Comments on: Comments on 8377

Post number 8377

gen — Sun, 17 Jun 2001 08:28:17 -0800

Digital Renaissance: Convergence? I Diverge. MIT's Director of the Program in Comparative Media Studies, Henry Jenkins, speaks about the different aspects of "Convergence." Working at a large multinational company who is banking on "convergence" for future success, and yet skeptical about "convergence" personally, I welcome MeFiers to post their opinions on Jenkins' differentiation of "convergence" and what you think will be powerful or popular in the near future. Taken from Tomalak's Realm.

By: precocious

precocious — Sun, 17 Jun 2001 12:09:54 -0800

It's obvious that media convergence is not only imminent, but when it arrives, it'll be through video games. Haven't you seen the PlayStation(tm) 9 commercials?

By: holgate

holgate — Sun, 17 Jun 2001 12:37:56 -0800

Well, if you buy the launch issue of eDesign magazine, you'll be able to read an article on "convergence devices" that I co-authored ;) The conclusion, if you pardon the extended quotation: With the divergence of consumer preference set to take precedence over the convergence of technologies, appliance makers are now having to target specific psychographic markets with customisible modules, personalised downloads -- and yes, with color faceplates, LEDs and stickers. The key to acceptance in designing future generations of appliances, then, is to covet that kind of user-driven functionality, rather than to lock users into a manufacturer's agenda. In short, convergence may be a back-office aspiration, achieved through syndication and other protocols for content management, but end-user delivery will be about discrimination. The "one big black box" won't be in the home, but the server room.

By: gen

gen — Sun, 17 Jun 2001 20:24:31 -0800

Holgate- is eDesign going to be readily available in the USA?

By: holgate

holgate — Mon, 18 Jun 2001 05:59:33 -0800

gen: it's based out of New York, so you're more likely to see a copy of it than me. ;)