COVER -> MEMOIRS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
Equally astounding to me is that, though I think of this feature as "new" to the World's Magazine, it's been running for over 35 weeks now. Shows how relative that word "new" can be. As successful as this feature has been, when I first decided to inaugurate it, most people told me
- it will never fly with the readership of the G21,
- the name MEMOIRS OF THE INFORMATION AGE would never catch on,
- there are enough technology columns out there already; nobody would read a new one.
That's why I NEVER listen to the conventional wisdom.
Listen to this: A program to bring technology to more of Africa is floundering because a division of Microsoft refuses to support Windows 3.1, the only flavor of Windows that would run on the computers being donated to these countries.
"However, there is a difficulty with licensing software for the computers. Cockburn has approached several companies, including IBM, but with little success. 'It's difficult to find anyone to talk to, and the first question is always whether you are working for schools in this country. If it doesn't mean publicity for them here, they're not interested.'
"Yeah, I could easily solve that problem for you... But what's in it for me?"
Event # 212: HONOR THE LAMB
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"Ross Cockburn has negotiated tirelessly, but the company won't bend. 'Microsoft UK has done its best,' he says. 'Their exceptions team gave us 50 free copies of Windows '98 so that we could use them to backwards license 3.1. But Microsoft South Africa just don't want people dumping old technology in their marketplace. It's hard when you're hit with that kind of dogma.'" ---- Ian Ansdell, The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland).
Now if that isn't a story of interest to G21 readers, Crimey! I don't know what is. You can read Ian's full story here.
So noting that the feature has seemed to rush headlong toward its first anniversary without me noticing I have to castigate myself for doing what many of the managers I often criticize do:
I can only think of two conscious changes I've made to MOIA since it launched. Meanwhile, I change things around the rest of the magazine regularly, obsessively.
Having made this admission, I am now on-the-spot to add value to this feature.
That's left me free to seek out interview subjects who might provoke further discussion. It's been wonderful!
The second factor with which I've been impressed, thus far, is that voices have weighed in from around the globe. From Canada to Scotland, Australia to Sweden, you --- the readers --- have been a driving force behind this "dialogue" on the Information Age. Thank you!
I think that's why I became so upset about *anyone* thinking they should "fix" a feature that wasn't broken...
Considering that I work for an organization wholly committed to the Open Source movement, I feel I've been remiss in not encouraging more Open Source discussion here. That's one of the issues I've been kicking around.
When my colleague and G21 staffer FELICITY USSHER returns from her tour of Asia (lucky duck!) later this spring, I'm also going to lean on her to file a story or two about the IT environment in Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
Meanwhile, as usual for MOIA Discussion List members, the floor is open. I'm kicking around a couple of ideas for how to add value to this column, but tell me what you think would help this week. It's really your column, after all...
TAKE THE RISK OF INVOLVEMENT.
or make it.
On my Wish List is....