Why keep digital books? - Page 3

slayda · 11-29-2006, 10:58 AM

Also Big Brother will know what you're reading.

rlauzon · 11-29-2006, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

If we're going to be paranoid, let's imagine a virus written especially to target the contents of specific eBooks, to change their contents.

Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean that everyone's not out to get you.

johnnaryry · 12-05-2006, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlauzon

The fear that the book you read tomorrow will be different than the book you read today is a very real fear. With pBooks, the probability of that happening is low. But with eBooks, it becomes very easy to do such a thing.

pBooks can just be made to 'disappear' instead. Ever hear of a book called "Sisters " by Lynne Cheney?

--ryan

Phebe · 12-15-2006, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odklizec

I just moved to another house and the weight of crates with all my printed books almost killed me! I still feel them in my back!

I had carpal tunnel syndrome for a year or more after carrying the book boxes to the house I'm in now. Book boxes are so easy to overload.

Yep, now that material goods are so CHEAP relatively, it's time for a platform shift.

I would like to be able to do marginalia. And highlighting. But otherwise, it's great: 32 books, no weight to speak of.

Phebe · 12-15-2006, 02:46 PM

why people kept books?

She mentioned several reasons, but two stuck out with me:

1. We like to display our knowledge to others.
2. We're enamored of the look of books -- the different colors, the sizes, etc.

I don't think people are impressed with stuffed bookcases ------ that is, maybe some are, but I'm not sure it's ever mattered to me. Either people are bookish or they aren't, you know?

One reason to keep books is homage: I have an entire Stephen King collection, I think it's everything. Also Dick Francis (it's really good writing, IMO).

Another is you can't get some books so easily anymore, certainly not on e-books: certain translations of Dante, certain poetry collections, etc. WHICH translations one has is very important: the Illiad, for instance (try Lattimore).

As for keeping books because one shouldn't dispose of them ----------- it's no longer an issue of cost OR rarity for many commonly available books. So I'm thinking, the rule for life regarding "stuff" is "Into, Thru, and Out." Things are so cheap now! So plentiful. So I do throw out or send off to other places books popular fiction that isn't very good or I won't read again. Digital is essentially no storage, at least if the computer or Reader doesn't crash.

I think the Depression mentality is still haunting us, and I'm fighting it with digital books. Into, Thru, and Out. At least for common, generally available books.

tcv · 12-15-2006, 07:35 PM

Hey Phebe,

I oftentimes read a book and immediately toss it into the trash thereafter.

How does that strike you? Foolish? Okay?

yvanleterrible · 12-16-2006, 09:45 AM

Recycle! TCV. Bad boy! Try to look out for organizations that cater to illiterate people. They need the books. When I can't find a friend who'll adopt my old books, that's where they go.

Phebe · 12-21-2006, 02:54 PM

I oftentimes read a book and immediately toss it into the trash thereafter.

How does that strike you? Foolish? Okay?

Okay................it's your books.

We have TOO MUCH STUFF in this country: all the cheap oriental manufacturies.

Okay, it's still hard for me to toss books (unless they are bad, and then out they go). So I give them to my husband to take to a "trading shelf" they maintain at his work. And I have boxes of paperbacks on the porch ------ will your example inspire me to chuck them? Maybe.

Anyway, it's partly hard because we're all brainwashed by those old black-and-white photos of Germans tossing Jewish books on the bonfire. Aaaaaaacccccckkk!!!

So I'm moving laterally ------ I'm getting dozens and hundreds more books, but they are just pixels; they are non-material.

That'll work!!

tcv · 12-22-2006, 10:27 AM

Heh. Although I do sometimes actually _toss_ books, I was asking it as an extreme example. And Phebe answered in the way I thought: it's hard to toss them! And why? Well, there are a lot of reasons.

And, yes, digital books don't need to be tossed. There's no reason to do so.

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11-29-2006, 10:58 AM	#31
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	Also Big Brother will know what you're reading.

12-15-2006, 02:46 PM	#35
Phebe Connoisseur Posts: 85 Karma: 124 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: Sony PRS 500 and Kindle 2 and iPad and iPhone	why people kept books? She mentioned several reasons, but two stuck out with me: 1. We like to display our knowledge to others. 2. We're enamored of the look of books -- the different colors, the sizes, etc. I don't think people are impressed with stuffed bookcases ------ that is, maybe some are, but I'm not sure it's ever mattered to me. Either people are bookish or they aren't, you know? One reason to keep books is homage: I have an entire Stephen King collection, I think it's everything. Also Dick Francis (it's really good writing, IMO). Another is you can't get some books so easily anymore, certainly not on e-books: certain translations of Dante, certain poetry collections, etc. WHICH translations one has is very important: the Illiad, for instance (try Lattimore). As for keeping books because one shouldn't dispose of them ----------- it's no longer an issue of cost OR rarity for many commonly available books. So I'm thinking, the rule for life regarding "stuff" is "Into, Thru, and Out." Things are so cheap now! So plentiful. So I do throw out or send off to other places books popular fiction that isn't very good or I won't read again. Digital is essentially no storage, at least if the computer or Reader doesn't crash. I think the Depression mentality is still haunting us, and I'm fighting it with digital books. Into, Thru, and Out. At least for common, generally available books.

12-15-2006, 07:35 PM	#36
tcv Addict Posts: 330 Karma: 596 Join Date: Oct 2006	Hey Phebe, I oftentimes read a book and immediately toss it into the trash thereafter. How does that strike you? Foolish? Okay?

12-16-2006, 09:45 AM	#37
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	Recycle! TCV. Bad boy! Try to look out for organizations that cater to illiterate people. They need the books. When I can't find a friend who'll adopt my old books, that's where they go.

12-21-2006, 02:54 PM	#38
Phebe Connoisseur Posts: 85 Karma: 124 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: Sony PRS 500 and Kindle 2 and iPad and iPhone	I oftentimes read a book and immediately toss it into the trash thereafter. How does that strike you? Foolish? Okay? Okay................it's your books. We have TOO MUCH STUFF in this country: all the cheap oriental manufacturies. Okay, it's still hard for me to toss books (unless they are bad, and then out they go). So I give them to my husband to take to a "trading shelf" they maintain at his work. And I have boxes of paperbacks on the porch ------ will your example inspire me to chuck them? Maybe. Anyway, it's partly hard because we're all brainwashed by those old black-and-white photos of Germans tossing Jewish books on the bonfire. Aaaaaaacccccckkk!!! So I'm moving laterally ------ I'm getting dozens and hundreds more books, but they are just pixels; they are non-material. That'll work!!

12-22-2006, 10:27 AM	#39
tcv Addict Posts: 330 Karma: 596 Join Date: Oct 2006	Heh. Although I do sometimes actually _toss_ books, I was asking it as an extreme example. And Phebe answered in the way I thought: it's hard to toss them! And why? Well, there are a lot of reasons. And, yes, digital books don't need to be tossed. There's no reason to do so.

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