Media Views: July 2007 Archives
At the recent Mashup 2007 conference, a panel of teenagers were questioned regarding their use(s) of cellphones, computers, iPods, TV, IM, plus specific software and web applications. To the surprise of the audience, none of the panel members had ever heard of RSS feeds let alone subscribed to any. The same was true of wikis - until the moderator brought up Wikipedia, causing some discussion over the reliability of entries.
A video of the discussion is available. PBS journalist Mark Glaser comments on the overall conference in his article.
Wowio is an e-book service, offering free downloads of both copyrighted and public domain books across many subject areas and from numerous publishers, including Oxford University Press. E-books are available as PDF files. Although the service is free, there's a bit of a catch. Users must register, providing some demographic and reader interest information. Users must also consent to being exposed to targeted advertisements since the online book business involves advertisers, rather than readers, paying for e-books.
A recent Newsweek article analyzed the current bumper stickers for the 2008 presidential hopefuls, noting color(s), spacing, font style, and overall impact. John Edwards' use of green in his sticker seemed to cause a stir, perhaps denoting a nod to the environmental community. Which sticker did Newsweek like? Giuliani's (solid like a brick wall).
Which sticker did Newsweek dislike? McCain's (too militaristic).
A recent article appearing in the St. Louis Suburban Journals reported that a St. Louis area resident called for the banning and removal of a free weekly available at a Jefferson County (Mo.) Public Library branch because "the content of this thing really upset [him]" - namely the use of the "F" word, plus advertising images that could be harmful to children.The article noted that while the Library Director was "sympathetic" to the resident's "high moral standards, ...the library has an obligation to offer a wide range of material for its many patrons" and is not planning to remove the weekly.
This story reminded me of the near frenzy that occurred two years ago at the public library I used to frequent in suburban Columbus, Ohio, where residents (unsuccessfully) called for the removal of two free LGBT weeklies for similar reasons, resulting in public hearings and a legal brief/opinion that stated “The fact that some materials may be harmful to juveniles does not authorize a library from an outright prohibition of those items. In fact, the Supreme Court has held to the contrary: a total ban is not constitutionally permissible.”
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