Sunday, January 30, 2005

Soundings

Looking for audio company on a long drive today, I downloaded what I assumed were podcasts of the Blogging, Journalism and Credibility conference, but alas, I just got html (dated Aug 6, 2004, oddly) telling me the page you are trying to reach is inaccessible because the user has exceeded their alloted daily quota. Ah well. Later, I guess.

Still, plenty of other stuff to hear along the way. Speaking of which, the latest Gillmor Gang is up.

Authoring Authority, Part N

Thomas Barnett:

It will be interesting to see how the second book changes my blog in the future, because it's clear to me that the blog since March has changed the way I'm writing this book. The blog has become my networking archive and my intellectual archive, with the book becoming the polished draft for history that is forced to string everything together in a coherent, accessible package. If I can keep this interaction/dynamic going over the long haul, it's almost like I've become my own columnist and that creative process feeds regular books, just like syndicated columnists do it. If that model holds for me, it will be awfully exciting in terms of creative freedom—like I just took the Internet to create my own dream job!

On a crutch

What's going on with bluetooth phones or (PDAs that also phone)? Connect the dots and a clear picture emerges: some carriers are selling bluetooth phones that don't do what many customers expect of bluetooth phones.

Steve Borsch says,

I fully expect that this new model of the masses weighing in on products and services -- in effect engaging in a marketing dialogue with the creators and deliver's of these products and services -- to fundamentally alter and shape what ends up on real or virtual store shelves.

Yet so far the dialog appears to consist of 1) techies talking mostly to each other; 2) Techies talking to human heat shields at telcos and manufacturers 2) a class-action lawsuit.

I'm concerned about this trend (toward data-crippled cell phones), because I use my Sony Ericsson T637 as a mobile bridge to the Net. Being able to get onto the Net from anywhere in Cingular's footprint is a huge advantage, and one of the reasons Cingular has my business.

I've read a lot of posts at the links above, and still don't get is why they want to disable those features. What's the upside of not allowing customers to use the phones as a bridge to the Net? I'm sure there is one, but why bother?

I also have my doubts about "dialog" with many of the companies involved, especially if users (even the techies) continue calling themselves "consumers" instead of "customers." The former is a degraded form of the latter. Think of what Verizon did to bluetooth on the v710 to get an idea of the difference.

Comments here.