Monday, January 18, 2010

Who would have thought that a Cable Channel would go into the textbook business. And the opportunity for Print.

About a half hour ago I found this in my twitter stream.
cmt1 DigitalContent vs textbooks http://bit.ly/7X2f8w

So then I said this:
Indianapolis Public Schools Replace Textbooks with Digital Content http://ilnk.me/1577 | Precisely the opprtnty for #Xerox+espresso & #MPS.
Looking a bit more, I got to this:
Did you know that Discovery Communications LLC. has replaced textbooks in Indianapolis http://ilnk.me/1577
and then this:
A cable channel replaces textbooks in Indianopolis http://ilnk.me/1578 Discovery Edu is a subsidiary of Discover Communications, LLC.

The point for print
If you ask any classroom teacher they will tell you that the idea of replacing print with online is a figment of some politician's imagination. Sounds good, but it will not scale at least for a long time

Discovery Communications LLC has taken their long tail of content, focused on making money from education, not donating to education.

Consider the long tail at PBS or NPR or Nat Geo or the Then consider the long tail at every serious newspaper in the States. Put that together with Xerox + Espresso or with any MFP that can seemlessly transfer XML to print streams.

Then think about what it would mean to add personalized QR and shortened URLs: Information exchange data from teaching with no teacher time needed.

I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

12 comments:

  1. Ah - but it just isn't as sexy as telling the electorate you can make books obsolete.

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  2. Peter,
    Thanks for stopping by. I have a feeling that post financial meltdown, "sexy" is going to get some redefinition.

    Pres Obama spoke at a Home Depot talking about retrofitting houses to save energy. he said " "Caulking is sexy." Print is at least as sexy as caulking.

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  3. I love a good financial apocalypse. The funny thing is that so many companies are making money from the concept right now.

    I pretty much wrote this for you, by the way.

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  4. I'll take a look right after ..just to add: apocalypses are a marvelous way to cut through the bs and clear the brain.

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  5. Nice post.

    I think lots of people don't have Epson on their radar... but.. The last time I visited my local Costco I took a look at their printing section -

    (I guess Costco hasn't heard about the end of print either.)

    So I asked what large format printer they have behind the counter.(I assume they figured out that their small business customers would like posters.

    Much to my surprise it was an Epson. Not HP.
    hmmmmmm.

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  6. I guess we appreciate an apocalypse for the same reason we go on a pilgrimage, huh?

    I don't have a particular agenda about printer brands. I just pluck whatever inspires me out of the air and write about it.

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  7. "pluck whatever inspires me out of the air and write about it" ah the joy of bloviating...see ya again.

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  8. Heh. Just because I take deep breaths to begin a sentence doesn't mean I'm being boastful.

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  9. My bad.. I was referring to me. I'm retired old white guy..tending to my IRA. Back in the day I was called the "Prince of Printing and the King of Bullshit." Now I can bloviate without caring if any one is listening.

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  10. Hah. That's great.

    Unfortunately, my livelihood depends on being listened to. I try to write stuff people would link to - but in the print industry it's hard going!

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  11. Been there, done that. Are you on twitter? DM or @ me at ToughloveforX and I'll try to help.

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  12. I guess if you were called The King of Bullshit it worked out well?

    Added ya on Twitter. You're a saint.

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