Why I won't be purchasing an iPad

I was looking forward to the release of the iPad for a number of reasons, but mostly because I thought it was going to be very cool. I wasn't disappointed-- it is very cool. I've read a ton of the reviews, both positive and negative, and in general I think both sides make valid points. I'm leaning to the side proclaiming it as a killer device. It's a game changer for sure, but do I want one? Nope.

Here's my reasoning. I know this is going to sound a bit absurd, but it's my reality. On background, I need to declare the Internet devices I currently use: I have a desktop Mac Pro with two large LCD monitors, a MacBook Pro with a gorgeous Cinema Display, a Samsung Go (N310) netbook running Ubuntu Netbook Remix, a Barnes and Noble nook eReader, and a 3Gs iPhone. So, the first question I had to ask myself was: Which of these devices does the iPad replace? Where does it fit in the current lineup?

For me, quite honestly, it doesn't fit anywhere. It can't replace any of these devices. It sits somewhere between the netbook and the eReader, and has the potential to replace two devices with one. The device in most danger of replacement is the netbook. I use my netbook primarily in meetings, for travel, and while watching television. The deal breaker for the iPad here is its proprietary nature-- or quite frankly the apps. One thing I do on my netbook a lot is use Google Wave. I could do this on the iPad, but the thought of having to use Safari instead of Chrome leaves me a bit cold.

Which brings me to the nook. I've only had my nook a couple of months but it has become a major part of my life. Let me explain. I spend a ridiculous amount of time online. That time is spent almost entirely reading. I don't consume much in the way of video or other forms of media. My Achilles' heel is asthenopia (eye strain). It's the single thing that keeps me from being able to stay online longer. That said, I love the electrophoretic display, the electronic paper of the nook. It is so eye friendly that it has extended the amount of time I can spend reading by a couple of hours a day. What I find myself doing more and more, is moving articles of interest to the nook for reading later. It has become indispensable. The backlit display of the iPad makes it a show-stopper as an eReader replacement.

So the bottom-line for me is I just don't think I need an iPad. I'm setup pretty well as it is, and I don't see it adding that much (if any) advantage over my current netbook. I'm thinking I will wait until my netbook starts to get a little rusty, and hopefully then there will be a killer Android-based or Chrome OS tablet that can fill that niche.

A personal copyright dilemma

I'm turning to you for some advice as I'm trying to determine a course of action that will allow me to sleep at night. Here's the situation. I participated in conducting a case study last year that resulted in what I think is a pretty decent report. I'm happy with the work, and it's stimulating a fair amount of attention and spurring many interesting conversations.

My co-authors are now reworking the report to submit it for publishing. The first draft is completed. I am a co-author and it is absolutely a joint work-- all five authors own the copyright (and I hate the concept of ownership of ideas, but I'm trying to stick to the standard jargon). My colleagues want to submit the article to a journal that requires the granting to it of an all-rights-reserved copyright. This journal recently was asked to publish something using a Creative Commons license, and after much deliberation decided to retain their all-rights-reserved conditions. Therein lies my dilemma.

I have no interest in having my name listed on this article. As I tweeted earlier this week in response to a friend's comment on how copyright is harming the poor, "... IMO, [it] is a reprehensible position for public institutions. Copyright is a moral and ethical issue, not a business decision." To me, allowing my name on the article is to accept that which I find morally repugnant, and I'm not going to do it. On the other hand, I don't want to impose my values on the others. If they want (or need) to publish this article I don't want to stop them. BUT, the article does contain my words and isn't publishing my words under their names a tad dishonest?

Submitting it to another journal is not an option. There are two possible choices and both require releasing the articles to them with all-rights-reserved. I will mention that one of these journals has a recommendation in front of its board to switch to an open-license. They've been sitting on this recommendation for almost three years now without taking action.

So what to do? It's not an option for me to consent to having my name on the article. That's not going to happen. What about my ideas? Is just walking away from my work a tenable approach? Your advice and counsel is appreciated.

What I've been up to: HighTouch book club, etc.

I've never done a post like this before. Just sort of a note to my readers. I haven't been blogging much (as some of you have noticed), and I also haven't been keeping up with the HighTouch book club notes. So what's up with that?

I'm just getting back from a month in Oregon where I basically cocooned to enjoy some time with the family, write, and ski a little. I will share some of my thoughts on the writing in a subsequent post. I am continuing to write since I've returned home, but I have to admit it's been more difficult. This is a different kind of writing, and I'm finding it quite enjoyable to be immersed in reading and studying so deeply about a singular topic. It's been taking a good bit of my time, however, and blogging has taken the hit. I suspect this will continue to be the case for some time to come.

I have been reading a lot. I finished Total Engagement back in the middle of December. I just didn't want to take the time then to post my notes. I re-read my notes from the book this morning, and found them to be not too uninteresting, and I'm thinking it's something I want to continue. (Even if it's turned in to a solitary pursuit--not exactly what I originally intended.) If you have a Wave account you can read them here: HighTouch Book Club: Total Engagement: Using Games and Virtual Worlds to Change the Way People Work and Businesses Compete You can read them outside of Wave at Waverz. I will finish up my notes for Total Engagement in the next couple of days.

The next read for the book club is Makers by Cory Doctorow. I'm a little over halfway through this book already. I'm finding it quite entertaining and interesting. It doesn't seem all that science fictiony-- seems like a not too distant version of where we might be headed. I'm not exactly sure how to approach the book notes for this read. It might be nice if we could have a real discussion. :) Wave is ideally suited for conversations so maybe we can make something happen. If you're still in need of a Wave invite please let me know.

That's my update. Questions, anyone, anyone?

