October 2010
1 post
Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon, Round Bazillion
With PubIt!, their new self-publishing system, Barnes & Noble goes after the wee amounts of cash produced every time someone sells their unedited Vampire Elf Unicorn Romance novel via BN’s ebook system. Amazon’s version went live about three and a half years ago.
They’re selling it to readers as “an exciting world of innovative writing” (O INDEED) and to would-be...
August 2010
5 posts
Wired: Willfully Stupid or Just Cynical?
So the Wired Death of the Web issue finally came out, and as Tim Meaney has noted, the lead article is so poorly formatted online as to be nearly unreadable.
But just for starters, let’s talk about the bizarro chart that begins the article:
I stared at this for about three minutes because I couldn’t believe that an semi-responsible journalist would use a chart in such a blatantly...
Great storytelling (Accordion girls) →
Audio slideshows are one of my favorite things right now. Such economical, rich storytelling in some of these.
5 tags
Google vs. NYT: Close Reading
The Times wrote:
Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege.
and:
The charges could be paid by companies, like YouTube, owned by Google, for example, to Verizon, one of the nation’s leading...
A Half-Goat Named Toast
In July of 2000, a journalist filed a fluffy science story with the BBC, describing the birth and behavior of a rare goat-sheep hybrid in Botswana; such hybrids normally die in utero, so the appearance of this apparently healthy specimen attracted international scientific attention. The story doesn’t include an official name for the animal, though it mentions that he received the nickname...
April 2010
1 post
“They really hate [it] when you actually read their content. That’s what they’re...”
– Marco on pageview-based advertising and distraction-oriented design. (via madething)
March 2010
5 posts
The Fall of Rome
The piers are pummelled by the waves; In a lonely field the rain Lashes an abandoned train; Outlaws fill the mountain caves. Fantastic grow the evening gowns; Agents of the Fisc pursue Absconding tax-defaulters through The sewers of provincial towns. Private rites of magic send The temple prostitutes to sleep; All the literati keep An imaginary friend. Cerebrotonic Cato may Extol the...
1 tag
“E” is for Experiment (Not eBooks) →
More (related) smartitude. The thematic current here is that it’s dumb to get caught up in specific formats and devices. The new world is bigger than that.
1 tag
Digital Publishing—Beyond E-Books →
Smart, smart, smart.
2 tags
On jargon
There’s a time for professional jargon: when you know you’re speaking to an audience that understands you, and you need the extra specificity and precision that jargon can provide. If you’re using it outside of that situation, you’re probably not communicating clearly, honestly, or effectively. Jargon isn’t really the problem here, though.
The problem with the copy on this page—and so many others...