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Originally Posted by Over
I think Alexie touches an interesting subject: supporting local business. When I go to a bookstore and buy a book, I'm helping my local economy, local people, suporting jobs. With ebooks, that's gone aways. It's like if everyone suddenly decided to import books from a central place, instead of buying locally all over the world.
Someday we won't even have to look at another human face, live, for weeks at a time.
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Obviously small businesses sometimes disappear. But the local bookstores disappear not because of ebooks, but because of chains and online stores. Same happened to grocery stores. But in France, for example, small grocery stores are still doing well. People decide with their pocketbooks what they want, who they support. I am sure some local bookstores will survive long term in special neighborhoods and market niches, but not many. The world is always changing, the friendly horse buggy repairman is gone, too. Human contact is still here and now even works accross continents.