johnwilker.com

How John Birmingham lost a reader

I stumbled across John Birmingham’s “Axis of Time series” because book 1 was free in the Kindle store (Great idea, Amazon or John or his publisher).

After thoroughly enjoying ‘Weapons of Choice’ at the gym and while folding clothes in the Kindle’s robot voice, at the car wash, etc. I bought book 2, and added 3 to my Universal Wishlist.

Sunday morning I was getting ready to fold some clothes, so I grabbed my Kindle, went into the menu for ‘Designated Targets’ and what do I see? Start Text to Speach, is grayed out.

WTF?

Sure enough, someone; John or his publisher has decided I’m not allowed to use the book I legitimately purchased in any way I please. The decision was made that I couldn’t listen to the book while I did something else.

I won’t be reading future books in the series, nor will I be finishing ‘Designated Targets’, and I hope no one else does. As a consumer and someone who believes that technology is not a tool for abusing consumers, I can’t support an author that thinks I’m not trustworthy, or thinks he can milk me for more money with an audible.com version of the book or whatever shitty logic is applied to the “Disable text to speach in my books mentallity”

I really hope that publishing wakes up sooner than (have they yet?) the RIAA/MPAA. I can’t stress this enough, this time in history for publishing is the same as the launch of iTunes, napster before it, etc for music and movies. So far publishing seems to be going down a similar path.

I also hope that Amazon makes it clear on product pages, which Kindle editions have been crippled, so that I can avoid those books. It’s a bummer for sure, but I won’t support such practices.

Tags: Business, Kindle, Writing

Why eContent should NEVER cost the same as printed

(I’ll preface this post with, A lot of publishers seem to get it, based on most prices found on Amazon’s Kindle store. This post is really derived from an interesting question i was asked over twitter.)

Beyond the ridiculously obvious “you get nothing physical” there’s a lot of reasons why an eBook shouldn’t cost as much as any printed version of the same book.

Let’s look at what goes into the price of a printed book vs. an eBook.

So given that several important factors in price (setting a price that when discounted due to depreciation is still profitable for example) don’t apply to eBooks, why should we as consumers be expected to pay a price similar to that of a hardback book, for an eBook?

While the cheap consumer part of me wants eBooks to be $.99 i acknowledge that it’s a bit unrealistic, since a great deal goes into writing a book, and while a single song is $.99 an entire book, shouldn’t be. Should a book be over $10 for the eBook version? No.

I feel a certain amount of pity for the publishing industry. While the music and movie industry got their heads kicked in, and alienated customers by the thousands, the book industry (rather than learn) watched from a far (i presume) assuming they were immune. Then Amazon came and fucked it all up for them.

Now they’re doing the same thing those other two industries did (killing speach to text on the Kindle, charging $15 for an eBook, etc), and not surprisingly the same type of backlash is being felt.

Publishing at least seems to have learned a little from their cousins in movies and music, but not enough I think.

Tags: Books, Business, eBooks, Kindle, Publishing, Technology, Writing

The Kindle needs an iTunes app

Amazon quietly roled out kindle.amazon.com the other day. It’s a pretty cool but only slightly useful idea.

It’s a cool idea, you login with your amazon account and can see your Kindle content, mostly.

I’ve been thinking on this for a while and I think (I hope) that kindle.amazon.com is Amazon’s first step in ‘killing it’ as the kids say.

A lot of people have said, myself included, that the iPod alone wasn’t the winning solution, iTunes was a huge part the success. library management that works flawlessly with the device. The Kindle needs this, like yesterday.

The Kindle UI is craptastic, and there’s no way to manage content. iTunes is the secret sauce for the iPod/iPhone. you don’t need to keep all your stuff on the device, or manage it from the device. There’s an easy to use, clean interface on the desktop to manage all your media, then you sync what you want. It’s all contained and orderly and easy to manage.

The Kindle has nothing like that. You manage your media on the Kindle itself with basic “Remove from device” functionality, which puts (purchased) content into the archive, which Amazon stores in the cloud. You can pull archived content back into the Kindle, but that’s it. It’s on or off the device.

What about stuff you put on the Kindle yourself? You’re SOL. User created content can’t be archived, it can only be deleted. Sure you can keep it on the computer in a folder somewhere and when you plug the Kindle in you can copy it over again, but that’s janky to say the least.

kindle.amazon.com comes close, allowing you to manage your Kindle library (except you can only see it, not control/change anything) and see your annotations… on purchased content only. Content you’ve put on the device is notably missing. Meaning annotations you’ve placed on ebooks you loaded yourself are still tricky to retrieve/make use of and only available on the Kindle itself.

