Why this topic? Why now?

You don't have to be an industry insider to see that media habits are changing. Digital technologies — from Tivo to the iPod to always-on Internet connections — are causing sea changes in the way we use media. We're consuming more media than ever (and often at the same time); we're creating more media ourselves; and we're doing all of this on our own terms: when, where and how we want. We read the The New York Times online, along with our friends' blogs; we download episodes of NPR shows, along with our collleague's podcasts. We take pictures on our cell phones and post them to Flickr. We watch NetFlix movies on our laptop during cross-country flights, and listen to David Sedaris books on tape driving to work. We Tivo American Idol, and devour entire seasons of Arrested Development on DVD (or is that just me?).

This isn't a new story of course. Those of us in the Wired world have been talking about it for years, but it's now playing out in real time. A new blog is created every second. In March, iTunes downloaded its billionth song and Wikipedia added its millionth entry. You can Tivo straight to your video iPod. And in the face of dismal box office sales, the LA Times declared that Hollywood was "losing a race with the zeitgeist."    

This matters not only to technologists and publishers, but also to people in general. As media habits change, so do we. And these days, the changes come fast and furious. And so, this blog. To help us keep track.