"Every revolution destroys the old before it brings the benefits of the new." -Clay Shirky.
About three months ago, the city where I live lost both its Borders and Barnes & Noble. They were both located a few blocks from me, right across the street from each other. They both shut down in the same week. This sent me shopping to the one Borders left standing in our area ten miles to the West. Earlier this week, they announced that one was closing, too.
The sad thing is, almost everyone saw the Borders closures coming many years ago. The whole thing has been felt like a large, public accident that's happening in very slow motion. The only thing that's really surprising about it is that it took this long for it to happen.
Things that happen overnight tend to get a lot of publicity, but the rise and fall of most things that matter in our lives are closer to the rack than the guillotine. The whimpers herald things to come, not the bangs.
About three months ago, the city where I live lost both its Borders and Barnes & Noble. They were both located a few blocks from me, right across the street from each other. They both shut down in the same week. This sent me shopping to the one Borders left standing in our area ten miles to the West. Earlier this week, they announced that one was closing, too.
The sad thing is, almost everyone saw the Borders closures coming many years ago. The whole thing has been felt like a large, public accident that's happening in very slow motion. The only thing that's really surprising about it is that it took this long for it to happen.
Things that happen overnight tend to get a lot of publicity, but the rise and fall of most things that matter in our lives are closer to the rack than the guillotine. The whimpers herald things to come, not the bangs.