University social media policies

Several of us watched a web conference last Friday produced by the University of Florida on Social Media: Some Legal Considerations (if you want a sampler start viewing at 1:15). I very much appreciated being invited to attend, but I have to admit I went in thinking that it was going to be a thou shall not type of session. I was not disappointed. To say it was negative would be an understatement.

During the session there was some handwringing about the laws not keeping pace with technological innovation. I fully understand that the laws have not kept pace. For the most part, however, it's not the laws that are creating problems for our universities. If people break the laws (FERPA, HIPPA, public records, piracy, sunshine...) then the laws should be enforced. Just like they are enforced for those who break these laws in the physical world.

My concern is with the policies we've been creating for social media that go above and beyond what we expect of people in the physical world. For example, I proudly wear my NC State hat when I am out and about the community. When I run into people they know I work for the university. In conversations I don't preface my every comment with, "Now realize, I'm speaking for myself and not my university, blah blah, blah..." I don't say, "Ooops, before I speak please let me remove my NC State wear." Yet, I am not supposed to participate as myself in social media spaces if I cross-the-line into my professional responsibilities. If I participate in a networked social space I am only supposed to do it through an official channel. In effect, I've been removed from the public discourse in the few areas where I might actually offer some informed thought.

Image from, Navigating the Social Media Minefield by Amy Mengel

The biggest problems facing our universities are not the laws governing cyberspace. The laws are not preventing us from participating in public conversations. It is our own policies that are the problem. They are killing us. To paraphrase Cory Doctorow^*, the biggest threat to our future is not that people might do something inappropriate in social spaces; the biggest threat is obscurity. Our current policies are taking us well down that path. We need to fix them so that the new default is to engage. Abstaining from the conversations is not an option.

* For me -- for pretty much every writer -- the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity. Cory Doctorow

The Year for Open-Content?

Image via Wikipedia

This year's Horizon Report, a joint effort of The New Media Consortium and Educause, detailing technology trends impacting education is out. It contains this on open-content, predicting that it is ready to go mainstream this year:

Open content, also expected to reach mainstream use in the next twelve months, is the current form of a movement that began nearly a decade ago, when schools like MIT began to make their course content freely available. Today, there is a tremendous variety of open content, and in many parts of the world, open content represents a profound shift in the way students study and learn. Far more than a collection of free online course materials, the open content movement is a response to the rising costs of education, the desire for access to learning in areas where such access is difficult, and an expression of student choice about when and how to learn.

Of course, this is an easy prediction to make in that open-content has already gone mainstream. The single largest site for learning on the web is of course Wikipedia. Everyone uses. So it's pretty easy to make a prediction that open-content is going mainstream when it has already happened.

Regardless, it's wonderful to see open-content and open-learning receiving the recognition they so deserves. The people of the internet are contributing, sharing, and working together to change the world for the better. It is a force.

God help you if your organization is on the wrong side of this movement. The people have spoken with their keyclicks. They know there is a better way, and they will demand this openness from all of their institutions.

Electronic surveillance in the workplace

I've been researching a bit on organizations monitoring their employees by using surveillance type technologies. I came across this interesting report from the American Management Association and the ePolicy Institute: 2007 Electronic Monitoring and Surveillance Survey:

Monitoring Internet, Blogs and Social Networking Sites:

Employers are primarily concerned about inappropriate Web surfing, with 66% monitoring Internet connections. Fully 65% of companies use software to block connections to inappropriate Websites—a 27% increase since 2001 when AMA/ePolicy Institute first surveyed electronic monitoring and surveillance policies and procedures.

Employers who block access to the Web are concerned about employees visiting adult sites with sexual, romantic, or pornographic content (96%); game sites (61%); social networking sites (50%); entertainment sites (40%); shopping/auction sites (27%); and sports sites (21%). In addition, companies use URL blocks to stop employees from visiting external blogs (18%).Computer monitoring takes many forms, with 45% of employers tracking content, keystrokes, and time spent at the keyboard. Another 43% store and review computer files.

To most of these organization's credit they do at least tell their employees that they are being monitored. But geez, I don't know about you; I find these numbers incredibly depressing. I can't imagine working under such conditions. If this is your life, I'd love to hear from you. Send me email or whatever works. kevin.j.gamble at gmail.com. (Anonymity assured.)

Controlling uses of information technology

I'm looking for some people to interview via email who can provide real world examples of how technology has been used poorly in the workplace; e.g. to control and monitor workers. This is for a piece I'm writing about the use of technologies to provide greater workplace flexibility. I'm wanting to start, however, with some stories to illustrate what not to do.

For example, I know of a company that when gas prices went through the ceiling allowed their employees to work at home two days a week. The employees, however, were required to be logged into IM at all times during business hours. I was reminded of those bracelets that we put on inmates who are under house arrest.

Can you provide me some real-life stories? I'd love to interview you. I will promise you anonimity, and will not mention the name of your company or organization unless you tell me it's okay.

Thanks for your help!

The tech things from the past decade that have rocked my world

I saw this list of technologies that we didn't have to start the 00 decade: 18 Awesome Tech Things We Didn't Have 10 Years Ago. It got me thinking about some of the newer things that I just can't imagine living without. Here's my list of 10 things (in no particular order):

• Wikipedia - geez, it's where I go to learn more than any other site.
• Google Books-- call me an addict. And with my nook-- oh my!
• Google Maps-- what's to say?
• Google Mail-- bottomless storage, filters, and spam blocking. Sweet!
• Google Wave-- in just a few months I've become totally hooked on this tool
• YouTube-- more learning.
• RSS-- bringing the web to me.
• iPhone - if it weren't so important why is my battery always dead?
• VOiP - first Skype and now Gizmo5. Add Google Voice to this and it's to die for.
• Creative Commons-- changing the world for the better. Thank God!

What's on your list?

(And Happy New Year!)