet, name, twitter ID and country. In the future, there will be more sorting functions to include beat and media type. You can share any suggestions for the db with her on twitter @melissahourigan or email at mhourigan@digitalideamedia.com. The database is edited and maintained by a group of volunteer editors.
“If you look at the biggest influencers in PR,” says Melissa, “many of whom are part of this collaboration, (@briansolis, @skydiver, @prsarahevans, @edunigan), you will notice that they share what they learn, tools they discover and new methods to consider. Gone are the days where you keep your approach and knowledge a secret.”
What do you do when everything you’ve learned is obsolete?
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It’s not often I can sit (or stand) for a whole hour listening to a presenter without having my mind wander, but tonite I was really fascinated by Dan Poynter’s talk at the Arizona Book Publishing Association.
Now if you don’t know him, he’s best known for writing his “Self-Publishing Manual,” which has 16 revised editions and 20 printings in 28 years. He calls it “the book that launched a million+books.” Read More→
Be careful with ebook formatting
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I’ve been thinking about creating an e-book, ever since I read David Meerman Scott’s inspiring book, World Wide Rave. Got into a discussion with book production experts recently to learn more, and found out that Microsoft Word is not the best format for these things.
The reason? According to Kelly Scott-Olson, president and creative director of ATG Productions, Read More→
4 things you can learn from twitter
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If you want an example of what not to do on twitter, read this post by self-proclaimed tech geek Robert Scoble. Few of us need to follow or have followers that amount to 106,000 people. He’s an extreme example. Forget about him.
Here are 4 things you can learn from twitter:
1. Breaking news as it happens – surpassing CNN and any other news networks. Maybe you’re not a news junkie like me, however, so read on to number 2. Read More→
