People can speculate about the demise of physical libraries and print collections but as of right now a room full of Kindles can not inspire this kind of beauty. Not that the UST libraries are so shabby, but if you would like to view some truly spectacular photos of libraries from around the world click here.
I am always telling my two young children not to say ‘stupid’ which is hard for me because sometimes that word is very appropriate. The most recent case in point is from an article from the Silicon Alley Insider about all those stupid (yes I said it) applications that live on Facebook. What I love about this article is that it contains a series of 41 screen shots of how to play a game like Fishville. I was always curious about the look, purpose and appeal of these games, but I absolutely refuse to sign myself up.
But don’t be fooled by the simple graphics and smiling fish!
What is not stupid but instead kind of frightening is how much money companies like Zynga make through their games and by creating networks that other, even more unscrupulous advertisers can join. My newest, most favorite technology business blog TechCrunch has covered this phenomenon in a series of in-depth articles that are a fascinating dissection of how these companies operate.
It almost makes you nostagic for the days of the annoying pop up windows.
If ‘plastics’ was a joke about the future of business in 1967 then what is the one word to describe one of the most profitable industries today? Hippies.
The bad news is that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the jobless rate is now at over 10% which is the highest rate of unemployment since 1983. The good news is that one of the most visible companies in the world, Google, is hiring! The bad news…have you seen their interview questions? I know they are in a position of strength to pick and choose – but come on! Does that also mean they have the right to mess with our heads? If you are in the process of polishing your resume, take a quick peek at some of these questions so you can be sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Rest assured that answers are also provided.
You’re welcome!
Published by the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science, Informs PubsOnline is a database of 12 full text management journals that contains articles which focus on decision sciences, information systems, and supply chain management. It may be smaller than other business article databases, but this specialized collection of operations research journals contains articles that can complement articles found in more general management databases. Users can conduct author or keyword searches and can choose to search in multiple or single selected journals. The full text extends back to 2001 and the articles include all table and graphs and references with some links to other full text articles.
Mitchell Muncy from the Institute for American Values argues that Banned Book Week is an overblown event because books in this country are not banned by any government agency and are therefore almost always accessible. Also petitioners who initiate a challenge to a book title lose their case nearly six times out of seven according to the American Libraries Association.
Do you believe Banned Books Week and reactions to local challenges are overhyped when the reality is that access to books is almost universal via multiple library systems and online book sellers like Amazon?
Finding Censorship Where There Is None via the Wall Street Journal
When I first heard about Wolfram Alpha I wondered if it would be the next generation engine that would give Google a run for its money. But looking at now I believe that it does not exactly do what a ‘regular’ search engine like Google does. Wolfram Alpha (the name just rolls naturally off your tongue, doesn’t it?) provides calculations based on data that the user enters – i.e. socioeconomic data by state, weather patterns, probability and even simple mathematics equations.
I have not seen a whole lot of stories about its launch this week, but then again I don’t believe it is not the type of engine that people would normally go to for daily use. For an informed overview of this product and a slightly gloomy prediction for its success I recommend this article from the Silicon Alley Insider.
This is a story I plan to follow because if there is one thing I like more then business stories, it is business stories that relate to the music industry and how new models are being studied to revive this faltering industry. According to The Register a new report about P2P networks will be released tomorrow which will recommend amongst other things that copyright holders recognize P2P networks as a broadcast medium, one which can be tapped with more reasonable fees for music downloading.
The other ‘whoa’ moment for me in this article was the mention of a study that debunks the Long Tail business model as overly optimistic and does not necessarily pan out as predicted by Chris Anderson in 2004. I don’t know if I am quite ready to give up on that fairy tale yet, but the articles are wonderful food for thought.
P2P study: Music crackdown is bad for business via The Register
Even though everyone is all ‘a-twitter’ about Twitter, this graph shows that it’s early growth does not come close to the early growth of other semi-comparable companies like Facebook, Youtube and Google. But fear not for Twitter because so much of its traffic is generated by mobile phones usage which in the long run may mean more business as mobile technology becomes more ubiquitous.
For more on Twitter with some extra sarcasm check out the Colbert Report interview with Biz Stone, one of the founders of Twitter.
Even though everyone is all ‘a-twitter’ about Twitter, this graph shows that it’s early growth does not come close to the early growth of other semi-comparable companies like Facebook, Youtube and Google. But fear not for Twitter because so much of its traffic is generated by mobile phones usage which in the long run may mean more business as mobile technology becomes more ubiquitous.
For more on Twitter with some extra sarcasm check out the Colbert Report interview with Biz Stone, one of the founders of Twitter.