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It is a distinct physical object. Whether anyone stored digital information about it in a bit-wise manner, does not change that fact of a physical object being

It is a distinct physical object. Whether anyone stored digital information about it in a bit-wise manner, does not change that fact of a physical object being unique. The same book can not co-exist at the very same place and location and time in this universe. That makes no sense.

pixelatedindex 22d ago
I thought we were talking about digital copies.
- ratelimitsteve 22d ago
  we may have been. the idea that two copies of the same thing are not the same object still applies. you can tell because if you own a PDF and I own a copy of that PDF, and I destroy mine, you still have yours.
  - OroPla 22d ago
    Physical objects do not exist in a digital format. When I type the letter "a" is it not the exact same letter that you are using in your text? Even all the "a"s in this comment are identical, are they not? In the physical world, no two letters "a" are exactly the same, not even printed ones. Or do you suggest that all those letters "a" here are completely distinct from each other? I don't think ownership works conceptually for digital stuff. There's no owning a letter "a" and there are no two letters "a" that are distinct from each other, unless you count the Cyrillic "а" which is completely different from "a". Each of these letters "a" might be a different instance, but they are the same letter: "a". Similarly, two copies of a file are still the same exact copy. Just different instances of it.
    - ssl-3 22d ago
      Your comment is unique. Nobody before you has ever written a comment phrased exactly like that. I saved a copy of your unique comment on my pocket supercomputer, including the letter "a". I didn't ask first; I just did it. It's fine because it doesn't really exist. Now it's my comment.
      - ratelimitsteve 21d ago
        exactly. delete all of the "a"s from your comment. what happens to theirs? nothing. because they're not the same thing.
    - ratelimitsteve 17d ago
      are identical twins the same person?
      - OroPla 15d ago
        Since when are people digital?

pixelatedindex 22d ago

I thought we were talking about digital copies.

ratelimitsteve 22d ago
we may have been. the idea that two copies of the same thing are not the same object still applies. you can tell because if you own a PDF and I own a copy of that PDF, and I destroy mine, you still have yours.
- OroPla 22d ago
  Physical objects do not exist in a digital format. When I type the letter "a" is it not the exact same letter that you are using in your text? Even all the "a"s in this comment are identical, are they not? In the physical world, no two letters "a" are exactly the same, not even printed ones. Or do you suggest that all those letters "a" here are completely distinct from each other? I don't think ownership works conceptually for digital stuff. There's no owning a letter "a" and there are no two letters "a" that are distinct from each other, unless you count the Cyrillic "а" which is completely different from "a". Each of these letters "a" might be a different instance, but they are the same letter: "a". Similarly, two copies of a file are still the same exact copy. Just different instances of it.
  - ssl-3 22d ago
    Your comment is unique. Nobody before you has ever written a comment phrased exactly like that. I saved a copy of your unique comment on my pocket supercomputer, including the letter "a". I didn't ask first; I just did it. It's fine because it doesn't really exist. Now it's my comment.
    - ratelimitsteve 21d ago
      exactly. delete all of the "a"s from your comment. what happens to theirs? nothing. because they're not the same thing.
  - ratelimitsteve 17d ago
    are identical twins the same person?
    - OroPla 15d ago
      Since when are people digital?