One of the most exciting things about Sophie, the open-source software the institute is currently developing, is that it will enable readers and writers to have conversations inside of books — both live chats and asynchronous exchanges through comments and social annotation. I touched on this idea of books as social software in my most recent “The Book is Reading You” post, and we’re exploring it right now through our networked book experiments with authors Mitch Stephens, and soon, McKenzie Wark, both of whom are writing books and opening up the process (with a little help from us) to readers. It’s a big part of our thinking here at the institute.
Catching up with some backlogged blog reading, I came across a little something from David Weinberger that suggests he shares our enthusiasm:
I can’t wait until we’re all reading on e-books. Because they’ll be networked, reading will become social. Book clubs will be continuous, global, ubiquitous, and as diverse as the Web.
And just think of being an author who gets to see which sections readers are underlining and scribbling next to. Just think of being an author given permission to reply.
I can’t wait.
Of course, ebooks as currently envisioned by Google and Amazon, bolted into restrictive IP enclosures, won’t allow for this kind of exchange. That’s why we need to be thinking hard right now about an alternative electronic publishing system. It may seem premature to say this — now, when electronic books are a marginal form — but before we know it, these companies will be the main purveyors of all media, including books, and we’ll wonder what the hell happened.
e-books: Book 2.0??
I have blogged here before about the ethics of ‘the book reading you’ and Google collecting information about its e-book readers and also, more recently, on the lost opportunity of Google’s ‘plain-vanilla’ offerings. On this point, Lorcan Demsey quot…
Daily Edublogging Update — March 31, 2006
Here’s a summary of ideas and conversations from the edublogging community that have captured our attention in the past 48 hours.
David Warlick has a gre…
I have been an avid reader since the age of 6. I LOVE my books – and when my husband (who is tired of moving my library of books each time we move) suggested I go digital when the digital book readers hit the market a few years ago, I totally balked! I looked at the devices available, but could not see myself liking them compared to the comfort of my traditional book. Earlier this year, I was assisting a friend to purchase one for his wife and started researching them myself. I fell in love w/ the idea because of the improved design and operation of both the Sony Reader and the Kindle 2. Due to price, the Sony Reader was more appealing, but once I saw the Kindle 2 and how it operates, I was sold! I had to get one! Now I’ve had it for 2 months and I use it almost daily. I’ve read over 15 novels already – at the park in direct sunlight (no glare!) at night, w/ my booklight…it is just an amazing device!! I purchased the additional Amazon cover for it – didn’t pay a lot for the cover, but it creates just the perfect balance and weight to the Kindle 2 to give the reader the simulated feel of a book. In fact, it took me a few days to stop reaching up to try to turn the page because the screen looks so much like a paperback that you get involved in the book and can easily forget that you push a button to change the page instead of turning the page. :O)
I would highly recommend this device to anyone – the wireless download is awesome! The size is as well. I can just slip it into my purse and go! I am not carrying around a larger hardback, and the cost is reduced on purchasing of books. Even new releases (if you wait a couple weeks after they are released), the price will drop down to $9.99. No shipping costs, no waiting for delivery – it’s right there when you want to keep reading right through to that next book in the series, or whatever! This is a must buy for any bookworm!