Comments on: How bespoke printing, and an iTunes for articles, could save the Newspaper http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper Thought Nectar Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:40:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Yer man richie http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-2779 Yer man richie Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:46:22 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-2779 For identification of what content to deliver, how about these? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_matrix_(computer) 2 kilobytes = 2048 characters. There's 51 characters in the link to the Irish Times Irish breaking news feed; taking 50 as the mean feed URL length gives 40 feeds - with zero "use previous stem and append this" hax, compression, or any other optimizations (and taking 1 character = 1 byte; ASCII is only 7 bits, so hax also available there, though it would obviously restrict content providers to those addressable in ASCII). To add another feed you just have to print a new sticker, there's no requirement to register with any sort of provider (reducing the provider's role to fetching news, printing it, and collecting the money; which is the "core business model", with zero unnecessary pissing about for them), and you can always carry several barcodes if you want more feeds/don't want sport everyday/some other reason. This is utterly off the top of my head; gimme 20 minutes and I may actually be able to give you a workable version. I apologise for the parenthic-ful nature of this comment; this is what happens when my brain hares off down implications instead of thinking in a straight line. For identification of what content to deliver, how about these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_matrix_(computer)
2 kilobytes = 2048 characters. There’s 51 characters in the link to the Irish Times Irish breaking news feed; taking 50 as the mean feed URL length gives 40 feeds – with zero “use previous stem and append this” hax, compression, or any other optimizations (and taking 1 character = 1 byte; ASCII is only 7 bits, so hax also available there, though it would obviously restrict content providers to those addressable in ASCII).

To add another feed you just have to print a new sticker, there’s no requirement to register with any sort of provider (reducing the provider’s role to fetching news, printing it, and collecting the money; which is the “core business model”, with zero unnecessary pissing about for them), and you can always carry several barcodes if you want more feeds/don’t want sport everyday/some other reason.

This is utterly off the top of my head; gimme 20 minutes and I may actually be able to give you a workable version.

I apologise for the parenthic-ful nature of this comment; this is what happens when my brain hares off down implications instead of thinking in a straight line.

]]> By: Hummingbird Mentality » Blog Archive » Every which way but lose http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-2583 Hummingbird Mentality » Blog Archive » Every which way but lose Sat, 09 May 2009 13:49:47 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-2583 [...] much as he’s done for me over the years - from kindly (but ignored) warnings about liable, to inspirational ideas about the future of publishing, and other things I hope one day to be able talk about. When not running the McGarr Solicitors [...] [...] much as he’s done for me over the years – from kindly (but ignored) warnings about liable, to inspirational ideas about the future of publishing, and other things I hope one day to be able talk about. When not running the McGarr Solicitors [...]

]]> By: Gareth http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-330 Gareth Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:39:40 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-330 Not quite Will, as it still requires a substantial personal hardware investment. The service you link to is however reminiscent of a new platform Warren Ellis has been talking about - http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=6670. Not quite Will, as it still requires a substantial personal hardware investment. The service you link to is however reminiscent of a new platform Warren Ellis has been talking about – http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=6670.

]]> By: Will Knott http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-329 Will Knott Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:27:35 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-329 Is http://www.tabbloid.com/ the thing you were aiming for? Turn an RSS feed into a pdf Is http://www.tabbloid.com/ the thing you were aiming for? Turn an RSS feed into a pdf

]]> By: Analogue » Blog Archive » Every which way but lose http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-328 Analogue » Blog Archive » Every which way but lose Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:33:18 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-328 [...] as much as he’s inspired for me over the years - from ominous warnings about liable, to ideas about the future of publishing, and other things I hope one day to be able talk about. When not running the McGarr Solicitors [...] [...] as much as he’s inspired for me over the years – from ominous warnings about liable, to ideas about the future of publishing, and other things I hope one day to be able talk about. When not running the McGarr Solicitors [...]

]]> By: Tuppenceworth.ie blog » Newsbox: Automatic layout software already in development http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-327 Tuppenceworth.ie blog » Newsbox: Automatic layout software already in development Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:31:48 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-327 [...] there was a great reaction to my Newsbox idea(s) on a personalised newspaper complete with context and location specific [...] [...] there was a great reaction to my Newsbox idea(s) on a personalised newspaper complete with context and location specific [...]

