CCLS 23 Things #7

OK so it's a little out of order.

Something about technology... I'll throw some thoughts out there about the Web, in particular. There's no question that fast, easy Internet access has changed the way I get information. And I'm sure I'm not alone in this experience. I find that I collect information from a wide variety of sources, but just a little from each. The search-engine experience does not tend to facilitate deep thinking or careful reflection, at least not for me.

My expectations have also changed over the last, say, ten years. I expect to be able to find anything on the web, if I search long enough and smart enough. And I expect—or at least want—everything to be free. If I'm clicking on links from a news digest, even having to log in to a site is enough to deter me. I'll just go on to the next link.

Since I have worked in the publishing business, and there are several professional musicians in my family, I am acutely aware of copyright issues. I know that writers, editors, composers, performers, sound engineers, etc. have to be compensated for their work. I know that I value the editorial standards of the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Review of Books, the London Times, the Manchester Guardian, etc. and I happily read occasional articles from all of them online. But I'm not currently supporting any of them with subscription dollars.

It's clear that the whole financial support structure for both journalism and creative works needs to be restructured, but it's also clear that no on is quite sure how this can or should be accomplished. The best thing I have read recently on the subject is Cory Doctorow's essay in the November issue of Locus Magazine. (Of course I don't subscribe to that, either—the article link was sent to me in an online digest.)