Comments on: Shelflife: The Future of Books http://roychristopher.com/shelflife-the-future-of-books Media Theorist, Music Geek, Aging Skateboard/BMX Kid. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:34:24 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: brian tunney http://roychristopher.com/shelflife-the-future-of-books/comment-page-1#comment-5444 brian tunney Wed, 21 May 2008 04:21:08 +0000 http://roychristopher.com/?p=717#comment-5444 I know this is a personal prejudice (which doesn't apply to this Web site or many others that I frequent), but I still give more value to the printed word than the digital word. I've probably been on the New Yorker's Web site five times in the past ten years, but a week rarely goes by where I don't read New Yorker magazine from cover to cover in that same ten years. That being said, I would totally subscribe to a Roy Christopher weekly magazine... There's also the portability aspect to be explored, which can start at the base line, with bathroom reading, continue on into public transportation (buses, subways, planes), and end at the park bench on a nice summer day. There are still places where books and magazines function better than a file. And finally, I've never known anyone to get mugged for a book, whereas laptops are a different story. I know this is a personal prejudice (which doesn’t apply to this Web site or many others that I frequent), but I still give more value to the printed word than the digital word. I’ve probably been on the New Yorker’s Web site five times in the past ten years, but a week rarely goes by where I don’t read New Yorker magazine from cover to cover in that same ten years. That being said, I would totally subscribe to a Roy Christopher weekly magazine…

There’s also the portability aspect to be explored, which can start at the base line, with bathroom reading, continue on into public transportation (buses, subways, planes), and end at the park bench on a nice summer day. There are still places where books and magazines function better than a file.

And finally, I’ve never known anyone to get mugged for a book, whereas laptops are a different story.

]]> By: Roy Christopher http://roychristopher.com/shelflife-the-future-of-books/comment-page-1#comment-5416 Roy Christopher Sat, 17 May 2008 03:28:25 +0000 http://roychristopher.com/?p=717#comment-5416 I feel you regarding reading on the screen. We always tried to keep the interviews on <i>frontwheeldrive.com</i> as short as possible for that very reason -- the same goes for my posts here. As much as I like to consider myself a progressive media type, nothing digital beats the printed page when it comes to reading. I feel you regarding reading on the screen. We always tried to keep the interviews on frontwheeldrive.com as short as possible for that very reason — the same goes for my posts here. As much as I like to consider myself a progressive media type, nothing digital beats the printed page when it comes to reading.

]]> By: Gyrus http://roychristopher.com/shelflife-the-future-of-books/comment-page-1#comment-5411 Gyrus Thu, 15 May 2008 17:08:49 +0000 http://roychristopher.com/?p=717#comment-5411 To me, the analog vs. digital contrast is much sharper with words as opposed to music. Maybe I'm not as sensitisized to audio, but while I appreciate the qualitative differences there, it seems to be another order of shifting in jumping from print to the web. There's a similar shift in the creator losing "control" over presenting whole experiences, content being fragmented by user-driven technologies. But I still get blown away by music that's wholly digital; whereas reading stuff online is almost never anything more than interesting-for-a-few-minutes or a prelude to discovering a great book. I prefer to see print vs. web as complimentary, though market/cultural forces will no doubt leave web dominating print. Maybe the opposition will break down with more advanced digital paper? The fragmentation of attention will continue, though. To me, the analog vs. digital contrast is much sharper with words as opposed to music. Maybe I’m not as sensitisized to audio, but while I appreciate the qualitative differences there, it seems to be another order of shifting in jumping from print to the web. There’s a similar shift in the creator losing “control” over presenting whole experiences, content being fragmented by user-driven technologies. But I still get blown away by music that’s wholly digital; whereas reading stuff online is almost never anything more than interesting-for-a-few-minutes or a prelude to discovering a great book.

I prefer to see print vs. web as complimentary, though market/cultural forces will no doubt leave web dominating print. Maybe the opposition will break down with more advanced digital paper? The fragmentation of attention will continue, though.

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