2023 was the year the economics of tech caught up with reality

As a precocious teen looking to improve my college application, I sat in on a business studies class. I figured taking two extra A-Levels at night school alongside those I took during the day would make me irresistible to admissions tutors. The class I watched examined if it was worth a large factory keeping its own trucks and drivers in-house rather than outsourcing them. The data showed selling the trucks and firing the workers was more expensive in the long run, and yoked the company to the whims of any third-party logistics company in the local area. Not to mention, if you don’t own a mission-critical component of your business, you’re a lot less powerful when negotiating with your suppliers. But the teacher, and the class, all agreed it was smart to sell it all because it made a bigger profit in the quarter and was cheaper for the next two years. These people had never considered if something bad would happen, and how to prepare for it. It was at this point I realized my values were out of step with the commercial orthodoxy and opted not to take the course. I mention this because I’ve always thought the people in the tech industry with all the money are probably halfway savvy about how All Of This Is Meant To Work. I’d told myself that what, to me, appeared illogical and self-defeating was because they were playing a game of six-dimensional chess on a board I was too dim to see. Unless, of course, the economics of our industry are so unmoored from reality that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-12-18 15:30:52 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "2023 was the year the economics of tech caught up with reality"


Virtual Library Tour: Newnham College, University of Cambridge

Take a tour of one of the biggest libraries in Cambridge without leaving your home. Head on down to Newnham College with us. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-09 11:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


7 Literary Translators You Need to Know

Imagine bookstores, libraries and life really, without Anne Frank, The Little Prince, the Quran, and Murakami. This is what a world without literary translators would look like—our literary travels would be devoid of global textures and much, much less rich. Through the work of translators,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-11-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Skillset Podcast #4: Academic Libraries in the Wake of Covid-19 with Clemson University’s Christopher Cox

Host David Lankes catches up with Christopher Cox, Dean of Libraries at Clemson University, to talk about the lessons Clemson—and academic libraries more broadly—are learning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Summer Scares Is Back to Celebrate Horror In Libraries (And Beyond!)

The Horror Writers Association, in collaboration with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Booklist are excited to announce Summer Scares 2021. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-05 11:35:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


As Covid-19 Cases Surge, PRH Again Extends Temporary E-book, Digital Audio Terms for Libraries, Schools

Penguin Random House executives this week confirmed that the publisher is extending its "temporary" digital license terms for e-books and digital audio in libraries and schools through March 31, 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Reach aims to document more inclusive history with free picture archive Memory Lane

Tool contains publisher’s image libraries while encouraging public to upload their own photographs. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2020-11-04 14:41:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Vandalization at Major Libraries Aims At Voter Intimidation

Three libraries, including two major metropolitan downtown facilities, have seen vandalism related to voter intimidation in the last two weeks. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-02 11:35:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


5 Haunted Libraries in 5 Different Countries

Take a virtual tour of some of the world's most haunted libraries, and learn the history behind the hauntings of these bookish spaces. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-02 11:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Skillset Podcast #3: Politics and Libraries with EveryLibrary's John Chrastka

With the election days away, this is the perfect time to remember that public libraries exist in a political as well as a civic space. In this episode, hosts David Lankes and Nicole Cooke talk to John Chrastka, head of EveryLibrary, the country’s only political action committee for libraries,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why this Brooklyn library is betting on a future that’s bigger than books

Brooklyn’s Greenpoint library and environmental education center, by Marble Fairbanks and Scape, points to a climate-literate future. Here’s how. I have spent a lot of time in libraries in my day. But not one like this.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-10-23 12:15:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this


To All the Libraries I’ll Miss When I (Finally) Move

Six years after moving to D.C. and deciding it's not for me, there’s still something holding me back from leaving: the libraries. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-19 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


McKee shares the secrets of Elmer success after lifetime achievement win

David McKee’s now-revered picture book Tusk Tusk was once banned in a number of libraries in the UK, the illustrator said after celebrating winning this year’s BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-18 16:44:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Introducing ‘The Skillset Podcast' with R. David Lankes and Nicole A. Cooke

Each week 'The Skillset Podcast' will illuminate the complex issues facing libraries and other key institutions in these unprecedented times. Episode One, available now, features hosts David Lankes and Nicole Cooke in discussion with Tamara King, Head of Community Engagement at the Richland... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Here’s the shortlist for the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction.

The UK literary prizes are still coming in hot! Today, the Baillie Gifford Prize announced its 2020 shortlist. The award, founded in 1999 following the end of the NCR Book Award for Nonfiction, celebrates the best non-fiction writing in the English language of the year. The honor comes with... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-15 16:30:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Getting an MLIS While Working Full Time

Getting an MLIS to work in libraries while working a full time job can be challenging, and this librarian shares her experience. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-12 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Fraternity of Dreamers

The anxiety that libraries can sometimes give me is of a cosmic nature, for something ineffable affects my sense of self when I realize that the majority of human interaction, expression, and creativity shall forever be unavailable to me. The post A Fraternity of Dreamers appeared first on The... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2020-10-09 10:00:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Reset for Library E-books

In the wake of the pandemic, can publishers and libraries finally hash out their differences? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Zoom Into A Good Read: 4 Ways Libraries Hype Books Virtually

This librarian has seen some truly creative ideas for how libraries hype books virtually, and she's here to share the wealth. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-05 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Libraries Week features nationwide Haig event and Bonnier book club launch

Libraries Week kicks off today (5th October), featuring behind the scenes looks at authors' bookshelves, a nationwide live reading of The Midnight Library by author Matt Haig (Canongate) and the launch of a Bonnier book club. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-05 05:45:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this