Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
So as the smoke clears from the Microsoft-Nokia deal, one word stands out – Ecosystem. Microsoft and Nokia outright discussed of creating an Ecosystem of technology in the mobile space.
This doesn't surprise me in the least. The reason for my lack of shock is that the importance and interest in building technical ecosystems of products has been building for awhile. It's been heading this direction for years - several companies bilding ecosystems of products and services.
So as we all know eBooks are selling like crazy. Right now as we can read ebooks on multiple formats, on multiple devices, and save money, it's not surprising. These eBook sales also bring up the usual question of what happens to print media (you know the one that comes up every few months)
As much as I love my Kindle and eBooks, I admit part of me wonders about the role permanence of the printed word. A book can last. A book can be read without a battery charger or a when locked out of an account. A book is a record without strings attached.
So I'd like to postulate something that both sells more physical books and helps people appreciate them – something that may help you authors out there get your hard copies into people's hands.
(Not done writing about originality yet. Regular poster Serdar noted that my ideas addressing originality suggested that highly original people can and should address using their ideas via gradual evolution, and that gradual evolution of media was an ideal. I want to address that).
I've been writing a lot about originality in media lately. This is entirely understandable because originality is a big topic in media – in an age of remakes and the shockingly innovative it's going to be something prominent in people's minds. It's also an important subject because people feel very passionate about it – as I noted there are many psychological/cultural factors to a love of originality.
My conclusions actually were that originality is actually not a prime driver in media consumption – socializabitility is. People's interests in media were often heavily influenced by what they can share with and enjoy with others. Originality, in turn, was most important when it helped with that social factor.