postscript to endnote
The FotB discussion on e-Book Obsolescence began over a year ago (9.30.00) during a period of enthusiasm and expectation. Now (12.21.01) the flush is over and the obsolescence and lack of acceptance of a hand held reading device for presentation of books is
apparent. But there was a way that would have worked; all that would have been needed is thresholding across to another reading mode.
Audio books on tape now have some 5% penetration of the publishing market. If the eBook had crossed this threshold to the oral/verbal/aural reading mode there could have been another story to the story. Needed would have been the wireless headset and web based distribution and the on-demand data base of texts synthesized for audio. The conversion would be on the fly and offer itself a menu of options for choice of language and accent.
This way would have worked especially in multi task settings such as commuting. The way not to simulate turning the page is not to turn the page. Even web based access to tape libraries would have worked. (search audio ebooks) (
for example)
ISRKT portal
information structuring and rapid knowledge transfer
(links for)
ReBA to go LiveJournal
Review of Book Art is gathering steam for a New Year launch. The first instigator of discussion is on
legiblity in book art. Here is an example of
LiveJournal format.
dead media and defunct hardware
We all know about Bruce Sterling’s long standing
dead media project, but did you go to the
obsolete computer museum? Then check out an
eBook museum.