Wither the Merchandise?

by

I've been pondering the future of enjoyable collectible stuff for fans.

You know what I'm talking about.  The plastic collectibles, plushies, bobbleheads, etc. 

I've been wondering what the economic future of these is, to be frank.  Little useless trinkets may be fun and collectible, but in a touch economy, I figure they're going to get less and less attention (and as I expect it to be years for the economy to recover, this could be awhile).  There's far more payoff in a rare video, a neat book, etc. than something that presents no other use than ownership.

So I wonder if the collectibles are going to take a hit in the geekonomy and the fannish economy.

This is a casual speculation, but these collectibles form the basis of some specialty stories, they're big at conventions, etc.  This would in turn affect the social experience of fans as stores close, change focus, etc.

Just some idle, geekonomic speculation.

– Steven Savage

News of the Day 8/13/2009

by

Career:
Google reader is your key to being a subject matter expert – A nice explanation of a simple but useful technique – a good series of news feeds educates you fast.

Anime and Manga:
More on Tokyopop's publishing of manga online – They seem enthused about it (and oddly historical about it). Also interesting they were syncing with Free Comics day, showing good market awareness.

Movies:
A lego movie. No, really. Unless they get the folks behind Lego Star wars or make it a heck of a parody, this sounds lame. Side note – there also is a Tom and Jerry movie coming. At some point you guys are going to run out of stuff to recycle into films . . .

Publishing:
Not always visible in the e-book wars are the document wars. It appears that DocStoc is expanding to allow for document purchases, going beyond document sharing. A bit of a glimpse into other worlds of text content and technology. I'm going to keep an eye on this as an interesting e-publishing solution.

The ever-insightul Fitz and Jen give their ideas on Sony's e-book reader. They simply note Sony's strategy is providing an open reader in a market of closed readers. Simple, to the point, and pretty effective. (And shout out to Bonnie – what if you could get e-books via your PS3?)

Social Media:
40% of Tweets are useless babble to that all I can say is 'duh.' An amazing amount of human conversations are babble or maintenance or "sonar" statements to see if someone is still listening. I hope this doesn't result in yet ANOTHER round of Twitter-is-useless pseudo-intellectual discussions . . . I'd like to think the issue of Twitter was settled in the last few months.

How to earn trust via social media – Aimed at entrepreneurs and business, good advice and general.

Technology:
A hot and spicy bit of insider info on the Apple tablet – Big note here is that, according to [redacted] it will be a netbook like computer, a webcam, AND a peripheral for a regular mac. As oddball as that may seem at first, I can see Apple thinking they'd increase sales by making it a laptop/desktop companion. Still if the price is the $700 to $900 I hear I'm not quite sure that's going to fly – it's really not a netbook so much as a netbook AND an expensive peripheral.

Video Games:
Social games and media are sucking in more Big name game talent. A little demographic to watch. I myself wonder if the social media/gaming division isn't overly artifical anyway . . .

Finally, there may be a new Godzilla movie. This is not career-relevant but . . . you know, GODZILLA.

-Steven Savage

Some thoughts on career and mobility

by

With many of my friends and family looking at career changes, many of them also talk relocation.  I'm consolidating a few random thoughts on relocation, with a fan-to-pro/geek-pro viewpoint here.

* Consider how permanent a move may be – as painful as it may be, a relocation close to but not at an eventual goal may be a good thing.  If you want to go to a particular city relocating nearby, in the same state, etc. as a temporary measure for a few years may be a good idea.  If you can find a job easier in a nearby location that lets you plan the final stage of your move, get a job in a lousy economy, and scope out your intended destination.

* Consider a tryout if possible.  Are there friends and family in a location you can live with for a few months to see if you like it and can find work?  It's tough, and can be scary, but may be a good bet.  It's also a good way to push yourself.

* If your career or job involves a lot of travel, or will, you may want to look at a good hub city as a possible relocation destination (permanent or temporary).  If you plan to fly all over the country, Chicago or St. Louis, for instance, could be good choices.  Even if transport hub cities are not your first choice, they may be good for awhile – and face it, it'll be easier to leave . . .

* Keep educational facilities in mind when you relocate because training is going to be vital to keep up with things in the future (not that it ever was NOT important).  Don't just think notable universities – see what kind of adult education, training companies, etc. are nearby.  I once had an interview with a company located right next to a major university – that definitely had me interested since classes would be easier to take with a walk right after work.

* Whatever you do, keep a city's fannish and geek life in mind – you do NOT want to end up in a personal cultural wasteland long-term (a few months maybe).  Go online and check meetups, conventions, groups, events, etc. in detail.  You'd be surprised what places do AND don't have fannish or geek culture.

So that's just some random thoughts from your friendly pro-geek blogger.  Anything you want to add?

– Steven Savage