If Amazon really wants to nail the eBook reader market, they need to realize what Apple did, a device alone, while awesome, isn’t the solution. The desktop client that makes it easy to manage your library is a must. It might be too much to ask, but it’d be nice if the me@free.kindle.com functionality was built into the desktop app so I could convert my PDFs etc on my own and sync over USB.

I think the first company to launch a nice and easy to use eBook reader (the Kindle MOSTLY fits the bill) AND desktop library management application will be the winner. Until then, the race isn’t won and I hope Amazon doesn’t drop the ball at this important point in the eBook race.

Tags: Books, Business, iPhone, iTunes, Kindle, Technology

360Flex Indy, done

I’m back home in Denver after 360|Flex Indy, and finally able to get my thoughts down on ‘paper’

The conference itself was a huge success, we had about 289 people with us in Indy, which you have to admit ain’t bad for “this economy”.

The hotel and conference center was awesome, i mean, an old train station? awesome! I’m not a huge fan of the layout we ended up with, but i kinda knew that going in. I just hate conferences that span floors, and we did that. Lesson learned.

The sessions, well what’s there to say but that we had 45+ sessions from some of the best minds in the community. Open source projects were launching like kites in a tornado. It was awesome, to be able to be the place where that kind of cool stuff was happening.

Oh and then there was Doug

Tags: 360Flex, Books, Business, Conferences, Kindle, Writing

A big screen Kindle? Not interested or interesting

So this morning is the big “Kindle Announcement”

The leading theory is a larger screened ‘Kindle DX’ (wonder what DX is for? In Honda’s the DX is the base model)

For newspapers and college texts. What I don’t get is why does it need to have a larger screen? Newspapers are larger physically than books, yes that’s true. College Text books range from paperbacks, to heavy ass bug squishers, yes that’s true too. But we’re going digital, so why should the form factor mimic the old analog model?

Newspapers are arrayed in columns, which fits the Kindle form factor nicely. Select a column to read, scroll through it, go back the TOC and select a new column. Why would I need a larger screen for that? To display two or three columns? What’s the net benefit of that?

Text books are just books, they read from page to page and usually have lots of pictures and graphs. I can say, a diagram would be easier to appreciate on a larger screen, since the Kindle 2 shrinks the graphic to fit it’s screen. Larger complex graphics may not work well for that. Since the new “Kindle DX” isn’t color, I can’t really see it being better for images, than the current model.

All that said, AND a larger device is 1. more breakable and 2. larger and more combursome. So where’s the benefit to a college kid? or my mom (the likely target of the newspaper angle)?

So what I really hope tomorrow is all about is new features for the Kindle 2. Features that will make newspaper reading better, and make the Kindle 2 even more College friendly.

Such as?

1. shared annotation. College kids swap notes, share info, even sometimes share text books. Being able to collaborate on reading will be a huge boon. If I could be at my mom’s house doing my laundry, catching up on my Econ reading, and could make a note that my room mate would see later when he goes to do his reading, that would be priceless.
2. Better highlighting and bookmarking. I’d want to be able to quickly ‘open’ a text book and have a list of my ‘dog ears’ or highlights, for that book only.
3. Folder or some sort of tagging structure. Figure each college course will have several books, textbooks, required reading, etc. Having X pages to flip through looking for the right book, is whack. It’s one case when they’re books you intentionally put on your Kindle wanting to read. You likely know the names. But college textbooks with names that mean nothing to you, are long, and usually very wordy, good luck. Being able to separate econ books from romantic lit, and poli sci, would be a huge time/effort saver.
4. Better TOC support for newspapers. Ideally some HTML/CSS approach that everyone can use. Something to make it easy to hop around the paper
5. Support for “my newspaper” type subscriptions. I’d subscribe to several newspapers if I could exclude sports, real estate, movies, etc. All the shit I toss from my regular Sunday paper. If I could customize my newspaper to be the business section from the NYT, and WSJ, the tech and calendar from the San Jose Mercury News, and the Arts section from some other paper, I’d be in like Flynn. I mean it’s a digital paper, why not take advantage of the things digital has to offer?

I suspect nothing from my list will be revealed today :( but my fingers are crossed.

Tags: Business, Kindle, Technology

1 failed model leads to another, can we learn?

So apparently the failed Rocky Mtn News, folks decided to try their hand at a purely web play. First things first, I hadn’t even heard about the INDenverTimes until Amy started talking about their fail. So yeah strike one there, it’s called getting the word out, and clearly that flopped.

So from what I’ve gleened, 3 investors got some 30 odd people from the Rocky, and started this onine paper, hoping to get 50,000 subscribers at $5 a piece.

First they started with a press conference, no idea why it warranted that, but you know, whatever.

So basically learningnothing from the old and flawed model of a print newspaper (hordes of reporters and editors), the INDT team chose to try and force that same model into a web site. MMM Uh guys, it’s 2009, no matter how to try to fight the future. Print news is dying because it’s not adapting and learning. You clearly haven’t adapted or learned.

