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i know. that is great! but all of those options are file formats. books != files. books are cool, files are ugly. which is also why 99 of 100 people still prefe
by marvindanig 7y ago
i know. that is great! but all of those options are file formats. books != files. books are cool, files are ugly. which is also why 99 of 100 people still prefer to buy the dead tree books over tech jazz called files.
- input_sh 7y agoWhat a weird hill to die on. Books are long written compositions, their format (whether it's on dead trees, computer, or spoken out) is completely irrelevant.
- marvindanig 7y agoit always sounds weird until it isn’t. the container is the most important characteristics of a book. to pass it off as irrelevant is not only intellectually dishonest but also just plain wrong.
- tasogare 7y agoNo, it's not. Some of the oldest books are written on bamboo stripes, and others on clay tablets.
- marvindanig 7y ago> Some of the oldest books are written on bamboo stripes, and others on clay tablets. exactly. there used to be physical scrolls too before the romans invented the paginated codex. all of those older tech died later because it was hard to beat direct access, referential accessibility and format-ability of the modern physical codex book. our current tech emulates the physical scroll too and is therefore not able to compete with dead tree books.
- Cederfjard 7y agoMerriam Webster: book noun \ ˈbu̇k \ Definition of book (Entry 1 of 3) 1a: a set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory b: a set of written, printed, or blank sheets bound together between a front and back cover an address book c: a long written or printed literary composition reading a good book reference books hardcover and paperback books d: a major division of a treatise or literary work the books of the Bible eaccounting : a record of a business's financial transactions or financial condition —often used in plural the books show a profit f: MAGAZINE sense 1a g: E-BOOK [...] Cambridge Dictionary: book noun UK /bʊk/ US /bʊk/ A1 [ C ] a written text that can be published in printed or electronic form: [...] You're entitled to have your own rigid definition if you wish, but it's pretty silly to go in a public forum and try to browbeat others with it.
- moron4hire 7y agoI would say he is not entitled to any such thing, as he doesn't own the language.
- marvindanig 7y agoAh, the overflowing privilege of handing out entitlements? Your brethren doesn’t own the language either, you know that right?
- jshevek 7y agoThe situation is in no way symmetric, as only one party is claiming a non-standard limitation on valid uses of the language. The other parties are claiming both a standard and more permissive use.
- marvindanig 7y agoThis is a classic flat earth argument. ‘Because people are saying so...’ Proper definition is the only definition that there is. Improper definitions may be valid uses in colloquial speak, but that doesn’t work for accurate description of products at hand. Success of physical books, as in the data, is a proof of proper usage. I rest my case. Time to go back to work. Edit: Response to the child comment below: You're going in the wrong direction. That 'books are not files' is a plain fact. It has nothing to do with popular opinion or liberal usage of words. Although, if you were to look at it liberally through the lens of popular usage alone then also the usage and growth of dead tree books over the shallow market of files masquerading as ebooks will reveal the same plain fact.
- monsterix 7y agoi agree with @marvindanig here. the container is super important. people buy a finished product and container and packaging are an integral part of that experience. there’s a reason why books are no longer distributed on bamboo stripes or in shape of baked clay.
- anujrajput 7y agoAbstract weird hill. Book, irrespective of the medium, should provide information in an ordered fashion. Printing words and pictures on paper was one of the many ways to express what the book author wanted to say in the times when screens were not invented. The purpose of books was to communicate a thought, philosophy or a concept. If that can be done using technology without harming any trees, sign me up. Books are books, irrespective of the medium they are delivered on.
- thanatropism 7y agoMy wife is a managing editor (and used to be a hands-on-board) editor. Books are edited. There's a great book in the archives of Joel on Software (maybe he's even had it done); possibly two or N -- but that requires filtering. And then combing and rewriting/patching not to depend on links anymore (so it makes sense like five years from now, dig?), nor on an ongoing blog narrative. Then understanding the major themes to consolidate multiple blog posts in chapters. I don't know that this has been done with a blog, but yes from lecture notes and slides, etc. Usually the writer has to come up with text (or hire a ghost writer); most of the time, he edits his work to some extent. But manuscripts never arrive ready for print. You can see this in Lulu "books". I own Nobel Prize-winner Vernon Smith's autobiography published by a vanity press and holy hell what a mess.