Around the tech and social media blogs, there’s plenty of talk about what will be the biggest factor in digital evolution. Some say “content is king”, other are saying “context is king”.

The Internet initially provided a way to store, access and move content around. In the last decade, start-ups have been exploring ways to benefit from context.

Here’s how I see it. Communication only happens “in context”. Content is meaningless without context. So, in my mind, most of the discussions are pointless semantics and failures to see the full picture.

The current design of the Internet supports content but context has to be built onto it with social web services, the website layer. I think a major overhaul of the entire Internet system is needed to bring identity and user authentication down to the same level as data storage and transportation. A tough call, I know. It’s difficult enough for companies and organizations to agree on web standards for the network, transport and content levels (DNS, TCP/IP, HTML etc.). The fact that the major social networks can’t or won’t (in general) agree to standards for authentication and sharing that would bring them all together shows that context will be very hard to design into the fundamental levels of the Internet. Admittedly, there is lots of really good integration of social services but it’s ad-hoc at best.

Somehow, context needs to be built into the design of data storage and networks from the very bottom. Such a change would be the biggest tech disruption ever. But without this, the Internet will never be a truly human… thing.

Really liking the wallpapers over at Poolga.

Think about that for just a second: A well-organized, well-funded, well-connected, well-experienced lobbying effort on Capitol Hill was outflanked by an ad-hoc group of rank amateurs, most of whom were operating independent of one another and on their spare time. Regardless where you stand on the issue — and effective copyright protection is an important issue — this is very good news for the future of civic engagement. – David Binetti on TechCrunch

Either .co gTLDs or Go Daddy servers are blocked in China. Or, maybe .co gTLDs use a different port on DNS servers. I have no idea but I need to use VPN to access my .co websites.

Disclaimer: I didn’t jump ship from Go Daddy over the elephant or SOPA and I believe popular reactions against Go Daddy in both cases were ill-founded. Maybe you didn’t buy the backstory on the elephant and SOPA is just a matter of principle. However, they did earn my disrespect on both accounts.

This is part of my Blocked in China series.

Well the news is out. It’s not mind-blowing but it’s very respectable. Apple is selling textbooks through the iBookstore for $US15, books can be created using iBooks Author on Mac, and there is useful integration with the now separate iTunes U app. If you buy the cheapest iPad and all your school or university textbooks in the iBookstore, you will definitely come out in front. Well, unless you buy all your textbooks second hand. But then you have two disadvantages. First, you have to carry them all. Second, they’re at least one year old/out-of-date. You would probably still be paying at least $US20 for them anyway.

Apple’s digital textbook solution is good. I can’t imagine a product of equal quality coming to Android tablets any time soon. The only way it might work is if the textbooks reside in the cloud and you purchase access subscription. Android is too open for a non-piratable offline solution. DRM is critical but only Apple seem to have found the right price-point for their walled-garden content stores.

I’m probably not going to be buying any textbooks for myself and by the time I have children in high school and university it will be a whole other ball game. But, as someone very interested in publishing, information and communication technology, I am well impressed with Apple’s newest products.

Update: Only 8 textbooks on launch is a bit lean.

Update: Matt’s post on TechCrunch is useless hyperbole and he makes few reasonable points behind the tirade. Greg’s post is far more balanced.