Author: Bill
breathe in the ancient wisdom
I stirred up a lot of conversation with my blog post titled, “How Can You Call an eBook a Real Book?” Most of the chatter was on LinkedIn through the writing and publishing groups I belong to. I was very surprised to read comments from self-confessed, dyed-in-the-wool printed book advocates who are becoming wobbly on the issue. Don’t throw in the towel yet.
eBooks have already seized our minds and our imaginations. The possibilities are incredible, all except one. Yesterday I tried to pull up a document on my computer. A dialogue box popped up that said the file had become corrupted. It suggested some ways to fix the file–none of them worked–so, I’m left with reconstructing the document. If I can.
What was here one moment is, whoosh, gone the next. I’m sure if I call my service tech at the Bomb Squad he could find it by going through the mysterious back doors. These are the places us mere mortals dare not tread. To go in there, even for a peek, could set up a chain reaction that might destroy the entire planet. It is not worth the risk. I have to weigh my options carefully, do I bring in the Bomb Squad and spend money I don’t have, or try to reconstruct the document, or let it go, like a loose kite floating endlessly and aimlessly through cyberspace?
Do you understand where I am going with this? Permanence is the question. Books whether written on stone tablets, sheepskin, papyrus, cotton paper, or wood pulp stock have passed the test of time. Doggone it–they last. They may not stay in tip-top condition, but they have longevity.
How long will your computer hold files intact until they start getting iffy, weeks, months, or years? I expect to see eBooks purchased by the average buyer as having a comparable short shelf life. If the computer gremlins don’t get them, technology changes will. I have a book of poetry by Ralph Waldo Emerson in my library which must be at least 125 years old. The paper is brittle, and the binding is weak, but I can pick it up and read it anytime I want. No dialogue box will appear in my hand saying sorry the file is corrupt. Many of my other books are older than 40 years, even the cheap paperbacks. In a world where the average computer is ancient in five years, the possibility of a file hanging around for even 20 years is ludicrous.
The bottom line is electronic books are risky. You will have to replace them regularly if you want to keep them viable, or just get used to losing much of your collection each and every year. Now you see it–now you don’t. Paper to the people!
Posted in Book Production, Electronic Blips, Publishing, e-Books | 
Tags: Ancient, Back Doors, Binding, Blog Post, Bomb Squad, Book, Brittle, Chain Reaction, Cheap Paperbacks, Collection, Computer, Computer Gremlins, Conversation, Corrupted, Cotton Paper, Cyberspace, Dialogue Box, Document, eBook, Electronic Books, File, Fix, Iffy, Library, LinkedIn, Longevity, Loose Kite, Paper, Papyrus, Planet, Printed Book Advocates, Publishing, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Real Book, Reconstructing, Risk, Service Tech, Sheepskin, Shelf-Life, Stone Tablets, Technology, Time, Wood Pulp, Writing
Technophile that I am, I do agree. There is something about permanence, record, existence that the e-books don’t have. In time perhaps that will change with better backups, accessibility, etc., but I just like a real book myself.
I think perhaps one issue is the faddishness of technology. Printing is ancient. Technology right now is volatile and changing.
Hmmm. Three things that crossed my mind.
1. Anyone with a good grasp of reality will back up their files regularly. If you had done so, you could have restored your ebook and gone about your merry way.
2. It smells fishy when someone who makes his living by getting people to print their books on paper, throws slurs at a new method of making books. Smacks of being very self-serving.
3. Yes, books are more “stable” but there are getting to be so many titles now that it is impossible to keep a copy of each one in a library in hardcopy. Ebooks offer a way to keep more books available without sacrificing the space… or another tree.
Oh, and I’m a publisher, so I print books on paper. 95% of mine is POD printing, though, and I also produce ebooks.
Tony,
I normally don’t comment on comments, but I really can’t let this pass.
1. In point one you discuss reality. Reality is exactly my issue. In reality how many people do you know who back up files regularly? In reality, I’d be willing to bet that even you have lost files over the last five or so years. I’m very sure that that even the most prudent people get disturbing error messages on their screens. Even the techiest people I know have an extensive four letter vocabulary they use regularly while they try to fix the unexpected problems. Let’s get real.
2. I’m sorry that you think my defense of paper is self-serving. It’s true that I’ve been in the printing business for all my adult life. While my apparent self-interest favors printed books, I’m not trying to get people to eschew electronics in favor of paper. eBooks have much to commend them. What I’m saying is that paper also has a lot going for it. To twist a quote, “Those who live by electronics, will die by electronics.” This may sound off subject, but we’ve known for years about weapons no bigger than attache cases that can be used to bring down computers and everything stored on them. What’s the real safety net? Paper. And don’t say that paper burns. It does, but even an enormous fire can’t wipe out all of the books.
3. In point three you actually make two very different charges. The first one I will give you. No one library could hold all of the books printed. Space is an issue with paper as is portability. Point two, however is an urban myth. Trees are a renewable resource, in fact, three trees are planted for everyone harvested for paper. Sure it tugs the heartstrings to say, “Save the trees,” but the trees are not in danger. Cutting down a tree and replacing it with others is the equivalent of harvesting broccoli. You don’t hear of anyone bemoaning broccoli. Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Don’t we have enough real problems in this country without worrying about another non-issue? Save the broccoli.
Bill Ruesch
I see both sides of this one. But I must weigh in on the pleasure of turning a page and holding a book in your hands. Being a first edition, hardcopy girl and coupled with the fact that I just published my first book, I am most definitely a book snob.
-Suzanne
“A Random Interruption: Surviving Breast Cancer with Laughter, Vodka, Smoothies and an Attitude”