The BBC has posted a feature to commemorate the 15th anniversary of CERN directors allowing the technology that enables “The Web” to be used by anyone free of charge. (Thank you, CERN.) While it’s hard to believe that so much could happen in 15 years, recall that the Internet had been around since the 1960s*. It took 20 years of Internet usage — and about that long using rudimentary early consumer-oriented systems like Compuserv and its geekier precursors — to realize that some of the hyperlinking, visual-oriented, interactive-multimedia things taking place in closed networks and on ones desktop (Hypercard, for example) could be replicated in a more open, universal way utilizing the Internet. What you’ll note when reading the observations of the experts is this: The Web is still in its infancy. We’re still playing in a giant sandbox here. I’ve written often about Paul Saffo’s thoughts on the 20-year adaptation rule about new technology (“Never confuse a clear view with a short distance”) — there is no such thing as “Internet time” — he argues. The older I get and the longer I get to observe the long arc of these things, the more I realize how slowly things move. No matter how fast you think things are moving, we’re still at Kitty Hawk. And that’s a good thing.
Yet another dumb idea (IMHO) - In the latest effort by print magazines to make their pages interactive, Hearst Magazines lets readers send text messages to buy products from magazines.
I’m not quite sure a ‘best of 2007′ is being published in May, but it’s a thorough review. Quote - ‘Any rumors of the death of magazines at the hands of the web are overstated.’
Of all the gadgets I’ve ever owned, my iPhone has launched the most conversations with people I meet in airports and on airplanes. (Those being the most likely places I’d use it where people I don’t know would notice and not hesitate to ask.) My iPhone starts more conversations than even my MacBook Air — which may be confusing to people because I’ve covered the Apple logo with a Hammock “H” sticker. But even after I tell people how great the iPhone is, I always recommend that they delay purchasing one. “Wait until the 3G version comes out and they drop the price,” I say. “Heck, if you can live without it, don’t purchase one until you can use it with any cell phone carrier.”
I doubt the people who really want an iPhone can wait until they are “officially” unlocked, but the 3G and price-drop may be close at hand if the report on Fortune.com proves true.
Quote:
When the 3G iPhone is introduced this summer, AT&T, the exclusive U.S. iPhone sales partner with Apple, will cut the price by as much as $200, according to a person familiar with the strategy.
Saul Hansel, blogging at NYTimes.com, notes that one aspect of the Fortune report is illogical: that AT&T will only offer the $200-off deal on phones purchased at AT&T Stores, not Apple Stores. I couldn’t agree more with Hansel: there’s no way that part of the story is correct. And if that is from the Fortune’s source, does that not call into question the veracity of anything from the “person familiar with the strategy.”
With that caveat — the Fortune article contains some information that defies logic and all known insight into how Steve Jobs works — if the 3G costs less than $200 for an 8GB model, I will be changing my “friendly advice” from “a wait” into “a buy.”
Quote - When a superintendent in Missouri was interviewing potential teachers last year, he’d ask, ‘Do you have a Facebook or MySpace page?’ If the candidate said yes, the superintendent said, ‘I’ve got my computer on. Let’s take a look.’ “
Quote - While Amazon won’t release numbers, an enterprising commenter on Engadget comes to this conclusion based on data released by Amazon’s e-ink manufacturer.
This analysis of the potential legal and strategic actions that may kick in if Microsoft decides to pursue a “hostile takeover” of Yahoo! is text-book thorough, but written with such clarity that even I can follow it.
As analysis on the topic, it rivals anything produced by the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.
What makes it unique is that it’s written as a personal blog-post by one of the most successful entrepreneurs of this generation, Marc Andreessen. For the post, he taps into the legal expertise of two leading San Francisco attorneys, but the “voice” of the piece is clearly (for those who read his blog) that of Andreessen.
If that billionaire gig doesn’t work out, Marc Andreesen sure would make a great editor.
Why? Because, as I noted the other day, in an age of information shuffling, the only writing that is of great value anymore is that which explains why something matters. Not only does Andreessen’s post explain with authority and clarity the nuance of corporate take-overs, he also explains to his readers (mainly tech industry executives and startup entrepreneurs) why it all matters:
Quote:
“We are learning that hostile takeovers have arrived in our industry. This is the second major hostile takeover so far — the other was Oracle’s takeover of Peoplesoft — but there will be more. This is significant because historically hostile takeovers practically never happened in technology. Potential hostile acquirors assumed that hostile takeovers wouldn’t work because the target company’s employees would bail and the target company’s business would collapse.”
One of the best days on the blogosphere was the day Marc Andreessen decided to start blogging.
Quote - It’s easy to forget that the Esquire covers are at heart advertisements. Curator Larsen explains that while MoMA has a history of “embracing all graphic forms” it is helping to chart new ground with this exhibit.
Quote - A Disney spokeswoman faulted Vanity Fair for the photo. “Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines,†she said.
Quote - Rolling Stone and Men’s Health are testing programs in which readers can take cameraphone pictures of icons on ads, then send them to a certain number. They’ll receive more information or an offer from the advertiser.
Quote - One of my favorite books is The Swiss Family Robinson. The reason is, I’m fascinated by the postapocalyptic recovery. What do we do in a disaster? How do we make do? (Wow. Me, too.)
