Quote:
Originally Posted by Panurge
I don't think a representation of the print copy in its visual layout is necessary, just an exact transcription of the content.
|
Panurge,
While I agree with the above statement when applied for research purposes. I feel that a decent representation of the source layout can add to the enjoyment when reading for pleasure. The attached image from Alice In Wonderland is one example where the layout of the text adds something to the book. I think if you start out with a solid facsimile of the original it's pretty easy to convert that to plain text or any other format for research purposes.
Of course, I agree with you that laying this out can be done pretty easily for a web page but as soon as you try to convert it for different devices like the sony reader it's pretty much a lost cause.
Ultimately I would love it if you could start with a master document that is a facsimile of the original print version for viewing online and then export it for individual devices and have the server 'automatically' remove any markup that is not supported for that device.
Just my 2 cents.
Rob
