Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Kevin Kelly: Of Blogs, Global Info Access, And Survival Of The Science Journalist

Touring the Webscape with Cyberguide Kevin Kelly

Catch a glimpse of how our infocentric future looks to Kevin Kelly, co-founder, and now "Senior Maverick," of WIRED. Kelly is a futurist, cyber-authority, and author of the provocative 1994 book Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World ("A millennial paradigm-buster" according to the Washington Post's Joel Garreau). His current absorption: what technology wants. Kelly views technology as having its own inherent biases and tendencies, and he is leaning in close to "hear what technology has to say to us."

We are invited to listen in on what he's hearing, and he has agreed to direct some of his after-dinner talk to the perils and opportunities the digital webscape poses to writers who still want to be paid for their work. Kelly (www.kk.org) has traveled many miles in many guises, from his longtime, ongoing collaboration with Co-Evolution Quarterly's Stewart Brand, to trekking through most of Asia, writing seven books, and finding that Out of Control was deemed required reading for all actors before they could open their scripts of The Matrix.

Kelly's long article, "Scan this Book!" in the May 14 New York Times magazine lays out his enthusiasm, along with some copyright conundrums, in our digital future when absolutely everything ever written, recorded or broadcast, in every language, will be available on the Internet. The piece triggered a potent response, just out, from Robert McHenry, former editor- in- chief of Encyclopedia Britannica, who challenged the value, or devaluation, of endless, global linking of texts.

And just a week after the May 14 article, John Updike shared with attendees of BookExpoAmerica a critical assessment of Kelly's notion that authors who no longer got paid for copies of their work could profit from it by selling "performances" or "access to the creator." Washington Post reporter Bob Thompson reports that Updike took pains to point out that "unlike the commingled, unedited, frequently inaccurate mass of 'information' on the web, 'books traditionally have edges.'" And let us not lose sight of the irony that we hereby link to the Updike comments.

Can't help but be a lively mid-July evening on the Peninsula. Below are the particulars.

WHEN: 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 18

WHERE: Kingfish Restaurant, 2nd and B Street, San Mateo (650)343-1226

Kingfish serves terrific Cajun food in a great atmosphere, and is easy to reach from Highway 101. We'll have a private room with a stage, full bar, appetizers passed by servers and a buffet dinner. Details on menu, directions and parking to come.

SCHEDULE:

• 6:00 - 7:00 Happy Hour (no host bar)
• 7:00 - 8:00 Dinner
• 8:00 - 9:00 Speaker

COST: $30.00 per person

Please make out a check to NCSWA and mail it by Friday, July 7 to:

Suzanne Bohan
P.O. Box 671
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Carpooling: For those interested in carpooling to the dinner, Karen Street again will play transportation matchmaker, matching up those of you wanting a ride with those who are driving. Contact her at karen_street@sbcglobal.net. She will mail out information as she receives it. Many thanks to all those who have offered rides in the past, enabling people to attend.