Changing the world by spreading the knowledge of innovators
Areas of Expertise:
- Web 2.0
- open source
- emerging technologies
Biography
Books
Blog
Microsoft Missing the Boat on Mobile?
September 05 2008
Yesterday's Microsoft Watch had an incisive article about Microsoft's failure to compete in the mobile phone marketplace. Echoing my own assertions that Microsoft's obsessive focus on competition with Google in search is a massive distraction, while open mobile is Google's most strategic initiative, Joe Wilcox notes: Microsoft must change its… read moreSocial Networking for Books: One Ring, or Loosely Joined?
August 27 2008
I have to confess that one of the social networking tools I find most valuable is Goodreads. (It's a close second to Twitter, and way ahead of Facebook, Friendfeed, or Dopplr.) Unlike twitter, where I follow hundreds of people (possible because of twitter's minimalism) and am followed by thousands, on… read moreA Graphic Designer Puts Print on Demand Through Its Paces
August 23 2008
A report on the UnderConsideration blog outlines a fascinating experiment called Dear Lulu. From the blog coverage: This past July, fourteen students attended a two-day workshop at Germany's Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences with Prof. Frank Philippin and London-based designer James Goggin. The brief, as explained by Goggin: "My… read moreIs Linking to Yourself the Future of the Web?
August 18 2008
Last year, Bill Janeway really got my attention (pdf) when he noted that "over time, Wall Street 'firms began to trade against their clients for their own account, such that now, the direct investment activities of a firm like Goldman Sachs dwarf their activities on behalf of outside customers.'" As… read moreLessons on Blogging from Jon Stewart
August 18 2008
Why the NY Times profile of Jon Stewart holds lessons for bloggers and journalists about the future (and heart) of their medium. read moreWhy We're Failing in Math and Science
August 15 2008
Norman Mailer's brilliant novel Why Are We in Vietnam? doesn't talk explicitly about the Vietnam war; it tells a story about American culture and the American psyche, thereby producing a devastating critique of the war with the title and last line alone. In a similar way, it may be easier… read moreAl Gore Joins Web 2.0 Summit Lineup
August 07 2008
As I wrote last month in What Good is Collective Intelligence if it Doesn't Make Us Smarter?, at this year's Web 2.0 Summit, we're focusing on how what we've learned from the web over the past decade can be applied to solve the world's hard problems. That's why I'm really… read moreOpen Source and Cloud Computing
August 06 2008
I've been worried for some years that the open source movement might fall prey to the problem that Kim Stanley Robinson so incisively captured in Green Mars: "History is a wave that moves through time slightly faster than we do." Innovators are left behind, as the world they've changed picks… read moreSuggestions for Web 2.0 Summit Charity Auction?
August 06 2008
At this year's Web 2.0 Summit, we're holding a charity auction as part of our "web meets world" focus. From the press release: The Web 2.0 Summit team will solicit donations, and donation ideas, from individuals and companies within the community and then choose the 10 most promising and unique… read moreOpen Source and Cloud Computing
July 31 2008
I've been worried for some years that the open source movement might fall prey to the problem that Kim Stanley Robinson so incisively captured in Green Mars: "History is a wave that moves through time slightly faster than we do." Innovators are left behind, as the world they've changed picks… read moreSuggestions for Web 2.0 Summit Charity Auction?
July 30 2008
At this year's Web 2.0 Summit, we're holding a charity auction as part of our "web meets world" focus. From the press release: The Web 2.0 Summit team will solicit donations, and donation ideas, from individuals and companies within the community and then choose the 10 most promising and unique… read moreOSCON day 3: Reflections on OSCON 2008
July 25 2008
Today was the last day of OSCON and I'm in the mood to think about the conference and share some of my random observations that didn't make it into any of my other blog posts. First up is a comment that Brian Aker of MySQL fame made during the "Tim… read moreJuly 19 2008
On twitter, @mparekh (Michael Parekh) lamented the other day: Had my 3G iPhone Crash 5 times so far, hanging up on boot screen. Full Restore every time, each taking 2 hours. On 6th restore. Anyone else? ... On 3G iPhone crash (cont.), using Mobile Me sync, and have over 60… read moreHouse trying to ban twitter and qik?
July 08 2008
John Culberson (R-Tex) is trying to stir up a storm on twitter, saying that new house rules being proposed would ban services such as twitter from being used by members of Congress. He points to this letter from the House franking commission. I don't see where it bans any such… read moreShould Personal Genomics Be Regulated?
July 08 2008
I read recently about the cease and desist letters sent to 23andme and other personal genomics companies selling tests directly to consumers. 23andme has responded, saying that they agree with the ultimate need for regulation, but that harnessing the consumer internet for personal genomics is a really valuable scientific tool.… read more








