Weibel Lines

iHubris

My decision to jump into the iPhone fray a couple months back possibly has more to do with fear of death (ok, maybe just cultural obsolescence), than expectation of functional return (never mind fiscal sensibility).  Its a dumb thing to do from a personal point of view, shifting oneself from a calls-round-to-free world into a communication domain that makes sense for most people only when their employer pays the tab.  Crackberries are a corporate habit more than a personal foible, and worthwhile for those in need of that sort of accessibility.  I'm not one of them.  My wife smirks and likens the iPhone to talking into a calculator.  She's generally right about such things.

I loathe the New AT&T, as its the same as the old AT&T, except more avaricious.  Yeah, no one loves their carrier, especially given that their allegiance to government surveillance programs is assuredly far stronger than their loyalty to customers.  And now, with Verizon deciding what is appropriate content in texting... well, it boggles the mind.  Good thing America is on guard, protecting liberty, huh?

But I digress.  The explanation for Apple's unholy alliance with AT&T is undoubtedly a tangle of newcomer's dues and Machiavellian corporate machinations, leaving consumers holding multiple, inscrutable user agreements beyond cipher... and exclusive until 2012!  It is hard to imagine any measure of user satisfaction emerging from such virulent anti-consumer practices. [postscript: NYTs blog on the hacking war]

Imagine my surprise when the expected buyer's remorse never showed up.  I love the iPhone.  There are lots of things it does really well, and a few things that are so goofy you can't believe they aren't being fixed in the next software update (there have been several).  But no... it isn't the (admittedly minor) problems with the phone they are fixing, but rather going after the hackers who are opening up the phone.  Isn't that AT&T's role?

I took my phone to Singapore for DC-2007, and in order to avert the danger of quiet, unintended , and expensive data uploading, I removed the sim card, and just used it as a WiFi device.   It is quite good as such, and makes immediately evident the future of such gadgets that are primarily web-enabled devices and only secondarily carrier devices.  A calculator with Skype.  No wonder AT&T is paranoid.  They should be, as the promise of networks being more open is a serious threat to their business model.  The fact that Apple aids and abets such foolishness is disappointing though.  Apple should be working overtime at making these phones more useful, not further crippling them.  So, you can download a YouTube video, but try watching something as simple as a FlickR slideshow on the so-called open platform of iPhone Safari. Ha!

So, its not the Web, as Apple and AT&T would have you believe, its the Web that doesn't threaten their stranglehold, and thats not a model that will hold up.  The iPhone is indeed a revolutionary technology, slick, stylish, even joyful.  I love mine.  But I can't wait for what supplants it.
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Image: palm frond on Bintan beach in Indonesia. 

Dysorientation

I've been on what seems a perpetual road-trip since late August, rather too many time zones and border crossings (and the extra bonus of airline food poisoning). The disorientation of all this has been amplified by my long-planned relocation from Columbus to Seattle.  Thats a saga for another time, but suffice it to say that the seriousness of leaving one's family, friends, colleagues, dog, city of 40 years, home of 17 years, the promise of an office overlooking Lake Fred, band saw, and garden -- all in the most pleasant time of year in the Midwest -- might excuse a modicum of dysfuntion. 

The thing that keeps my stuttering down is the warmth and enthusiasm of the welcome accorded me by my colleagues at the University of Washington Libraries and iSchool, and my other friends here in the Emerald City whose generosity of spirit remind me why I've done such a crazy thing.  I'm here, and yes, change is a good thing (its the transitions that make things rocky).  This one will last a while, as moving the household won't happen until Springtime.

Meanwhile, my tenure as OCLC Research Scholar in Residence begins on an exciting note, as UW Libraries and Microsoft are cosponsoring a global library leadership gathering (Global Research Libraries 2020) for the purpose of articulating some of the grand challenges for research libraries  in our turbulent times.  There will be no dearth of topics deserving attention.  OCLC is well-represented among the participants, as Roy Tenant and Greg Zick will both be in attendance.  Jon Udell and Peter Brantley will be on hand, as well. Expect good blog. 
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Image: A young monk on the streets of Yangon, Myanmar.  I was privileged to briefly visit this extraordinary corner of Asia on a side trip from the recent DC-2007 meeting in Singapore.  The people of Myanmar were welcoming and friendly, always ready to return a smile.  The disturbing news of the unrest there is thus particularly unsettling.  Other pictures from my visit may be found at Myanmar: Yangon and Myanmar:Bagan