]]> By: Simon McGarr http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-326 Simon McGarr Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:07:11 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-326 Many thanks to Gareth for his high level contributions here. Just to address Ronan's point- it has long been acknowledged that the newspaper lost the mantle of 'breaking' the news. Conor Brady, while editor of the Irish Times said that he intended the newspaper to be the place people turned to when they needed to know what events meant. As a medium, print is better able to do that kind of analysis than any other news medium. Despite the hysterics of Sky News, events usually move slowly. We don't need to know the latest shuffle forward if we already know where matters are heading. Many thanks to Gareth for his high level contributions here.

Just to address Ronan’s point- it has long been acknowledged that the newspaper lost the mantle of ‘breaking’ the news. Conor Brady, while editor of the Irish Times said that he intended the newspaper to be the place people turned to when they needed to know what events meant.

As a medium, print is better able to do that kind of analysis than any other news medium. Despite the hysterics of Sky News, events usually move slowly. We don’t need to know the latest shuffle forward if we already know where matters are heading.

]]> By: Gareth http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-325 Gareth Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:28:36 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-325 I see your point Ronny, but is timeliness that important? Don't we read the news section of newspapers for a more detailed analysis than you can get off the sky news at lunch time, or the BBC website. Also, since the mythical useable e-reader is a fiction right now; which would you rather spend your lunchtime pouring over in the cafeteria, a broadsheet or a laptop? I see your point Ronny, but is timeliness that important? Don’t we read the news section of newspapers for a more detailed analysis than you can get off the sky news at lunch time, or the BBC website. Also, since the mythical useable e-reader is a fiction right now; which would you rather spend your lunchtime pouring over in the cafeteria, a broadsheet or a laptop?

]]> By: Rónán Mistéil http://dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/comment-page-1#comment-324 Rónán Mistéil Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:08:47 +0000 http://www.dbspin.com/media/we-the-newspaper/#comment-324 I'm getting more and more annoyed with newspapers as time goes on, there's now maybe only seven or eight articles/columns worth reading in the Irish Times, and I tend to only buy other papers on days that there's a supplement that might interest me (e.g. Tuesday's Education Guardian). Gone are the days that I will buy a paper for it's main headline. I don't trust that a particular publication can give me the news any better than the internet will (and for free too). I would really love to see this kind of thing take off, but I'm still pessimistic about it working. The problem is that in this world of instantaneous communication, a printed copy of any news items will likely be out of date within minutes, so the paper you print on the way to work could be vastly different from the one you'd buy at lunchtime. The idea of aggregating all your news sources into one place is definitely a winner, but I don't see it surpassing the newspaper until we see a real option of cheap, reliable e-paper that will update articles and content as you read them via wifi, bluetooth with your phone's gprs etc. Certainly the idea is worthy of more analysis, but at the end of the day, though the news you have folded under your arm has been hand-picked and of more interest to you than the generic tripe you'd usually have to trawl through, it'll be just as out of date as it's predecessor come your morning coffee break. I’m getting more and more annoyed with newspapers as time goes on, there’s now maybe only seven or eight articles/columns worth reading in the Irish Times, and I tend to only buy other papers on days that there’s a supplement that might interest me (e.g. Tuesday’s Education Guardian). Gone are the days that I will buy a paper for it’s main headline. I don’t trust that a particular publication can give me the news any better than the internet will (and for free too).
I would really love to see this kind of thing take off, but I’m still pessimistic about it working. The problem is that in this world of instantaneous communication, a printed copy of any news items will likely be out of date within minutes, so the paper you print on the way to work could be vastly different from the one you’d buy at lunchtime.
The idea of aggregating all your news sources into one place is definitely a winner, but I don’t see it surpassing the newspaper until we see a real option of cheap, reliable e-paper that will update articles and content as you read them via wifi, bluetooth with your phone’s gprs etc.
Certainly the idea is worthy of more analysis, but at the end of the day, though the news you have folded under your arm has been hand-picked and of more interest to you than the generic tripe you’d usually have to trawl through, it’ll be just as out of date as it’s predecessor come your morning coffee break.

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