Online reading Vs normal reading

[Vocaloid Marshmallow]

I think online reading is something very stupid.

1. Too much time on the computer is bad for you.

2. You won't get the real feel of the book.

3. You can't really take it wherever you go. It might be a laptop but laptops can run out of charge and you can't read while standing.

 

These are a few reasons why I don't like reading online though I've read a couple of books myself.

What do you think?

[Angeló]

there's nothing like the smell of a new book ... the thrill of opening it ... and the sweet sorrow when you read the last page ...

[Tank Girl]

It doesn't feel the same :/

 

My friend has a business selling Sony Reader's things that can fit like a bagillion books on there, but I'd never get one. I love old worn books far too much ^_^

[Nimphal]

It doesn't feel the same :/

 

My friend has a business selling Sony Reader's things that can fit like a bagillion books on there, but I'd never get one. I love old worn books far too much ^_^

 

 

Me and my boyfriend share a Kindle. I must say I was very sceptical at the beginning, but it won me over. I still enjoy regular books, though the convenience of the Kindle is remarkable. And it is not backlit, which is a big plus in my book.

 

As for reading on a computer - I dislike it with a passion. During my degree I am required to read tens of journals and published papers that are available mostly only online and it hasn't gotten any easier. I used to print them out, but they are too many :/

[Xepha]

So this is more a debate between digital and analog (books, articles, magazines, etc). And that's a topic I've studied a lot during winter term :P.

 

When something is digitalise, it can be reproduced and shared easily. It becomes 0 and 1, and loses its "aura". The aura is what has been described as the smell of a book, the feeling that someone has opened it before you, the material qualities of its paper and ink, etc. It's a little something that makes every object unique.

 

When I'm given something to read online, I usually print it. Why? Because I just can't stand to sit at my desk and read on a screen. I just find it extremely distracting to read when I'm in front of my computer, a device that can entertain me with many different kind of medias and that I use to communicate (chat).

 

Overall, books rule but I'm not saying that I wouldn't enjoy to have an ipad... if they were affordable :P.

 

Oh and also, usually printed media use serif font, while digital media prefer to use sans-serif fonts. So depending on the context (paper vs screen), different font are easier on our eyes. Think about it next time you print your homework for your teacher. There is a reason why they all want us to use times new roman rather than arial :P.

[Vocaloid Marshmallow]

I love the smell and the feel of the book. Sometimes online reading is useful, that is, if I can't find my book which I really want to read in a library, I'd read it online. But when I finish reading online I don't feel the happiness or excitement that I usually get when I finish a real book.

[Tank Girl]

 

When something is digitalise, it can be reproduced and shared easily. It becomes 0 and 1, and loses its "aura". The aura is what has been described as the smell of a book, the feeling that someone has opened it before you, the material qualities of its paper and ink, etc. It's a little something that makes every object unique.

 

 

I could not agree more with this statement! I feel exactly the same way about digital photography and mp3's, so I've started doing stuff the old way instead :P

[Vocaloid Marshmallow]

I could not agree more with this statement!

 

I know right?

 

Even If I did have an Ipad I'd barely read with it. Its annoying reading with electronic things.

[Masaryk]

Personally, I don't enjoy reading on a screen, most of the time. I find the white background to be a bit hard on my eyes. On my own computer, I can change the background colour in most programs, but it can certainly make a lot of webpages look funny.

 

I also like to collect books. I have more books than space to store them, and I would never consider getting rid of any of them. My house honestly needs a library, but I don't have the space for one. Maybe, one day, I will get to have that library I've always wanted.

 

With those two points made, I would possibly still have to suggest a preference toward digital reading. The vast amount of information that is available over the internet or in digital format is staggering. I am in constant awe at how quickly I can do research and find information. I could have the biggest library on earth, and I would never be able to find information as quickly, accurately, and efficiently as I can online. I have easy access to reports, research papers, and periodicals, which I take advantage of frequently.

