The Birth of a New Religion

David Pogue writes a widely read technology column for the New York Times. Recently he reviewed Google's new smart phone, the Nexus One. His review was mostly positive but he did offer a few criticisms. His column today is about the feedback he got from readers about his review:

Reader feedback about my review of Google's new cellphone yesterday was unusually voluminous and, in some sectors, vitriolic. Where I had written, "The Nexus One is an excellent app phone, fast and powerful but marred by some glitches," some readers seemed to read, "You are a pathetic loser, your religion is bogus and your mother wears Army boots."

He notes that he hasn't seen this kind of response to a technology column since the Apple/Microsoft wars. But now:

But guess what, gang? There's a new religion in these holy wars. And it's Google...And yet here is this new army of Google defenders, raising their spears and chanting as though you've insulted….Apple.

New religion. Holy Wars with an army raising their spears and chanting. Interesting use of religious association.

Which is Greener: Paper or Digital?

The answer may surprise you. From an interview posted on ZDNet.com:

“Other than pushing the ‘cool’ factor, one of the main selling points being made by marketers of eReaders is that they are greener than print. It is little surprise that the common view held by consumers who don’t know the backstory is that going digital means going green and saving trees. Many are in for a rude awakening. When subjected to ‘cradle-to-cradle’ life cycle analysis, eReading is not nearly as green as many naively assume it is.”

“There is no question that print media could do a better job of managing the sustainability of its supply chains and waste streams, but it’s a misguided notion to assume that digital media is categorically greener. Computers, eReaders, and cell phones don’t grow on trees and their spiraling requirement for energy is unsustainable.”

“Making a computer typically requires the mining and refining of dozens of minerals and metals including gold, silver, and palladium as well as extensive use of plastics and hydrocarbon solvents. To function, digital devices require a constant flow of electrons that predominately come from the combustion of coal, and at the end of their all-too-short useful lives electronics have become the single largest stream of toxic waste created by man. Until recently, there was little, if any, voluntary disclosure of the lifecycle ‘backstory’ of digital media.”

“Sadly, print has come to be seen as a wasteful, inefficient and environmentally destructive medium, despite the fact that much of print media is based on comparatively benign and renewable materials. In addition, print has incredible potential to be a far more sustainable medium than it is today…

What Churches can learn from Candidates for U.S. President

The latest installment from the blog of the nonprofit group Church Marketing Sucks talks about what churches can learn from looking at the websites of McCain and Obama. It's a short but good critique with some basic important suggestions.

Wonders of Technology

Last night my son sent me a text message asking me to edit a paper for him. He is a freshman at the University of MN. We used a program by Microsoft called SharedView that allows us both to see his paper at the same time; I could highlight sections that I thought needed rewording, or make spelling corrections myself to his paper; I could see the changes he was making; and we could chat while working. It requires a fast internet connection on both ends, but it is quite nifty.

It just doesn't seem all that long ago when I was typing college papers on an IBM Selectric.