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Against the Machine

Once in a while it is nice to read something that completely counters your usual reading diet. In my case, Against the Machine was just that title. Lee Siegel, critiques the current ethos of the Internet with the vigor of a grumpy old man. He criticizes the work of Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point), Lawrence Lessig (Free Culture, Creative Commons), John Battelle (The Search), Kevin Kelley (co-founder of Wired), Katie Hafner (When Wizards Stay Up Late) and others. In fact, Siegel has something to say about almost every book I have read or wanted to read over the past two years.

Basically, Siegel is trying to get the reader to think about what the internet is and what its potential is for our society. He’s not saying that information technology is a bad thing, only that we shouldn’t so willfully accept its current state (catering to commercial interests, celebrating anonymity, turning every piece of content into a popularity contest, etc.)

For many people this book will probably be infuriating, but as I said… sometimes that’s a good thing. At times Siegel is over-critical, hyperbolic and elitist; however, he is one of the only voices that is challenging us to rethink our current love affair with the internet. Well… him and Andrew Keen.

The Long Tail

Published July 9, 2009 book reviews , economics , internet Leave a Comment
Tags: anderson, books, long tail, technology, zero sum

The Long Tail

I read this book a long time ago and just realized that I had a draft post just begging to be published, so here it is:

Good news for you indie lovers, according to Chris Anderson – the era of the mindless, soul-sucking blockbuster is over. Thank you technology, thank you. In The Long Tail, Wired magazine’s editor looks at the impact of the internet and information technology on business processes. Essentially, Anderson believes that the future of business is selling to niche markets. Instead of relying on the blockbuster hit to support the bottom line, content providers (record companies, film houses, publishers, etc.) can offer an eclectic mix of content. Providers may sell less of each individual work, but collectively they’ll sell more because more people will be able to find content that is meaningful to them.

Since shelf space is irrelevant for digital objects, companies can offer millions of options at virtually no cost (e.g. Amazon, iTunes, etc.). Anderson’s argument is airtight when it comes to digital objects (after all server costs are essentially nil); however, it shows some wear when applied to the physical environment. After all, there will always be butchers, bakers and candlestick makers to sell their widgets – and given such reality, the long tail is inevitably shortened.

Anderson’s book is an easy read – and will receive few complaints from the average tech geek. I found the book a little repetitive, but I still think the Long Tail is an interesting concept as business becomes increasingly digital.