 

Also, digital formats take up much less physical space. As people have pointed out, you can fit hundreds to thousands of books on an e-book reader, and tonnes more on a netbook or laptop. From an access to information standpoint, that it amazing! There is no way I would otherwise be able to cart around a research library with me, since I don't happen to own a Bag of Holding.

 

Digital formats are also much cheaper to purchase than paper books, with most of them being half of the cover price or less. Books are horribly expensive now. And, being Canadian, I am stuck paying even more for books, in spite of the Canadian Dollar being roughly on par with the American Dollar. Go figure. <_< I'm tired of getting ripped off on purchases for no good reason.

 

Additionally, a lot of books are available in digital format for free. I'm not talking about pirated books, either. Anything with an expired copyright on it is free online, whereas you would still have to pay for a print copy. Also, many reference books have been turned into websites, so that as long as you have access to the internet, the information is available. That sort of thing has saved me thousands of dollars.

 

So, in spite of me not enjoying to read anything on a screen, digital writing is coming out on top, in my head. I hate to admit it sometimes. Granted, most of the reading I do is non-fiction, so that might have something to do with my bias. A laptop does weigh a fair bit less than a stack of textbooks, and the information available is all relatively up-to-date. The only real times that books win, in my opinion, is if the book/story is particularly special to you or following a technological apocalypse. No access to all that wonderful digital information would quickly make it a moot point. Unless, of course, you download everything you read that is important to you, and you can make your own electricity. :P

[Manta]

I've read a few books on the computer, and maybe it's just me, but my eye problems make it very difficult to read for extended periods on the computer. I prefer to print things when I can.

 

There's just something about cracking the spine of a book so you can hold it open flat, and the crunch of new pages when you turn them that makes reading a physical book far more magical than reading words on a screen. Reading actual paper or books is as much a tactile experience as a mental one.

[Spritzie]

I love seeing others feel the same way I do.

 

To me, nothing can replace the actual book. For all the reasons mentioned, just reading an actual book is a cool experience. (I'm a HUGE, HUGE reader. Though I'm also anti-books on tape/CD for myself, for the same reasons, and that I'm too much of a visual person, I won't remember it if I just hear it, but that's an entirely different subject.)

 

Though I know there are times when a digital format, with the readers, would be great for me. Namely, when laying in bed reading. I have a lot of pain/swelling consistently in my right wrist, and laying down, I have a hard time holding books, especially hard covers, which are my favorite, because they're big and too heavy for my wrist. That's one time I would love to have a reader I could prop up on something.

[Manta]

To me, nothing can replace the actual book. For all the reasons mentioned, just reading an actual book is a cool experience. (I'm a HUGE, HUGE reader. Though I'm also anti-books on tape/CD for myself, for the same reasons, and that I'm too much of a visual person, I won't remember it if I just hear it, but that's an entirely different subject.)

 

Agreed! I have really bad listening skills (aka I ignore people when they talk) so for me, seeing it in print just makes it stick better. That's one reason why I dislike when profs just start talking - i prefer if they have at least a powerpoint in the background, or an outline I can read over. Otherwise, I don't absorb anything they said o_O

[jesstelly]

Nothing beats walking into a second hand book shop and finding used books that are out of print and have so much history in them :) Beautiful :)

[Vocaloid Marshmallow]

Nothing beats walking into a second hand book shop and finding used books that are out of print and have so much history in them :) Beautiful :)

 

I know!!

And they aren't that expensive! :laughingsmiley:

[Piticent]

well, it depends. If you LOVE reading like my sister, electronic. It holds a lot of books in such little space (say Kindle vs. Bookshelf XD). However, books are better in sunlight, so better during the day. Although, its kinda hard to misplace a computer...but since I personally dont read that much (only for summer reading pretty much) I'd say normal.

[jcaitou]

I used to be totally on the online reading side because of the environmental argument, but I've tried it and I have to admit, IT'S SUCH A PAIN. Novels are okay to read online, but when you're taking about, say, textbooks, and you have to constantly flip back and forth, it increases the annoying factor. Not to mention it's not a good shape to hold and read, and I'm not as comfortable reading online books as opposed to real books.

