Bats and reading in transit
I have The New York Times delivered to my home every morning, and of all newspapers it is the one I most thoroughly read every day. Not because I get it at home, but because its content is enabled on my mobile device (a Treo). My online newspaper reading is confined utterly to what I can easily access on the Treo. I am very far from an early adopter of technological advances, so I have to think that if I’m doing it, a sizable percentage of the population is doing the same.
The reading I glean from the print edition is what I need to get through the day at work -Front page, first section, editorial page, political section, business section. Anything else I can get through during my commute is an added bonus.
But tonight, on my way home, I am looking forward to reading a story that I didn’t have time to get to in print, about the . Previously I would have kept the science section, and 9 times out of 10 would have lost it before the day was through, meaning I would never have got around to reading it at all. Now I bookmark the online page on my device and revisit it later in the day. Clearly I’m not the only one who has found this story to be must-read, as at the time of this posting it was number three on the NYT’s “most e-mailed story” ranking.
Since I discovered the mobile NYT I have tried to find other compulsive reads through this medium. Unfortunately, there aren’t many, which surprises me. There definitely aren’t many as easy to navigate and as appealing as the Times’ version. When will others catch on?
Julia,
OK, you have now persuaded me to check out NYT mobile.
But wait a minute. I just bought the Apple iPhone. Will it work? Anybody know?
Your references to The New York Times made me think of a recent interview we did at Ragan.com with David Pogue, the newspaper’s popular technology critic and really popular video star.
Pogue told us that he no longer reads the print version and actually just canceled his subscription.
Canary in the mine?
I don’t know. I do find that I am now reading less of the print NYT than the online version. It’s the curse of being at your computer all day–though I still like my time at the diner with my inky newspaper.
Loved the post. Look forward to more.
Mark Ragan