Comments on: ‘The sound and the fury of e-book naysayers’ http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:55:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/comment-page-1/#comment-831901 David Rothman Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:34:14 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/04/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/#comment-831901 Many thanks for taking time to reply, Stephen. I totally agree with you on the distinction between Kindle-style devices and desktops when it comes to reading entire books. The other Stephen apparently missed some important nuances that I'd have expected him to catch. So it's really great of you to write in. Yes, my strong preference is for quoting and linking to source content in situations like this. Alas, your article wasn't and isn't available on the open Net---just behind a pay wall, ALA does not provide bargain subscription prices for nonmembers, and deadlines prevented me from tracking it down, which I wanted to do for a follow-up. Now here's an idea. See if ALA will grant you the right to let us reproduce the full article here so people can read it without any filters. Thanks, David Addendum, 6:52: If nothing else, can ALA kindly put your article on the open Net---especially given the topic? Ask 'em and let us know what they say. Many thanks for taking time to reply, Stephen. I totally agree with you on the distinction between Kindle-style devices and desktops when it comes to reading entire books. The other Stephen apparently missed some important nuances that I’d have expected him to catch. So it’s really great of you to write in.

Yes, my strong preference is for quoting and linking to source content in situations like this. Alas, your article wasn’t and isn’t available on the open Net—just behind a pay wall, ALA does not provide bargain subscription prices for nonmembers, and deadlines prevented me from tracking it down, which I wanted to do for a follow-up.

Now here’s an idea. See if ALA will grant you the right to let us reproduce the full article here so people can read it without any filters.

Thanks,
David

Addendum, 6:52: If nothing else, can ALA kindly put your article on the open Net—especially given the topic? Ask ‘em and let us know what they say.

]]> By: Stephen Sottong http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/comment-page-1/#comment-831697 Stephen Sottong Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:13:08 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/04/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/#comment-831697 You perhaps scanned my article and missed several important points just as Mr. Leary did. I did not say that people will not read books on hand-held devices - they will. I read on a PDA. Where they won't read is on computers with fixed monitors. The article pointed out the physical differences between reading on those different devices. I fully agree with you (and so stated in the article) that what is needed is standards to facilitate adoption of devices. The current ones are not really usable for lending libraries; although, as Ms. Fetherston points out, they may have practical applications for a select audience. I assure you I have done my research and have been doing it for 12 years. You perhaps scanned my article and missed several important points just as Mr. Leary did. I did not say that people will not read books on hand-held devices – they will. I read on a PDA. Where they won’t read is on computers with fixed monitors. The article pointed out the physical differences between reading on those different devices. I fully agree with you (and so stated in the article) that what is needed is standards to facilitate adoption of devices. The current ones are not really usable for lending libraries; although, as Ms. Fetherston points out, they may have practical applications for a select audience. I assure you I have done my research and have been doing it for 12 years.

]]> By: Todd Jonz http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/comment-page-1/#comment-784749 Todd Jonz Sun, 04 May 2008 12:25:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/04/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/#comment-784749 These new-fangled motorcars are noisy, dirty, and foul-smelling contraptions, not to mention that they frighten the livestock. It certainly goes without saying that people will never take to them as a viable alternative to the time-tested horse and buggy. These new-fangled motorcars are noisy, dirty, and foul-smelling contraptions, not to mention that they frighten the livestock. It certainly goes without saying that people will never take to them as a viable alternative to the time-tested horse and buggy.

]]> By: Brian Darvell http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/comment-page-1/#comment-784575 Brian Darvell Sun, 04 May 2008 09:33:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/04/the-sound-and-the-fury-of-e-book-naysayers/#comment-784575 The first thing which comes to mind on this sort of thing is that the author is perhaps completely ignorant of the real online push for ebooks. He hasn't really done his research and noticed that many of the 'younger' generation are so well adapted to digital technology that the possibilities held in eink and ebooks is terrific. It seems to me just another example of the older generation having difficulty trying to keep up in the digital age - something which ebooks has really been hurt by in my mind. The first thing which comes to mind on this sort of thing is that the author is perhaps completely ignorant of the real online push for ebooks. He hasn’t really done his research and noticed that many of the ‘younger’ generation are so well adapted to digital technology that the possibilities held in eink and ebooks is terrific.

It seems to me just another example of the older generation having difficulty trying to keep up in the digital age – something which ebooks has really been hurt by in my mind.

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