Tech is Not Disappointing Enough to Change Things
I was reading an article on my Treo a bit ago and it made a whole lot of sense to me for reasons that were not totally related to the article itself. First let's brief on the article, and then get into the application.
The article was a piece published at Publishing 2.0 that spoke on innovation. The premise of the article simply states that disappointment leads to innovation. Not necessarly need. An example was given of a developer who has been disappointed at how the mobile web is used and is developing a different solution that one that has been commonly gone for. If you will, the problem is the same, and yet the road to the solution was justa bit different.
Many times, I look at Bibles and Bible software and really wonder why it is such a stagnet field. In light of this article, its dawned on my why I think the way that I do, but why others might not. For me, going mobile was a means of lightening my backpack and making me more organized. I was disappointed at the adivce and means that others had used, and took another route. That disappointment led to where I am now with mobiles and Bibles. However, I am still not satisfied. Because, for as much as the tech has gotten manageable, there is still no easy means to tie all of the information from online and offline sources together on various devices.
Others don't have this issue. In fact, adding tech to the equasion is the disappointing aspect. From adding notes, to adding a particular Bible version, to doing something totally different, the technology is an issue that many don't want to deal with, and they are disapointed enough in it that they will not use it. If its not used, then why develop it more, right?
Therein lies a good reason why Bible software remains in the rut that it is in, and will remain there for a long while. The tech is too complicated, and therefore BIble publishers will not be forced to change if the tech cannot make it easier. With books you have a system (people want to read, the text has to be mobile and legible, and then problems solved). The same thing needs to happen with tech before we can address why digital Bibles are not popular.
Unfortunately, I don't see enough disappointment in mobile tech to change things on this end. And so we just might lie in a digital dark age for a bit longer.
The article was a piece published at Publishing 2.0 that spoke on innovation. The premise of the article simply states that disappointment leads to innovation. Not necessarly need. An example was given of a developer who has been disappointed at how the mobile web is used and is developing a different solution that one that has been commonly gone for. If you will, the problem is the same, and yet the road to the solution was justa bit different.
Many times, I look at Bibles and Bible software and really wonder why it is such a stagnet field. In light of this article, its dawned on my why I think the way that I do, but why others might not. For me, going mobile was a means of lightening my backpack and making me more organized. I was disappointed at the adivce and means that others had used, and took another route. That disappointment led to where I am now with mobiles and Bibles. However, I am still not satisfied. Because, for as much as the tech has gotten manageable, there is still no easy means to tie all of the information from online and offline sources together on various devices.
Others don't have this issue. In fact, adding tech to the equasion is the disappointing aspect. From adding notes, to adding a particular Bible version, to doing something totally different, the technology is an issue that many don't want to deal with, and they are disapointed enough in it that they will not use it. If its not used, then why develop it more, right?
Therein lies a good reason why Bible software remains in the rut that it is in, and will remain there for a long while. The tech is too complicated, and therefore BIble publishers will not be forced to change if the tech cannot make it easier. With books you have a system (people want to read, the text has to be mobile and legible, and then problems solved). The same thing needs to happen with tech before we can address why digital Bibles are not popular.
Unfortunately, I don't see enough disappointment in mobile tech to change things on this end. And so we just might lie in a digital dark age for a bit longer.
posted by Antoine @ 11/25/2007 11:17:00 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I'm curious of your familiarity with companies like Logos Bible Software. We care immensely about taking advantage of the latest technologies. We're even hosting a conference called BibleTech:2008 to explore the intersection of Bible study and technology. It will be held in Seattle on January 25-26. I encourage you to come, contribute, and share your ideas.
Hey Phil;
I am desprately trying to make sure that I can get there. Its been something on my plate to not just make time for, but also to plan how to extend what is shared there to others that I know that might be interested in the tools and methods talked about.
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