In Polite Park51 Conversation

Hello friends. I'm sure you're all familiar with the old adage that warms against discussing two things: Religion and Politics. Well, that's pretty hard to do when discussing the proposed Park 51 Mosque. True, that warning traditionally applies to dinner parties and not blog writing, but it's a personal goal of mine to keep things 'festive' at all times. As such, we're going to stay neutral - or, at the very least, try. Lucky for me, there's plenty to discuss without getting (too) personal. Shall we?

So, at this point, I'm going to assume that you're all familiar with the whole mosque situation. If you aren't: Wow. Congratulations on missing the most talked-about news story since they moved the cast of The Jersey Shore to Miami.* I, for one, haven't been able to avoid discussion of the proposed mosque, and that's what I'm here to talk about.

Sure, it's old news that social media has changed the face of journalism, and the most recent presidential race made clear its role and impact in the world of politics, but it's been a long time since I've seen the internet ablaze with differing opinions on one subject the way I have in recent weeks. I consume information online from a number of sources each day, and all are teeming with positions on the proposed Park 51 mosque. Facebook friends write rants and link to fresh articles; Twitter users are packing amazing amounts of attitude into 140 character bursts; commenters on my favorite blogs are going to war over precariously worded posts. Our own Executive Managing Editor -- and the mastermind behind the BK Communique --, Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, shared his surprising stance on BK Community. Hell, my own parents are sending contradictory (and borderline inflammatory)** emails to their communal friends and family. This thing is everywhere!

Now, before you get the notion that this is a complaint: It is not. Honestly, I think this is amazing. Have you read Share This? A recent book from media technologist Deanna Zandt, Share This? shows how (and why) people can leverage social media in order to create social change. And look, that is clearly what's happening! When have we seen citizen involvement like this? Sure, some of it could be said to be founded in ignorance and prejudice, but still, I'll take that over apathy any day. It's important for people to get involved in this - and any - conversation, and nothing spurs involvement like outright disappointment and anger.

While I'm not going to speculate as to the outcome of the Park 51 Mosque proposal, I will say that, in these discussions, I can see Zandt's concept in action. Social change is not necessarily revolution -- it happens on a small scale. Right now, social change is the slight re-shaping of opinion; it is the moment when he first realize how much we care about something. Social change is the shock of the unexpected standpoint, the realization that a 'friend' sees something differently than you thought they might. Social change is the intergenerational sharing of Daily Show clips. And it is beautiful!

So, share away! Take advantage of our new found access to information and opinion - just be nice to one another, okay? We're all in this together - let's keep it festive.

*Note: This was written prior to both Obama's Oval Office Address and the Emmy Awards.

** Just kidding! I know you read this...

One iPad, Please!

Okay you guys, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I want an iPad. No, scratch that. I really want a freaking iPad, and I'm ready for it now.

Yesterday, I went to the dentist. I absolutely loathe going to the dentist and, this time, for good reason: Looks like someone has to get their wisdom teeth pulled. However, this is not a blog of medical updates, so I won't get into that right now. What I will get into is my waiting-room companion, a young girl of no more than 9 or 10 years. As I sat there staring at the wall and nervously chewing my bottom lip (note to self: talk to Dr. Gamboa about livening up the magazine selection), that little lady (presumably left waiting while some sort of guardian was under the dreaded tooth-polisher) was happily reading stories and playing games...on her iPad. Excuse me? Could I borrow that please?

Later, having survived my own ill-fated appointment, I arrived at BK HQ, only to find this article being widely circulated. Congratulations, Stanford Medical Students, you really have a lot going for you. On top of being poised to take the medical world by storm after receiving the highest-possible caliber education, you'll each be getting your own iPad! What? Will you also be lucky in love and spend the rest of your lives unintentionally happening upon amazing designer jeans sales?

I'm kidding, really. I promise that I'm not actually that bitter, and I very much support the school's initiative to enhance learning experience and curtail the wasteful use of paper. I simply want in on the action! Just picture it: Me and my iPad. I've already started calling it MyPad. Clever, I know. But really, it just makes sense. As an integral member of the Berrett-Koehler digital team, should I not have firsthand access to our rapidly growing library on the iBookstore? How will I follow the changing face of online journalism in a way that will eventually lead me to success as an acquiring editor? On a more immediate note, how can I help to develop brilliant book-related iPad apps without regularly taking a visual stroll through the App Store?

As if this were not reason enough to set me wanting, I was recently introduced to Flipboard. Have you guys seen this? Take a few moments to watch that video and allow it to really blow your mind. This personalized magazine of personal social network updates was clearly created for someone I know personally: Me. I spend hours upon hours scrolling through Tweets, Facebook posts, and the like. With Flipboard on my iPad, I could take them all with me and read them as I would a newspaper. I don't know, say, in the waiting room at my dentist's office? Full circle.

So, I don't care what the scientists say: I'm ready for my iPad now. And wouldn't it make a nice oral surgery recovery gift?

E-Article Overload: One Woman's Story

Let me start this off with a bit of a disclaimer: Yes, I am a Digital Community Builder. And yes, I do work in book publishing. As such, one can rightly assume that I am genuinely excited and intrigued by the steady stream of developments being made in my chosen field. The various new forms and means of procuring, possessing, and consuming content blow the lid off of constraints that readers have faced for years, giving a much larger number of people access to all kinds of information and in a mind-blowing number of ways. Amazing!

That being said: ENOUGH! Seriously. Enough with the e-book, e-reader, and e-pricing articles. I just can’t take it anymore!

Let me paint you a picture, if I may: When I arrive at work each morning, my inbox is e-bulging with a heaping dose of new emails (in addition to those left over from the day, week, or month before). On average, each day, at least half of these are e-book-related articles forwarded my way. And, as much as I appreciate the genuine emotion behind their arrival (don’t want to burn any e-bridges here), there are – always- more urgent missives to attend to. So, in an attempt at organization (honestly, this has never been my strong suit), I began filing these forwards in an ‘Articles to Read’ e-mail folder. Based on my records, I’ve been doing this since February of 2010. I’ll spare you the total count, and just say this: In the last 3 months alone, I've amassed articles in the triple digits. TRIPLE DIGITS. 

The topics of these articles cover everything from e-book company launches to e-book pricing and e-rights models; e-readers compared to other e-readers; e-reader connectivity and networking capabilities; e-book and digital copyright conundrums; all things app: app-building, app-pricing, app-marketing, and much much much more. I’ve got search results in the thousands for words like Apple, iPad, Amazon, and the like. I’ve posted pieces about Facebook book forums on my Facebook feed, and Tweeted treatises on reading group hashtags out to all of my Tweeple. And that's the worst part: When I read these articles, I send them on, as well. So now…I'm just as much part of the problem as I am part of the solution. It's a horribly vicious and seemingly unavoidable cycle! 

The thing is this: I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. Nor do I mean to sound uninterested. I am neither of those things. What I am is over-stimulated. I spend all day – literally, all day – in front of a computer screen. When I’m not reading and/or writing on said device, I’m discussing the ways in which other people read and write on their own devices. When the time comes for me to head home, that’s exactly what I do – and I DON’T bring my computer or these emails with me. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pack the actual newspaper clippings that my mom still sends me (shout-out to Barbara Kaufman, who’s been ‘forwarding’ articles since before the internet existed) , and head over to this café.

 

Whoops.