I’m a believer

Earlier this week I picked up a copy of The Believer, a new monthly magazine that seems deliberately designed to defy classification. (In an article on Salon.com, the publication is described as “somewhere between Harper’s or the Atlantic Monthly and a limited-circulation literary journal, but with an earnestness that the editors feel is lacking in these cynical times.”)

In any event, The Believer has some compelling and unique content. One of the most original aspects of it, in my view, is a feature called “Idea Share,” which offers “uncopyrighted ideas free for the taking.” The basic concept is that readers seeking inspiration on anything from a subject for a book to an invention can scan ideas other readers have submitted “in the hopes that these worthy projects will find their way to someone with the time and wherewithal to pursue them.”

I was personally inspired by the overall concept of “Idea Share” and decided to help myself to the whole thing rather than one of the ideas it has generated. (I’m hoping the publishers of The Believer, on the off chance that they are telecom industry fans and actually read this, will appreciate the irony of that.) So this is what I propose: that Telephony’s readers use us as a sort of virtual suggestion box to submit ideas on anything from company business plans you believe could be successful, technological innovations you wish someone would come up with, proposed solutions for the industry’s woes--even things you think our publications should do differently. If we get enough ideas (and if they fit The Believer’s stipulation of being “helpful, practical and realizable”) we will publish them, either in future e-newsletters or even in print editions of the magazine, for everyone else to read and, with any luck, pursue.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this job over the past year has been the surprising level of readership response I and other editors on staff have received since we started publishing our e-newsletters. It’s a very satisfying gauge not only of reader interest in what we cover and how we cover it, but also of the passion and commitment so many people feel about their jobs and this industry. Here’s hoping this new idea for interaction helps give everyone else an opportunity to be inspired by that.

The virtual suggestion box is jmeyers@primediabusiness.com.