E-Books Make Readers Less Isolated

[SameOldStory]

Sorry, but NYC has a problem with lamppost kidnappings and drive by's.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Sorry, but NYC has a problem with lamppost kidnappings and drive by's.

Whoops, my bad.

[Ben Thornton]

Originally Posted by corona

Oh I am much worse now with my e-reader. I read while I'm _walking_. And actually, one thing I like about the Kobo is that it's very easy to prop up while I'm eating. That's a terrible confession to make, but unless I've got company, I always read while I eat.

I've been asked about my Kobo a few times. (I'm on the West Coast, after all.)

That was the only time that I remember someone asking about my reader - I was walking along reading, and they said "That's one of those, erm, Things, isn't it?". So, I said "Yes." and carried on walking (and reading).

Here, I typically only talk to lampposts when I'm reading, to apologise for bumping into them. They're usually the strong, silent type - they don't talk back.

[GeoffC]

readers seen in the wild to date . zero ...

i do, however a fair number of people, sitting in cafe/waiting rooms/on transport, young and old reading (and not just magazines/newspapers), mostly paperbacks, rarely hardbacks.

[SameOldStory]

Readers seen in the wild to date 1, a nook. $10 says that she was reading a romance book and not my manly type of book.

As prices drop I think that we'll see more and more. Lets face it, do you want to walk around with a $400 reader? And a lot more people are going to buy one for $100 than what I paid for mine.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Many, many years ago, long before ebook readers became "consumer items" I was reading something on a Pocket PC, and was deeply offended when someone asked me what game I was playing .

Even then nobody looked twice! And PDA's were still rather rare back then, and phones had an 1" screen (more or less...)

Originally Posted by corona

Oh I am much worse now with my e-reader. I read while I'm _walking_. And actually, one thing I like about the Kobo is that it's very easy to prop up while I'm eating. That's a terrible confession to make, but unless I've got company, I always read while I eat.

I've been asked about my Kobo a few times. (I'm on the West Coast, after all.)

I'll also read when I do have company... If you can call my husband company That's one thing I absolutely love about my reader, I can just leave it be while I ignore it for a while and then continue where I had left off, without doing one thing but move my eyes towards it.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I've seen only one reader in the wild.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Mitchi

Uhuh. Yeah...stigma against smart people. I totally buy that (because as far as I know, that's the notion, right? If you read, you're at least somewhat intelligent).

There's something to be said about a person's natural charisma. If they give out the vibe of "I'm reading, leave me alone!" they're less likely to be disturbed because, *gasp* people can catch on to that! Likewise, when people don't mind the conversation, they put off the vibes that they are more approachable.

It's not about if you're holding paper or technology, it's about body language.

Spend more time on MR and your position on that bit of conventional-wisdom might just be altered.

[nachtxeule]

I've only seen the kobo in action and I wasn't impressed at all... when the person was switching pages, it felt like the entire operating system was crashing since it lasted 2 seconds or so...

I've wanted a kindle since it first came out... now that it's $139 I finally preordered one.... but in this boring town called Ottawa, I'm quite certain to be the only one with it... thank god I'm moving to west coast soon...

[Ravensknight]

LET ME ALONE!!! I want to read, thankyou very much...

[badgoodDeb]

Re the word "liseuse" -- of course the biggest hit on google is here at MR. It was coined here. And not all of us like it .... but it is growing on me. As long as I don't have to pronounce it!

A real leather cover (mine is Oberon) can disguise your snazzy electronic gadget so it looks just like an old fashioned book. If you don't want to be disturbed by the gadget-lookie-loos and want to pretend you are reading the old fashioned way.

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

readers seen in the wild to date . zero ...

i do, however a fair number of people, sitting in cafe/waiting rooms/on transport, young and old reading (and not just magazines/newspapers), mostly paperbacks, rarely hardbacks.

I personally tend to prefer paperbacks for travel reading if it has to be a p-book, since they're (usually) lighter thus easier to carry and easier on my wrists, I worry less about damage since it's less of a financial pain to replace them (usually), and don't usually have sharp corners jabbing me through the bag.

[JLeighs]

Originally Posted by HarryT

How very "un-British" . Talking to strangers is something that people just don't do here. I've never been asked about my book readers by strangers, although I do find that when I go away on holiday (cruises, etc) other people do take an interest in what it is.

This is one of the reasons my father loves the British culture so much (he travels there at least once every 2 years, and has been doing so for over 30 years). He loves the Brit's dignified, natural reserve, and their dry wit.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Reading on PDAs and smartphones has pretty much guaranteed that I would never be asked about what I was reading.

[thrawn_aj]

Originally Posted by Mickey330

I guess I don't understand the "pity" part about reading a book [in public]. I truly does not compute to me.

Should I be worried that people may start an intervention for me - just so that others won't pity me 'cause I'm reading a book in, gasp, public?

Marilyn

Well, I've noticed that in the US, being alone in public is generally looked at askance . If you're reading (alone) in public, that's strike two. If you happen to be reading alone, in public and at a restaurant, that's sacrilege of the first order and you better get ready to be burned at the stake . (I laugh now, but that attitude usually makes me retch - as if it's just so sad if you're not skipping along gaily hand in hand with a partner or amidst a gaggle of chirping friends). Alone != lonely, but that's exactly the tautology I've seen subscribed to in this context.

*Sigh* Anyway, I think that's the attitude the writer of the article seems to have internalized and why he wrote the pity thing you brought up. Disgusting isn't it?