Take a look at this article, titled 'Do Writers Need Paper?'
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/10/books-electronic-publishing/
I'm interested to hear what you think about the article in general, and also to hear your thoughts about this class blog. Do you consider it a learning environment? Is it a clearly defined environment? Has it been useful? What has been gained or lost by conducting these discussions in such a forum? Do you think we could abandon class altogether, and meet only in this virtual space? When you offer your comments, do you feel freer than when you are in class, or more confined? Why/how?
I thought the article was very interesting. I myself have been thinking about it as well. Wondering how books have survived for so long already. I remember hearing a couple years back that over 60% of the books in china were actually written on a ebook thing and over 85% were actually read on ebooks. With that being said i think slowly America and other nations tend to be following that model, which is unfortunate. Personally i don't read that much but i have bought a couple books over the last couple years and i don't think i would ever substitute the 20 dollars i spend on a hardback to get a digital copy. When thinking about the blog, i see it more as a network sharing. Kind of like a twitter or facebook, just a way for people to voice opinions/concerns. It has been useful to me but i enjoy reading whatever one else post. I certainly do not think we should meet in a virtual class. I have some growing concern for education in that a lot of it is starting to go towards the internet, fearing that we may be losing much needed social encounters. Personally i think the whole world needs some more social encounters...
ReplyDeleteI don't see a problem with books being digitalized. The one's who seem to have problems with it are the one's who are stuck with the old traditions; like the saying goes, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." The generation growing up with this new development will progress with it; they won't know the difference. I think that the blogs we do are great. Social interaction is nice, but with blogs, the individual doesn't have to hide his opinion because he/she fears rejection or insult or even laughs; it takes away part of the ego. I do believe we could have just as productive a class online as we do in person. The negative side of that only comes into play if a person is concerned about social interaction. If that is something the person needs, it becomes just an individual's problem, but it won't affect the outcome of the content being presented.
ReplyDeleteI found this article interesting because I never really knew that so many books were beginning to become digitalized. I would prefer to read an actual book instead of reading one on a Kindle but I do believe that future generations will end up just reading digitalized books.
ReplyDeleteI believe this blog is a helpful addition to class because it allows everyone to read other people's entries and thoughts. It would be incredibly hard to replace class with a blog because the social interactions of class would be eliminated. I think social interactions are a crucial addition to a learning environment.
Chatfield raises a lot of strong points in this article about the possibilities of change in the future of book publishing. I feel that there is definitely a place for electronic publishing in the future but I think that print publishing will remain prominent for at least the next few decades. I believe that the consumer public of literary products values print publication more so that other consumer populations. For example, the general population of music consumers quickly made the shift from the CD format to the electronic version with programs like Napster and Itunes but even with the development of products like e-books and the kindle, literature has prosperously remained in print. Print offers an authentic, comprehensible experience that the digital world has yet to defeat.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't have any serious feelings against electronic novels. However, I still enjoy taking myself to Borders, picking out a book, and reading it at home. I don't think I would enjoy the process enough of getting a book online and reading it on a screen. It just seems too available. I think the article raises some good books about the money involved in publishing. There are many jobs that will be lost if the entire reading community moves to electronic reading. It also seems to be heading that way if Amazon recorded more electronic novels being sold than paper ones. I think that moving everything to be electronic allows the writer to have more freedom--but it also changes something that has been a certain way for numerous centuries. I feel the the blog also gives us more freedom. There are few guidelines and it allows us to write our thoughts as we feel them. Although the class could probably be changed and based off of this blog, I think that there is something about meeting in person and talking face to face that could never be done over the internet. Not even with web cams.
ReplyDeleteI used to read books all the time when I was younger but now I rarely ever do and I can find all my readings that I need online. I myself don't know how books are still surviving but I guess there are still people who do enjoy reading books over digitalized ones. One thing that I have noticed is that when I do readings online I tend to skip over certain parts and get bored a lot easier than if I am reading a book itself. A book seems more personal to me than the internet does. With the internet the possibilities are endless, but with a book it's just that one book and yourself and you get all the information you need, nothing is left out or could possibly be false. I believe that even though this class could possibly be based off of this blog, there are certain topics that just need to be covered in person. Face to face contact is more effective to getting the facts and opinions straight from other people. Just reading someones writing could possibly be misinterpreted.