30 people? 30?  I know several web startups that operate with 2 people, and do more. 30 people? Look, I’m as sad as the next guy that the Rocky folks are collecting unemployment, but that’s no reason to prop them up with false hopes. Go find new jobs elsewhere guys! Probably in other industries! Reporting isn’t dead. Print papers are. GO report somewhere online, start a blog on your own, you’d probly get more than 3000 readers.

I’m a big fan of relying on your community to help you, because I believe that if you’re worth helping, people will help you.

“I’m not disappointed,” Preblud insists. “It’s been an amazing ride for the last five weeks, and I think we’ve learned a great deal. Although we didn’t meet our subscription goal, our other online metrics are phenomenal.” He adds that “the heroes in all this are the journalists, and I still have a commitment to journalism. We all do — and this is like any business model. There’s always challenges, and you don’t always know all the answers up front. But we believe professional journalism is a crucial component of not only a community but a democracy, and we’re going to continue to move forward in support of that” — as long as the “business model works. And it works in the immediate term.”

I can only assume the investors and 30 plus “professional journalists” (read out of touch with modern trends, human beings) thought that people would flood the site with subscriptions simply because. Sure Iwantmyrocky was created, why not. Sentiment is cheap, and easy to express. But seeing as how The Rocky closed because no one subscribed, it seems a bit retarded to think sentiment for the old Rocky would make people subscribe to the INDT.

All I can say, is that the INDT failure isn’t even remotely surprising. A complete lack of social media effort, or even reaching out to the community, fail and fail. Sorry Rocky folks, you’re ivory tower of “Professional Journalism” is crumbling around you, and paper mache ain’t gonna patch it.

Tags: Business

The Business of Life

My childhood friend Doug, has had a newsletter for sometime, and now has launched a website. The Business of Life is his new venutre, and I wish him the utmost luck!

Take a look, he’s got good stuff to say.

Good luck my friend.

Tags: Business

Big 3, no bailout for you!

I’ve little sympathy for the big 3, less for the unions. The failure of the bail out seems to reinforce my grim outlook for both bodies. I know it will suck for the economy, and suck for most of us in some way or another, but really, they made their beds. Did the government step in for Home Grocer? Or any other start ups that flopped? Did they step in when Apple stock was 8 bucks and less a share?

Sure we let the auto makers get as big as they are, big mistake, hopefully we learn from it, but protecting and bailing out bad business practice, not a wise decision.

If my reading of the news is correct, the UAW wasn’t willing to make concessions as part of the bailout package. I mean, why do their part to help their employers? Why should the union bosses let their people take pay cuts, which lowers dues, which lowers union boss pay? Why can’t the American people just give more? Why should the screw turners take a pay cut, or lose the cushy retirement they’ve earned that few other employees anywhere, even get?

Don’t get me wrong, the UAW isn’t the only one at fault, apparently someone (I talk more about this below) thought the bailout package should include a pay raise for federal judges, cuz you know, they need a raise, and this was a best way to get it.

From the Forbes article:

McCaskill said judges’ pay raise, inserted by Reid, “sends the wrong message to the United States of America at this scary moment.”

Well duh. Yeah it sends the wrong message, it sends a message that in troubling economic times, our politicians are still interested in injecting whack crap like this into emergency bail outs. What do judges have to do with it? Nothing as far as I can tell, certainly it’s not the place, let alone time for that kind of junk!

Labor, lawmakers and the auto industry bargained in unprecedented private talks at the Capitol Thursday night…

I think it’s funny that these talks take place in private. After all it’s my money, shouldn’t I know what deals are being brokered? Shouldn’t those doing the dealing be held accountable? Wouldn’t the process go smoother if all parties knew we were watching that they had best act in good faith, lest we see how scummy they are? Is it just me that thinks that?

The House-passed bill would create a Bush-appointed overseer to dole out the money. At the same time, carmakers would be compelled to return the aid if the “car czar” decided the carmakers hadn’t done enough to restructure by spring.

Really? do we need more Czars? an IP czar, a car czar. Yeah that’s a solution. Appoint a fall guy, that way we have some one to draw and quarter when things go south!

Pushing to convert skeptics in both parties, Democrats agreed to drop at least one unrelated provision that threatened to sink the measure, a congressional official said. They were eliminating a pay raise for federal judges after Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who represents an automobile manufacturing state, announced she would oppose the carmaker aid unless that provision was removed.

Good for Sen. McCaskill! I’m ashamed it was my own party that put such a turd on this package. I may be opposed to the bail out, but really? Adding crap like this is just embarrassing.

