Comments on: You Can Never Trust an eBook

By: admin

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:17:37 +0000

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

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:15:52 +0000

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”

By: Tony Burton

Tony Burton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:07:12 +0000

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.

By: Steven Savage

Steven Savage — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:50:32 +0000

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.