During yesterday’s Country Music 1/2 Marathon, I used my little Canon TX1 (the ‘rex-cam’) to shoot some video from a participant’s point of view. The video below is very shaky and raw — no editing except to put all the clips together — but I think it gives a flavor of what the race course and event are like from a first-time, non-competitive participant’s vantage point. Obviously, I am not a distance runner — I was joining in with several members of Team Hammock because I’m easily swayed by peer-pressure. I’m glad I did it.
Sidenotes: This was the 9th Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon and attracted over 30,000 participants. The race start uses a “wave” approach and times are kept using a device one attaches to their shoe. (The operation of a race with 30,000 participants is worthy of an episode of Modern Marvels on the Discovery Channel.) My wave started approximately 37 minutes after the first wave (the one with the Kenyans) and I finished the 13.1 miles in 2:29 which put me in 12,699th place — although it was 404th in my “old guy” division. Most of the participants were from outside of Nashville and I enjoyed playing tour guide for some of my fellow racers. The 1/2 marathon route is a great way to see Nashville, by the way. I was impressed.
If you’re in Nashville and up early Saturday and need a place to view the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon, the Team Hammock tent will be pitch on 16th Ave. (Music Row). Please join us.
Quote - On his way to the police station, (University of California-Berkeley grad student James) Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.
The One-Volume Wikipedia Encyclopedia will include 50,000 of the most-searched terms on the German language edition of Wikipedia. While not legally required, the publisher will give $1.59 a copy to Wikimedia Deutschland eV.
As I’m always happy to pass along any Rex-related news, scientists say they have established more firmly than ever that the closest living relatives of the mighty predator Tyrannosaurus rex are modern birds.
The last thing I want to blog about is sales tax, however, there’s a lot of confusion being twittered and blogged around the Nashvilleosphere today about a “technical correction” measure that is working its way through the Tennessee state legislature. According to the Nashville law firm Waller Lansden, the measure would “subject downloaded sales of digital media, including music videos, motion pictures, news and entertainment programs, music, ringtones, electronic books, etc. to the retail sales tax.” In an advisory issued yesterday, the law firm claimed that, “under current law digitally delivered goods are not taxable unless delivered in a tangible form.” (I’m curious about the caveat as I’m perplexed with the “brain-teaser” about how something could be delivered in bits but be received in atoms. But that’s more a physics than a legal question. Perhaps that refers to ordering a print-on-demand book that is printed and then shipped, but that falls outside my understanding of what a “download” is or, for that matter, the meaning of the term “digitally delivered.”)
That “new tax” interpretation was quickly pounced upon by the state GOP’s Bill Hobbs and echo-chambered by Instapundit.
Wait a minute, some bloggers said — we’re already being charged sales tax on iTunes purchases. As tracked by Christian Grantham at Nashville is Talking and by A.C. Kleinheider at NashvillePost.com, sure enough, digital downloads purchased through the iTunes Store are already being treated as if they are subject to the state’s sales tax — thus placing in doubt the claim that the “tax” being legislated is new.
Here’s where I could wear my small business owner hat and launch into some history of my first-hand education on the concept of “nexus” but I’ll skip that one and say, simply, because there’s an Apple Store in Nashville and Memphis, the iTunes Store is collecting sales tax on purchases made through that channel. On the other hand, Amazon.com does not charge for sales tax on physical or digital products purchased via Amazon.com because it doesn’t have any direct operations here. (Yet another reason to purchase MP3 downloads via Amazon.com.)
I’m not a lawyer, and for that I’m quite thankful. However, I think the bloggers who are suggesting this is not a new tax may be confused. I know I am.
File away this historical trivia: Bush holds two Gallup Poll records: The highest approval rating of any president in Gallup’s history (September, 2001) and the lowest approval rating of any president in Gallup’s history (April, 2008).
Quote - We’re inviting you into our newsroom to assign our professional journalists the reporting and writing of important business and economic stories.
Observation: Whether you’re a blogger or a big-city newspaper reporter or a superstar national news personality, you need to realize that you’re just shuffling information if your content is only the transactions (starts, stops, hires, fires, sales, loses) related to a topic. It’s only when you start informing readers how and why such information matters that you become a writer or reporter or blogger who matters.
Wired is still around because Chris Anderson understands — and displays — how a magazine can be a perfect medium for exploring the reasons why things matter.
Quote - With blinking lights, pop-up ads, kiss-on lipstick samples, scratch-off scents, melt-in-your-mouth taste strips, and even pocket squares, advertisers are stuffing magazines full of just about anything to make their advertisements stand out.
Quote - Traditional custom publishers, who profit from the creation and execution of customized content solutions for clients, must understand the new rules of custom publishing in order to survive.
Over on my “People Page” at Hammock.com, I’ve posted an Earth Day message that says, basically, enough already with arguing over who’s green and who’s not. We live in complicated times with complicated problems. Problems aren’t solved by name-calling and shouting down those who believe differently than you. Problems are not solved by merely being “symbolic,” either. Problems are solved when you focus on finding common ground — and common interests.
Bottomline: I’m growing tired of companies telling me how green they are. And I’m tired of activists who can’t see the forest for the trees. I’ll continue to encourage myself, my company, our clients and vendors and friends to find ways to lessen our impact on the Earth’s environment. I find that much more productive than shouts or symbols.
During yesterday’s 