The auto industry and their union cronies had no problem during the big years, maybe we see how they handle the lean ones. As far as I’m concerned, if I (as a taxpayer) bail out the big 3, I want ownership. I want shares, I want them to answer to me (us, the people giving them money for being lame businessmen, and greedy union mongers) in exchange for my money!

Fat chance, I know, but a guy can dream

Tags: Business

I bet on the wrong horse, can the government help me out?

This nonsense with the big three and the banks, really has me thinking our government is made up of suckers. I’m thinking of writing a letter, or maybe flying (southwest) to Washington to beg in person. I mean, I went to the track, I pick the horse I thought would win, even though he had three legs and wasn’t expected to survive the race. He died, and so did the Jockey even. I lost my shirt, my wife is mad, and I’m not sure I can pay for my new Audi RS6.

I’m thinking the government can help me out, I mean, I don’t need 25bil, so a few thousand should be easy, right?

Mitt Romney has an op-ed piece in the NYT, and man, that guy gets it.

But don’t ask Washington to give shareholders and bondholders a free pass — they bet on management and they lost.

Emphasis mine. They bet, they lost. That’s it, that’s how markets work.

To top it off, the three paupers, came to washington in private jets. Not in the same private jet, but three different private jets. Thankfully the Committee called them out on it.

“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, told the chief executive officers of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors at a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee.

“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious.”

He added, “couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.”

Clearly, they don’t get it. They haven’t gotten it for a long time. Executive dining rooms, private jets, etc. I mean really? Is the corporate tower a castle or a place of business? The entire auto industry is so out of touch with business in the 20th, let alone the 21st century, that simply propping them and their “Standard policy” up is not going to do anyone any good. Not them, and more importantly, not us. This out of touch-ness is exemplified by Tom Wilkinson,

“Making a big to-do about this when issues vital to the jobs of millions of Americans are being discussed in Washington is diverting attention away from a critical debate that will determine the future health of the auto industry and the American economy,” GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said in a statement.”

Uh, vital jobs like the CEO’s? Like his? Sure a great many auto workers will likely be out of work, I feel for them, but like everyone else, they bet on management, and lost. They also bet on their union, and it failed them. It fought with management so that a guy who turns a wrench makes $50/hour, maybe the union shoulda been making that guy learn to program computers? Or learn to maintain robots? Rather than simply raising his dues, fighting for more pay, to raise his dues some more.

What’s truly sad and amazing to me, is that not just management and the unions are out of touch, the mouthpieces (like Tom) and the PR tards are too. I mean out of hundreds if not thousands of PR turds between the three paupers, did not a single one stop to say, “Hey listen everyone, we’re sending our three leaders to Washington to beg for money. They’re going to say the jobs and the very US itself depend on us continuing to exist. We should show them that we get it. We should have all three CEOs, drive (in American cars) to Washington. They should make a tour of it, showing that they’re willing to do what it takes to make the companies work in the 21st century. I know they’re going to say they’ll make a buck in salary, but since they should have done that a year ago, to try to keep us out of this mess, it’ll really impress the American people and the politicians, that they (the CEOs) understand the situation, and aren’t simply looking to have their corrupt antiquated system propped up on the taxpayers backs.”

No one thought that? None one?

Tags: Business

Paul Graham nuggets

I was killing some time at work today… ironic when you read this

Here are some really great quotes. I decided to pull a few quotes out in case you don’t want to read the whole article. Paul really does have some incredible insights into how developers think. He calls us hackers, which doea sometimes fit. Not often enough for me.

“The atmosphere of the average workplace is to productivity what flames painted on the side of a car are to speed.”

How true is this? I come in every morning to a literal maze of cube walls. Sometimes when there’s a loud noise lots of heads pop up. I’ve had the opportunity to work remotely before and can definitely atest to the truth that I was much more productive, and actually worked more hours when working from home.

“The basic idea behind office hours is that if you can’t make people work, you can at least prevent them from having fun.”

My current employer is all about this, despite what the marketing department thinks. There’s no fun there. Lots of cheifs, very few indians. the top down approach is in full effect.

“The third big lesson we can learn from open source and blogging is that ideas can bubble up from the bottom, instead of flowing down from the top. Open source and blogging both work bottom-up: people make what they want, and the best stuff prevails.

The number of really, truly cool and useful ideas that have been offered up to the ivory tower is truly amazing. The answer is always the same. Well sometimes they actually give and answer, mostly the cogs are ignored.

“So these, I think, are the three big lessons open source and blogging have to teach business: (1) that people work harder on stuff they like, (2) that the standard office environment is very unproductive, and (3) that bottom-up often works better than top-down.”

I wish my current employer would realize these very obvious facts. I doubt they ever will, but for the short time that I will be there I’ll keep trying… Some one has to be the trouble maker. That’s TO and I for sure.

Tags: Business