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montsnmags · 07-08-2010, 01:08 AM

I disagree with some further things she says (there seems assumptions based on her subjective experience that are being conflated into generalities), but I think when she says, "If you are not a book-smeller, we have nothing further to discuss", she is simply saying that for those that do, there is elaboration on the experience, but for those that don't no explanation will satisfy.

That is to say, "I like caramel". If you don't...cool, there's no point in discussing with you my love of caramel then.

Incidentally, I still love paper books. I always will. I don't confuse the memory of reading with the smell - I embrace it. I realise that like a lot of smells, it probably comes from chemical breakdown...rotting, if you will, but still don't care about why, but only how, I sense it. Being a RAAF-brat (Royal Australian Air Force), and then continuing that theme of moving, I've moved a lot of books a lot of places...my ebook device is not a substitute for having to cart those physical objects everywhere (it would be amusing if so, seeing as I am likely at my final destination).

It is romantic...subjective...irrational...the magnificent (to me) self-delusion of imaginary experience, to have this emotional attachment to physical objects. But, to me, it is no better nor worse (because of that subjectivity) than attachment to the imaginary experience of the content...the story. I like it, and I don't condemn the person who smells books, or doesn't, or who likes hard copy, or who doesn't, any more than I'd condemn someone because they don't like caramel.

I don't really understand why (other than the publicity of controversy) the "book-smellers" (anti-ebookers) sometimes write their condemnations of the electronic book. I must admit, I don't understand why (other than understandable defensiveness) people respond with condemnation of "book-smelling" (pbook-buyers).

Do what you enjoy. It's all, to me (be it pbooks, ebooks, software, bookshelving, hyperlinked data, physical bookmarks, et cetera), a brilliant obsession, whether I partake of your particular variety of desire or not.

Cheers,
Marc (who in very simplistic terms loves ebooks for hypertext, and pbooks for comfort, but conditions apply

)

07-08-2010, 01:08 AM	#69
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	I disagree with some further things she says (there seems assumptions based on her subjective experience that are being conflated into generalities), but I think when she says, "If you are not a book-smeller, we have nothing further to discuss", she is simply saying that for those that do, there is elaboration on the experience, but for those that don't no explanation will satisfy. That is to say, "I like caramel". If you don't...cool, there's no point in discussing with you my love of caramel then. Incidentally, I still love paper books. I always will. I don't confuse the memory of reading with the smell - I embrace it. I realise that like a lot of smells, it probably comes from chemical breakdown...rotting, if you will, but still don't care about why, but only how, I sense it. Being a RAAF-brat (Royal Australian Air Force), and then continuing that theme of moving, I've moved a lot of books a lot of places...my ebook device is not a substitute for having to cart those physical objects everywhere (it would be amusing if so, seeing as I am likely at my final destination). It is romantic...subjective...irrational...the magnificent (to me) self-delusion of imaginary experience, to have this emotional attachment to physical objects. But, to me, it is no better nor worse (because of that subjectivity) than attachment to the imaginary experience of the content...the story. I like it, and I don't condemn the person who smells books, or doesn't, or who likes hard copy, or who doesn't, any more than I'd condemn someone because they don't like caramel. I don't really understand why (other than the publicity of controversy) the "book-smellers" (anti-ebookers) sometimes write their condemnations of the electronic book. I must admit, I don't understand why (other than understandable defensiveness) people respond with condemnation of "book-smelling" (pbook-buyers). Do what you enjoy. It's all, to me (be it pbooks, ebooks, software, bookshelving, hyperlinked data, physical bookmarks, et cetera), a brilliant obsession, whether I partake of your particular variety of desire or not. Cheers, Marc (who in very simplistic terms loves ebooks for hypertext, and pbooks for comfort, but conditions apply )