For most people, publishing seems like a very straight forward term, yet when one delves into an explanation, it proves seemingly not as simple as anticipated. The concept of 'publishing' can perhaps best be described as, "the process of production and dissemination of literature or information — the activity of making information available to the general public.” (Wikipedia)
The advancement of technology has allowed for some huge changes to the ways in which information is published and accessible. One of these changes can be particularly seen through the development of the e-reader. Judging from the movement from one year having a hard-copy 200 page plus paper reader to the next year where we are asked to read 20 readings online and abolish any form of tangible textbook or reader, one can already see both the effects of technology on the life of a student and as a result the prominence of technology in particular the e-reader.
Currently there are approximately 100 varieties of e-readers available on the market and considering their novelty only a year ago it seems that in the short space of 12 months they have quickly become an acceptable household item.
The reception of the idea of an e-reader has not been so widely embraced as I feel most people like to keep the notion of a book something tangible and able to be flicked through at leisure and not left to the pressing of buttons to simulate a new page of words on a screen.
The rate at which the world is changing and adapting to new technologies never ceases to amaze me, however one thing I know I am pretty adamant about keeping in tact is the beauty and tradition of owning and reading a book with one part ink and the other part paper sourced from trees beautifully bound at the spine.
Some of the problems associated with transformation of books into a digital format can be seen through the issues faced by Kindle users who raised the question of ownership given that, at the end of the day they may have purchased the e-book however Kindle still have the power to erase the book in the face of copyright breaches. John Naughton (2009) highlights some of the issues facing the e-transformation of information. "Technology enables content owners to assert a level of control over the reader that would be deemed unconscionable - and unacceptable - in the world of print." Although e-readers can allow the user to travel with the possession of over 100 books, they cannot allow the user to have tangible rights to the literature and in turn the user is unable to lend, read and hold the text as they would if it were in its traditional form. This lack of possession thus potentially leads towards an "arteriosclerotic narrowing of freedoms" (Naughton 2009).
I feel that although it is inevitable with the decline in book sales and closure of book stores such as Borders that the e-reader will saturate the market, it will always be important for people to have something that will remind them of past experiences they shared with a tangible book. In saying this I am directly referring to book sensations that have occurred over the past few decades the biggest being Harry Potter. The experience in itself of awaiting eagerly the release date and then rushing to the book store to collect your pre-paid hard copy of Rowling's most recent release was phenomenal and one I don't think exists through the relationship of a reader and their e-reader device.
Rowling herself mentioned that the e-reader is perhaps a generational thing, however I would have to disagree with her there, being in a younger generation and after speaking to a wide group of friends, one of which has just finished a 600 page paper-back thriller, they all said the same thing. That no matter what, they will always buy and borrow paper books ahead of any technological device. And what can I say? I wholeheartedly agree.
‘Publishing’, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing>
Naughton, John (2009) ‘The original Big Brother is watching you on Amazon Kindle’ The Guardian, July 26, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/26/amazon-kindle-book-deletions>
Lacy, Sarah (2012) ‘Confessions of a Publisher: “We’re in Amazon’s Sights and They’re Going to Kill Us”’, pandodaily, January 26, <http://pandodaily.com/2012/01/17/confessions-of-a-publisher-were-in-amazons-sights-and-theyre-going-to-kill-us/>
The advancement of technology has allowed for some huge changes to the ways in which information is published and accessible. One of these changes can be particularly seen through the development of the e-reader. Judging from the movement from one year having a hard-copy 200 page plus paper reader to the next year where we are asked to read 20 readings online and abolish any form of tangible textbook or reader, one can already see both the effects of technology on the life of a student and as a result the prominence of technology in particular the e-reader.
Currently there are approximately 100 varieties of e-readers available on the market and considering their novelty only a year ago it seems that in the short space of 12 months they have quickly become an acceptable household item.
The reception of the idea of an e-reader has not been so widely embraced as I feel most people like to keep the notion of a book something tangible and able to be flicked through at leisure and not left to the pressing of buttons to simulate a new page of words on a screen.
The rate at which the world is changing and adapting to new technologies never ceases to amaze me, however one thing I know I am pretty adamant about keeping in tact is the beauty and tradition of owning and reading a book with one part ink and the other part paper sourced from trees beautifully bound at the spine.
Some of the problems associated with transformation of books into a digital format can be seen through the issues faced by Kindle users who raised the question of ownership given that, at the end of the day they may have purchased the e-book however Kindle still have the power to erase the book in the face of copyright breaches. John Naughton (2009) highlights some of the issues facing the e-transformation of information. "Technology enables content owners to assert a level of control over the reader that would be deemed unconscionable - and unacceptable - in the world of print." Although e-readers can allow the user to travel with the possession of over 100 books, they cannot allow the user to have tangible rights to the literature and in turn the user is unable to lend, read and hold the text as they would if it were in its traditional form. This lack of possession thus potentially leads towards an "arteriosclerotic narrowing of freedoms" (Naughton 2009).
I feel that although it is inevitable with the decline in book sales and closure of book stores such as Borders that the e-reader will saturate the market, it will always be important for people to have something that will remind them of past experiences they shared with a tangible book. In saying this I am directly referring to book sensations that have occurred over the past few decades the biggest being Harry Potter. The experience in itself of awaiting eagerly the release date and then rushing to the book store to collect your pre-paid hard copy of Rowling's most recent release was phenomenal and one I don't think exists through the relationship of a reader and their e-reader device.
Rowling herself mentioned that the e-reader is perhaps a generational thing, however I would have to disagree with her there, being in a younger generation and after speaking to a wide group of friends, one of which has just finished a 600 page paper-back thriller, they all said the same thing. That no matter what, they will always buy and borrow paper books ahead of any technological device. And what can I say? I wholeheartedly agree.
‘Publishing’, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing>
Naughton, John (2009) ‘The original Big Brother is watching you on Amazon Kindle’ The Guardian, July 26, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/26/amazon-kindle-book-deletions>
Lacy, Sarah (2012) ‘Confessions of a Publisher: “We’re in Amazon’s Sights and They’re Going to Kill Us”’, pandodaily, January 26, <http://pandodaily.com/2012/01/17/confessions-of-a-publisher-were-in-amazons-sights-and-theyre-going-to-kill-us/>
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