This is an interesting comparison as I feel paper/hardbacks are becoming supplementary and more aesthetic than the e-reader yet e-readers are also far more convenient.
With my Kindle I find myself reading one of my books and I may suddenly remember there was another book I wanted to check out. So, in two or three taps of my finger, I’m browsing titles and downloading samples. Another obvious advantage the e-reader has is its ability to hold a library’s worth of text and it weighs no more than a slightly chunky book. I also find myself grabbing my Kindle over a paperback at night when I switch off the lights and crawl into bed to get my late-night reading fix.Personally, I view my Kindle as a literary weapon. My ultimate tool. I write a great deal and my Kindle is a treasure chest full of gems that enrich my writing.
Paper/hardbacks will never, ever, ever lose their value. I mean that in a historical sense. Currently, there are numerous books we view as valuable pieces of the past written by some of the world’s greatest minds and that will always be the case for as long as the human species thrives. The book is a written record of thoughts and emotions conveyed on a sheet of paper so that another person may pick it up and feel, even for the briefest of moments, connected to another aspect of their being. Also, the feeling of cradling that spine and turning the pages, and even the scent of books old and new, instills a sense of comfort and thrills the reader.
There’s magic to be found wherever books exist.Whether it be within the confines of a rectangular screen or resting on delicate paper, prose and poetry will always be an escape. Books will forever love us unconditionally and I find that wonderfully gratifying.
I feel that poetry and prose coming off an electronic devise loosing its magic. Electronic words are so temporary.
In what sense are you using the word temporary? Why is it that you feel one method of reading is less valuable than the other?
Temporary as in something that is passing. Electronics wear out, software upgrades make old files difficult to access. Technology is cold, unfeeling, and lacks physical stimulation. I work on communication devices every day, using e-readers feels like work to me. The difference for me would be the same difference in having wood in the fire place over gas, or real flowers on the table over scented silk. Both are functional, but one feels better to me.
Why I feel that printed words are more valuable to me is based on person experience and preferences. In my world, when a book is printed on paper is is done, complete. Words that are still on screen are available to change, updates, revisions, or deletion.
I could see how working on such devices on a daily basis would give cause you to view electronics in such a way. Yet I’m slightly confused. You say electronics wear out, but so do books. They’re re-printed and reformatted just as well as software is upgraded. You know, like limited edition, unabridged, annotated, stuff like that.
And to your second point, does that mean you believe e-readers render an authors work worthless? I only ask because you compare its value to products of nature but I’m also confused by that comparison because nature consists of all things and todays electronics exist because individuals of the past prepared the way for their predecessors. I’m really glad that you feel so passionately one way because that means you’ll have something to offer to another person and they may hear your words and reconsider their own viewpoint.
I have books that are near 100 years old and they are in prime condition. The print is still there and I can still read them.
Worthless? No. Just different. I used the wood vs gas and real vs silk because the first is traditional and the latter is an tech upgrade.