Quote:
Originally Posted by jswinden
Why have all these wonderful text formatting options in an eReader if we cannot use them at will?
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Because (when done properly) formatting conveys meaning. A different formatting conveys a different meaning. Ereaders need to have a rich set of formatting options available so that the designers of a book are able to select the formatting best suited to express the meaning of the different elements. Altering it according to the whimsy of the reader makes no sense at all.
Quote:
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every book should take on the appearance desired by the the person who is reading the book (reader, not eReader device). As such, the appearance would be unique for each person. No two of us are alike, so don't try to force the author's styles on us unless the style is necessary to convey the meaning of the text.
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It's been
shown that the interpretation of words is enhanced by using a typeface whose personality is congruent with the emotional tone of the text. The proper choice of a font is not just a matter of aesthetics, it's a critical element in the preparation of text for publication.
I fail to see the point of giving readers who have little or no experience in design a set of false choices and asking them to play typographer. This is the job of the publishers and the book's designers.
There are only two reasons to give readers extensive control of book formatting:
1) For those cases where the designers have
not done their job properly and produced a book which is poorly designed. This is, unfortunately, all too common, but the situation is slowly improving. The best solution is to alter the code of the epub itself, but this can be time-consuming.
2) To allow modification in order to accommodate those with reduced visual acuity.
[Edit]
http://files.ch9.ms/mix/2011/wmv/EXT02.wmv is worth watching and gives a decent introduction to the issues of font choice for those who are unfamiliar with these concepts.