I don’t own an e-reader, so anything
literary, even if it’s available free in plain text (through Project Gutenberg,
for example) is an uninspiring and flat online reading experience. It
definitely needs to be mediated through an e-reading device to be an acceptable
reading experience. Twenty 20 pages is about my limit for both non-literary and
academic things I read online. I do read many journal and newspaper articles, and blogs
online, but those are generally much shorter and are consumed with a particular intent. My reading practices have evolved
for several reasons: the lack of stable ink on page that is easier on the eyes,
the active desire to use the traditional technology of the codex book and not
worry about battery power or connectivity or mediation of any kind, and the in
depth nature of what I need to do. Anything that requires deeper concentration
I prefer to read from a print source. And I cannot understate the
fact that the book in its printed form does not need any technological mediation
– other than needing a light source – is a liberating feeling. I can spill coffee on my book, and it will still work!
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By necessity I use a web browser to read
online. When looking into OverDrive Read (a proprietary but free format used by
libraries, schools and retailers used to lend and distribute e-books, audio
books, videos and periodicals), it seems to be the most flexible of anything
available in terms of device and format. It works with EPUB and PDF formats, and
books can be downloaded and annotated. The big limitation here is that as a
result of publisher limitations, many titles are not available through
OverDrive Read and, once again, you come up against the way e-publishing has
currently evolved and the various elements of protection rights it is trying to
navigate.
Reading John W. Maxwell’s “E-Book Logic”
article was an interesting insight into the belly of the e-publishing industry.
In fact, as Maxwell points out, especially in the case of Amazon – and arguably
for all entities involved – it is not about publishing or the book itself, it’s
about establishing customer loyalty and a business model. Certainly, Apple and
Amazon are still motivated to provide the best e-reading experience, but the
proprietary nature and lack of interoperability I think discourages writers and
alienates some readers.
So I guess there is a political dimension to my decision to read continue to buy books. Apart from generally feeling much more at ease with printed books and documents, especially where intellectual labour is required, I feel I need to support the book publishing industry if I want to see it survive. I also don't want to see companies like Amazon and Apple dictate to the public (and to the publishing companies) what things should look like on the reading landscape.
Happy reading!
Laurel
Happy reading!
Laurel
Hi Laurel! I too don't own any e-reading tool besides a couple of news apps on my phone which I use to check out trending issues and articles and then use web pages to read them at length later on. Just like you, my limit for e-reading on my computer is limited to 5-10 pages - 10 is pushing it far - it's skimming at that point.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that my experience for reading blogs or smaller articles online was enhanced a tiny bit when my Mum introduced me to f.lux a couple of years ago (f.lux is a screen brightness adjustment app that dims and yellows the light on the computer screen according to the time of day).
At first, I thought this would change everything because one of my biggest problems with e-readers is that my eyes are sensitive to light. After a few hours in front of a computer screen, things begin to blur and look funny and I feel mentally drained. Furthermore, I feel like I have to worry about the lighting in the room as well. For example, starring at a computer screen working in a library or room with fluorescent lighting is absolute torture!
I thought your point about reading a book still works if you spill coffee on it is just so hilariously true (and happens all the time)! All of my academic reading is done in print form and I am an annotator. I need to circle, highlight, star, and make my own notes in the margins in order to read critically and ensure a thorough experience with the text. I also find it such a burden to carry a laptop+its case+the charger around with me all day. It's so much easier (and lighter) to carry printed articles and a few writing tools and to engage with the text in a tangible fashion.
Unplugged reading is the most attractive option to me whether it be a book, newspaper, magazine. I came across a 90s Sears shopping catalog and was wowed by the format and honestly felt nostalgic for that style of shopping - how cool!!!!