The multi-channel book of the future (today)

Lauren Beukes is a much admired journalist who has just released her futuristic debut novel, Moxyland, that plays out in Cape Town and is in her own words a hi-tech fable of the day that “corporate apartheid separates the haves from the have-nots.”

But the really interesting aspect of this publishing venture is the multi-channel approach Beukes took in marketing the book. Apart from the printed title and an album, she also produced an e-book, filled with hyperlinks, electronic bookmarks and even the soundtrack compiled in close collaboration with African Dope to suit the dark and gritty mood of the novel. The compilation, available in music stores and from online e-tailers features the likes of The Tone Deaf Junkies, Taxi Violence, The Real Estate Agents, Mix n Blend, Dank, Mr Gelatine and Jacob Israel.

Beukes even set up a women’s empowerment group in the Klein Karoo to create the cuddly toy that features on the book cover, and which is hand-sewn by the women the project employs.

“Writers have to think about multimedia, about finding ways of elaborating on their story,” says Beukes. “The world we live in isn’t limited to one format. It’s not about flashy gimmicks, but playing with possibilities. I’ve been incredibly lucky to find brilliant and innovative creative partners who were willing to run with a crazy concept.”

Beukes seem to have taken all the lessons from the Internet publishing and applied them to a very traditionally minded industry. The fact that a South African author have stepped so far beyond the expected is exiting for the local publishing industry and an indication of the resourcefulness of a writer well familiar with the opportunities available to somebody who won’t be bound by the status quo.

Open source Chrome vs. No advertising IE 8

Microsoft has already won the desktop battle, but a new war is looming and in a connected world the ultimate end point is the browser, the most intimate interface that people use to surf the web. Whoever wins this round of what is popularly referred to as the browser wars wins the most valuable real estate of the connected economy. As IE and Chrome do battle it is interesting to see what strategies Microsoft and Google are using to try and take the victor’s crown in the battle of the browsers.

What’s key about Google’s open source offering is that it addresses the consumer need for speed and appears to answer the problem many users have with their browser grinding to a halt at the end of the day, or freezing or failing. A frustration that’s becoming increasingly common place because of the myriad of applications and media that browsers now have to deal with as the web leaves text behind and moves into richer and more varied environments. Google’s offering will have an ability to view web pages as thumbnails and a host of other features built for speed in a multi-media environment.

Microsoft isn’t taking the open-source slap in the face lying down. They know Google’s business model is built on the back of an advertising platform and MS are hitting back with a browser that features the ability to block advertising. Still in beta, Internet Explorer 8’s “InPrivate” feature has the advertising and publishing world in a flurry. Imagine the potential harm an opt-in or opt-out type browser could do to the $21.2 billion-plus interactive ad industry? Microsoft Internet Explorer general manager Dean Hachamovitch says that’s not the point: “The point isn’t to block content or ads. The point is to put users in control of what they’re sharing.”

Early days yet in the browser wars, but the first punches have been thrown and it appears that blood has been drawn. There will be one clear winner though and in my mind that will be browser users who for years have been desperate for a solution that speaks to speed and intrusive advertising.

Posted on Marklives.com by Mandy de Waal. Mandy de Waal is a former broadcast journalist who now writes for a broad range of local media. A columnist for MarkLives, de Waal microblogs at Twitter, vlogs at Zoopy and authors her own blog, Artificial Intelligence.

Galleries of SA vanity plates

Wired ran a cool little story on a gallery of nerdy vanity plates. The gallery was put together by Royal Pingdom and ranged from OPN SRC (Open Source) to GEEK AFK (Geek Away From Keyboard). A quick Google found several SA sites tracking South African vanity plates. Check them out at Aquila Online, VanityplateSA and Ostendo. Plates range from South Africanisms like Ebenz (on a Merc) to the obvious IH82W8 (I hate to wait) on a GP registered BMW. Then there is SORRY 4U2 (also a BMW), BY BY COP GP (again, a BMW, starting to see a trend here) and 18 SNVL on a Polo Playa. A couple of marketers have gotten into the act as well and the blogs feature vanity plates for Motorola (MYMOTO 5), Weber (1GRILL) and Just Letting (ITS LET).

* Image fromVanityplateSA

South Africans try to gauge their leaders

An interesting story on the Mail & Guardian Online by Nosimilo Ndlovu titled ‘Political books go pop.’ Ndlovu reveals books about the state of the nation and local politicos are turning into surprised bestsellers. Mark Gevisser, whose biography Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred, Andrew Feinstein, who wrote After The Party: A Personal and Political Journey inside the ANC and William Gumede, who wrote Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC, all sold between 20 and 30 000 copies.

 

Jeremy Boraine, the publishing director at Jonathan Ball Publishers, tells the M&G: “Given the political divisions among the ANC, people are looking for answers, people have a need to know what’s going on.”

A future of division, factionalism, stagnation and patronage?

The ANC under Jacob Zuma shows signs of losing its way, says The Economist in its August 7 edition, under the headline “A future of division, factionalism, stagnation and patronage”. Does this headline really reflect the mood of the nation? In February, April and June 2008, TNS Research Surveys also asked people whether they felt that Jacob Zuma is doing a good job as President of the ANC.

 

Q: “Is Jacob Zuma doing a good job as President of the ANC?”

Yes – 37% (36% in April and 36% in February)

No – 44% (40% in April and 38% in February)

Don’t know – 19% (24% in April and 26% in February)

 

The percentage of metro adults agreeing with the statement “I feel positive about South Africa and its future” has fallen to a new low of 49% in July 08 after an end-of-2006 reading of 64%and February reading of 60%.

 

TNS highlights numerous factors for this decline, including concern about the economy, very high food and fuel price, increasing interest rates, recent xenophobic violence and the situation in Zimbabwe. In addition, there is the ongoing suspension of the Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, and the Judge Hlope vs the Constitutional Court issue.

 

So the picture doesn’t look good. However the division and factionalism we are experiencing is current and not unexpected in the run up to the 2009 elections and economic stagnation is a global issue. The story could well simply have been called ‘The scourge of Patronage’.