by metatron 13 Replies latest jw friends
http://gawker.com/new-york-magazine-begins-to-give-up-on-print-1474820408
Little by little....... print media is dying. I understand the head of BuzzFeed asserted that 'there are no new newspaper subscribers being born', statistically speaking.
metatron
When an ereader lets you carry round 4,000 books, get them delivered instantly and is lighter than a paperback it's hard to compete.
Part of me is sad, like listening to vinyl records reading a book was an experience that the next generation will not enjoy in the same way and of course second hand books will be killed.
But would I swap the Kindle Paperwhite for a stack of shelves with dust covered books? Heck no ...
Like Simon said, it's hard to compete with a gizmo that can hold a whole library in the palm of your hand. But when I look at my "stack of shelves with dust covered books" I can't help but feel a little nostalgic.
CyrusThePersian
i'm not so sure the paper book is dead - there is something tactile about holding it and thumbing through it - how exactly do you flip backwards through an e-book to see if you want to buy it? now do that 20 times and tell me you don't need a bookshop....where is the serendipity in searching for a book title you already know about...? (and yes I get all the reasons why ebooks are great)
we have a few hundred 'real' cookbooks and love to use them - who wants to make a lazy weekend dinner for the family using an iPad? I want to feel the book, see the greasy spots from the last time I made that recipe, perch the book up in its stand - its the whole experience of using MY book that I love.
news media in print = slow death - I get that - even quality papers like The Daily Telegraph need online stores, advertisers, cross-sponsorship deals with supermarkets etc etc to survive - if you want quality journalism then you make a commitment to paying for it on a personal level I guess
there are new startups with new models in the journalism space - but I don't see anybody opening a print newspaper anytime soon...
What Crofty said. I can find the recipe I want in an instant just looking for the stains on the page. I will thumb trhough a book at the library to see if I want to check it out. I find books I want to read by wondering around a bookstore and looking at...books. As a writer I've been watching the market for a long time. I've been seeing articles about the death of the publishing industry on a regular basis for years (also news about the immenint arrival of the paperless office are starting to sound like the WTBS predicting the Big A). The industry is changing for sure, it isn't dead yet.
But would I swap the Kindle Paperwhite for a stack of shelves with dust covered books?
&^%* YES!
Being a long time book collector(mostly historical) I see the art is not dying. I went to the last Tampa book fair ( March 2013) , and the place was packed. I love the feel of the books, new or old, in my hand. I think my avatar gives me away. LOL
I embrace new technology, but also hold on to the old. I enjoy a good book, able to put it down on the beach or the train and not worry about it. I enjoy passing books on to others. I will hold out for awhile yet. In the end, print will die.
Thanks JeffT - crofty besty schmesty...its only a thread about reading ;-) lol
If anything, it will make rare and collector books even more valuable and collectible.
Besty, my apologies. It's what I get for trying to post something while getting ready to get out of the house for an appointment. If I ever get published I'll autograph a book for you.