ReplyDeleteAs a journalist, I find the transformation from print media to digital somewhat distressing. Print works must be purchased, thus ensuring a profit. Online media sources are basically free and without the need for advertising, can be completely accessible online. I personally prefer and always will prefer the solid, physical property of print books and writings. I find reading on a computer screen to be uncomfortable. That being said, the change is seemingly inevitable so I am trying to do my best to be experienced and ready for this shift when it fully takes place. As far as the blog, I feel it is a useful tool for discussion but I personally find it difficult to remember to post comments until the last day. I feel a good mix of online and face-to-face discussion is the best way to fully experience a class.
ReplyDeleteFor me, Chatfield's article was a testament for the need to maintain the practice of printed works and actual discussion -- I had a difficult time reading the entire thing and just skimmed across it. Printed works have always been much easier for me to grasp or fathom reading in entirety. There is something daunting about reading an entire work online. Additionally, I recently took a class that explored the origins of printed works and the progression of literature and books. In the class, we even examined some of the world's first books and it rekindled my appreciation for the practice of book-making and such. To move to a purely technological world would be heartbreaking. Additionally, I took an online class as well this summer and we were supposed to have discussions, but it failed. Some things are just not as effective through digital means.
ReplyDeleteI really hate ebooks, and it's sad that America is moving toward them more than actual books. There's something about having the actual book and turning the actual pages that makes it a much more real experience. Books and the internet are two separate experiences. The same thing goes for class. The social interaction we would get by having class online is completely different from how it is from doing class in person. I agree with what others have said, that this blog is just an added thing to the class and that we couldn't actually turn it into class. I think part of the reason people speak up in class is because it's awkward if they don't. Having class online would take away that awkwardness and no one would care if they said anything.
ReplyDeleteI also really dislike ebooks. I understand the kindle and how it could make life easier for travelers and people in general but a book is something that is beautiful in a really rare way. Holding it, smelling it, reading it with it in your hand is so different from online. Its kind of the same way that going to a concert isn't the same as watching one on tv and i think it's sad to see that one day books won't exist anymore. The same thing goes for online learning. I like the blog and i think its easier to speak your mind here but it's not the same as learning in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteI personally can't fathom a day when ebooks take over actual books and was surprised to see in the article that Amazon sold more ebooks than hardcover for the first time. I don't like having to read things online. I can't go back as easily to other pages. Also, it's weird to think that people will have their own personal libraries saved on their ipad and not even need to go to the library anymore which would be sad. It's funny that even after four years of being here my classes have slowly used the internet more each year to implement the class. From blogs, to discussions on ICON or not even having a textbook anymore and just having articles posted on ICON. It's nice not to have to buy a book, but then I have to print out each article since I can't retain the information as well when I just read it off of the computer-it seems removed to me. This blog is nice for this class, since there aren't many students and the posts aren't long. But for other classes it is more of a hassle to use blogs or other sites to implement "class" discussions.
ReplyDeleteI three hate ebooks. Granted, I've never used one, but I have enough trouble reading things on a computer, let alone a handheld "reader" that is an even smaller screen. I enjoy the print and it's easier for me to just throw in a bookmark whenever I'm reading something.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how class would change if we met online, instead of in a classroom. I know it'd be easier for a lot of people simply because they could stay at home and eat during class. Workshopping would be a little harder because we wouldn't have a stack of copies to look over, but at the same time it would consume less paper.
I'm currently taking Human Anatomy online right now, and I have to say it is both easier and more difficult in several ways. It's easier because I don't have to go to a classroom, I get an entire week to do my homework, and my tests are right on the website. It's also harder because I don't have the instructor telling me the things I need to know, I just have a book to read and I don't know what I need to take from the book.
I think that e-books will become much more popular in the coming years, but I find it very hard to believe that print will go extinct. I would much rather read an actual hard copy of a text compared to an electronic copy. I think that you can get more out of the text if you have a hard copy in your hands to read and feel the pages. I do enjoy these blog assignments, the articles that you have had us read are usually very interesting and enjoyable. The same can be said for most assignments we have had for the blog entries. I think that class time is still required for this class to work.
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