Comments on: Ted’s Demise and The Kindle’s Rise

By: Dave Link

Dave Link — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:58 +0000

Brad,

Long time since we last touched base in person at the EYT office in Chantilly, Virginia. Thanks so much for including the link to the Vanity Fair article in your recent post. This was a fantastic blast from the past, but a great story from the actual inventors of the day. Soon after they created packet switching, the world was transformed because Telenet, Tymnet, CompuServe, and BBN rapidly created their own X.25 PDN's (networks that are still running today) that transformed the way the world communicated. I spent my first 10 years professionally at CompuServe and what a wonderful time it was to be immersed in dramatic growth of distributed computing/timesharing/global electronic collaboration. How the world has changed since those early days! The article does a great job providing the individual stories behind the "story" and gives us a glimpse into the personalities involved. On a similar topic of the rise of Social Networks and Citizen Journalism, I recently read a great book Cultural Literacy by E. D. Hirsch which provides some great insight towards cultural literacy and it's impact on social reform. This is a book I think you would really enjoy. You continue to get it right with the right blend of interesting perspectives you share through your blog and I look forward to seeing you again when you visit Washington DC in the future.

By: zach_lande41081

zach_lande41081 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:58 +0000

Was this while seated in first class? I like the concept of the kindle a lot, but I like the library even more

By: zach_lande41081

zach_lande41081 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:58 +0000

Thought so! I'm thinking to myself, which will happen first: me flying first class or me owning an e-book reader. I'm not sure. Though if price goes down a lot on ebook readers and continues to rise on flights, then it'll be the reader, most likely.

By: zach_lande41081

zach_lande41081 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:58 +0000

I hope so! But I only read a book every 1-2 weeks! I read on amazon that the number 1 non fiction reviewer reads 1-2 books a night (NONFICTION). Now THAT is the target audience for a kindle. On an unrelated note, you not following me on friendfeed/twitter seems to have the unfortunate side effect of you not getting my @replies, which are generally witty and life-enriching! So join Seth in co-stalking me!
Zach

By: zach_lande41081

zach_lande41081 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:58 +0000

With all this talk of Kindle, you'd think I would have seen one by now. But no, I have never seen a kindle. Ever!

By: bfeld

bfeld — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

I have “Track” set on Twitter so when it’s working, I get ‘em. What’s your twitter handle and I’ll add it to the list?

By: rob_freebor8945

rob_freebor8945 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

Brad –
I soooooo agree with you about TED….I never understood the idea of trying to compete against the low cost structure of the budget carriers when you have the high cost structure of the traditional carriers.

It's kind of like the early day of the internet when a company would get the question "Aren't you losing money on every transaction?" and the answer is "Yeah, but we'll make it up in volume!!"

rob

By: zach_lande41081

zach_lande41081 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

zachlandes

By: heather_duey

heather_duey — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

ooooh! I missed the release of Lijit – Intense Debate integration…going to set that up right now!

By: aziz_griese5636

aziz_griese5636 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

I think the major airlines should be subsidized, or given exclusive profitable territories. I'm a free market kind of guy, but regulation doesn't have to be all or nothing. I think it's unfair that a major airline is stuck with regulation era contracts, forcing them to serve unprofitable routes, like US auto manufacturers and employees, while new entrants can pick and chose amongst the most profitable routes to compete.

These upstart airlines, though I used to love some of them, have made the industry unprofitable for major airlines and themselves, and we who are the passengers paying $5/bag of pretzels. Hell, United requires $20 to get an exit row. They can up-sell the freaking exit row! Isn't that supposed to be a safety feature? How about the 1 bag only policy? Oh, and is there such a thing as first class any longer? You still have to wait in line and scuffle through 1/2 hr of granny searching TSA bullshnite. I'm not going to start on TSA, this is your blog Brad...

Real compromise that reach effective solutions involve recognizing that there is a solution in the gray, not in the back or the white.