Interesting point implicit in Technorati’s new State of the Live Web: as newspaper and other mainstream media use blogs more, does the public’s distinction between traditional journalism and blogging blur further? And if that happens, isn’t it counterproductive for old media to adopt blogs, since it erodes their distinctiveness and competitive advantage? In other words, … Read more
Why is everyone switching to the likes of Gmail and Google Reader, even when they aren’t sure why, or that they want to? The most compelling reason, I think, is the ease with which you can get up and running if you need to switch. Your computer crashes, or you’re away from it. Or you’ve … Read more
The UK is taking its network of 4.2 million CCTV cameras a step further: disembodied recorded voices haranguing errant citizens via loudspeaker. It sounds awful, I know, but every time I visit my home town (one of the 20 towns where the system will be installed) I’m horrified at the behaviour and disregard for public … Read more
The measure of a society should the simplest one: how it treats its foot-borne citizens. When I lived in Hong Kong a decade ago I remember the continual battle with security guards — Toytown Police, I’d call them — in the mall where my office was. There were precious few places to sit to have … Read more
Everyone is twittering about Twitter, but I kind of liked this defintion from Leisa Rechelt; “Ambient intimacy”. I like the term, and the piece is definitely worth a read. clipped from www.disambiguity.com Ambient intimacy is about being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually … Read more