In a presentation about SOPA and PIPA, author and media theorist Clay Shirky starts with an anecdote about a mom-and-pop bakery in his old neighborhood that made custom birthday cakes for children. What does that have to do with piracy? More than you might think. Read More »
Tech
The firestorm of criticism that erupted over the New York Times public editor’s question about whether reporters should be “truth vigilantes” is a sign there is still a huge gap between what the mainstream media thinks its job is and what readers think. Read More »
Why does Twitter allow users to have pseudonyms, while Google and Facebook require real names? Because Twitter realizes it can provide plenty of value for both users and advertisers without having to know your real name. On the social web, it’s all about reputation and influence. Read More »
Dave Winer says journalism as we know it is “obsolete” because everyone can do it. Is he right? Yes and no. One thing is for sure: journalism is being transformed by the web and by real-time publishing. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your viewpoint. Read More »
Everywhere around us we see evidence of chaos in the media industry. So what can be done about this state of affairs? Media analyst Clay Shirky says that it might actually be a good thing, because it will spur experimentation. Let’s hope he is right. Read More »
When WikiLeaks first appeared on the scene, New York Times executive editor Bill Keller made it clear that he did not consider leader Julian Assange a journalist, or WikiLeaks a journalistic entity. Based on some recent comments, however, Keller’s view may be changing — slowly. Read More »
Media analyst Clay Shirky says that the list of things that the Internet has killed — or is in the process of killing — includes media syndication of the kind that the Associated Press is built on, which he says is next in line for widespread… Read More »
Harvard professor of psychology Steven Pinker has joined in the ongoing debate over whether the Internet makes people smarter or dumber. He says using Twitter and spending time on the web doesn’t make us less intelligent, any more than reading an encyclopedia makes us more intelligent. Read More »
Is the Internet making us smarter or dumber? Authors Nick Carr and Clay Shirky have dueling essays appearing in The Wall Street Journal this weekend that look at opposing sides of that provocative question — but the bottom line is that they are likely both right. Read More »
Clay Shirky says large media entities are like ancient societies such as the Mayans and the Romans, in that they have grown so complex that they are no longer able to function in any other way. The media theorist says that could cause their eventual collapse. Read More »
Today social technology theorist Clay Shirky delivered a fitting counterpoint to Danah Boyd’s keynote on privacy at SXSW the day before. Where Boyd spoke of the danger of making information more public than users intended it, Shirky talked about new opportunities for sharing information. Read More »
