Technology – Page 16 – the coffee philosopher

Posted on April 26, 2012July 10, 2017 by the coffee philosopher

Dolphin Island

Somewhere, on some blog, written by some person – I saw a recommendation (of sorts) for Arthur C. Clarke’s Dolphin Island. I think I was googling for recommendations for science fiction books to read.

So when I saw Dolphin Island on the shelves of Royal Oak Bookshop, I picked it up (it was just $1 – the prices at that place are fantastically generous).

The book seems pretty far distant what I remember on that blog. I seem to remember it being described as a bit more apocalyptic.

Instead, it’s a gentle novel for young adults.

Which is fine. I gave it to my mother to give to a twelve year old of her acquaintance who has developed an interest in science fiction.

The really big things in this novel are picked and quickly dropped, unresolved. For example, the crashed alien space ship that’s leaking radiation and whose location is only known to the ancient storyteller caste of dolphin society. The effort broker some kind of truce between killer whales and their occasional prey, dolphins. Call me crazy, but when these things are brought up in novel (particularly a fairly straightforward one – I’ll admit to having slightly different standards for Thomas Pynchon writings), I sort of expect some kind of, well, anything. A resolution, maybe? Some kind of answer (were they nice aliens?)?

Posted on April 24, 2012April 24, 2012 by the coffee philosopher

The Amazon Monopoly

This editorial (which I came across on Twitter) incensed me to no end.

The author, who has had at least one novel published by Amazon, says:

…I’ve long been curious about why so many people are frightened of a potential future Amazon monopoly while simultaneously so sanguine about the real existing monopoly run by New York’s so-called Big Six.

Well, perhaps I could answer that for you…

Because a market dominated by six companies is not actually a monopoly. ‘Mono’ comes from the ancient Greek and means ‘one’ or ‘alone.’ And if you’re curious the ‘poly’ comes from the Greek word for ‘to sell.’

‘Mono.’ One. Not six.

And the concern about Amazon is not them challenging some entrenched group on a single ground, but their strategy of total consolidation.

They are attempting to dominate the publishing market and if they push out those fuddy duddy big six publishers, then they will dominate every aspect of the literary industry.

The problem with monopolies is that they are relatively immune from free market, consumer pressures. If you use their product, you have to use them.

Amazon’s efforts to consolidate every part of the literary industry – the actual production of both physical and e-books and the means of distribution of both physical and e-books – are building towards a situation where someone wishing to read to read must go through them and, if they choose to read, abide by whatever prices or stipulations they make. And that’s a freaking problem.

Posted on April 23, 2012April 5, 2012 by the coffee philosopher

Monday Morning Staff Meeting – What Auden Thought About Rilke

Auden likes Rilke.

Amazon’s business model is trying driving publishers out of business.

And they’re stingy.

Posted on April 11, 2012April 4, 2012 by the coffee philosopher

Mass Effect 3

Okay, yes, I played Mass Effect 3. And yes the ending pissed me off.

Nonetheless, I’m really into space opera and epic fantasy these days and the Mass Effect series is a pretty cool, character-driven space opera trilogy. It’s certainly a better space opera than any written the granddaddy of space opera, E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith and his Lensman novels.

So here’s a cool video conversation about the game.

http://gameological.com/2012/03/the-digest-mass-effect-3/