[Vocaloid Marshmallow]

Yeah flipping back and forth is really annoying.

 

Sometimes iPads are better while reading. You can go under your cover at night when its dark and still read unlike when you have a real book and you need light to read.

[Clar]

Oh god.

This topic is on here too.

 

Personally, I loathe the little kindles, e-books, nooks, whatever you want to call them.

I hate them.

I find them very useless.

 

The commercials for them. "No glare in the sun! Easy to carry! etc etc"

What else doesn't have a glare when you read them?

Books.

You know what else is easy to carry?

Books.

 

I've always told myself if I ever see someone out in public with an e-book thing, I'd walk up to them slap it out of their hands and break it and lead them to a book store.

With real books.

 

It makes me sad that even books are becoming obsolete in this world, with the way things are coming and going replacing the old with new it makes me sad and honestly makes me wish I lived in a different time where technology wasn't so praised or even didn't exist like it does not.

[Naamah D.]

Online reading strains your eyes and actual books improve them. So yes, books win.

[Luciana]

I've always told myself if I ever see someone out in public with an e-book thing, I'd walk up to them slap it out of their hands and break it and lead them to a book store.

With real books.

They're reading the same thing they would have gotten from a book and maybe for them an ebook reader is a lot more convenient. My step dad has bad eyes so for him using an ebook reader is a lot better because you can re-size the words (and he hates reading glasses). Plus, people on the go have a much easier time carrying one device rather than stacks of books. Also, why do you have to limit yourself to one or the other? I know people who like to carry a big collection of ebooks wherever they go, but they also have a bookcase holding their favorite books at home. Both ebook readers and traditional books have their pros and cons and I believe anyone who truly loves reading should take advantage of both options.

Even though you're probably all talk and no action you should honestly be ashamed. Those things are expensive and you are a prick for even considering destroying someone else's property.

[Clar]

They're reading the same thing they would have gotten from a book and maybe for them an ebook reader is a lot more convenient. My step dad has bad eyes so for him using an ebook reader is a lot better because you can re-size the words (and he hates reading glasses). Plus, people on the go have a much easier time carrying one device rather than stacks of books. Also, why do you have to limit yourself to one or the other? I know people who like to carry a big collection of ebooks wherever they go, but they also have a bookcase holding their favorite books at home. Both ebook readers and traditional books have their pros and cons and I believe anyone who truly loves reading should take advantage of both options.

Even though you're probably all talk and no action you should honestly be ashamed. Those things are expensive and you are a prick for even considering destroying someone else's property.

 

You seem angry.

 

also, tl;dr

cool story, bro.

[Naamah D.]

They're reading the same thing they would have gotten from a book and maybe for them an ebook reader is a lot more convenient. My step dad has bad eyes so for him using an ebook reader is a lot better because you can re-size the words (and he hates reading glasses). Plus, people on the go have a much easier time carrying one device rather than stacks of books. Also, why do you have to limit yourself to one or the other? I know people who like to carry a big collection of ebooks wherever they go, but they also have a bookcase holding their favorite books at home. Both ebook readers and traditional books have their pros and cons and I believe anyone who truly loves reading should take advantage of both options.

Even though you're probably all talk and no action you should honestly be ashamed. Those things are expensive and you are a prick for even considering destroying someone else's property.

 

I agree with Luciana. That'd be like somebody who likes classic Gameboys seeing me with my PSP and breaking it and forcing me to buy a used Gameboy. Electronics ARE expensive, However I don't know if they were joking in there post about the "If I saw somebody with an eBook...." thing or not but for the most part I agree with Luciana if that person isn't joking.

[Vocaloid Marshmallow]

Oh god.

This topic is on here too.

 

Personally, I loathe the little kindles, e-books, nooks, whatever you want to call them.

I hate them.

I find them very useless.

 

The commercials for them. "No glare in the sun! Easy to carry! etc etc"

What else doesn't have a glare when you read them?

Books.

You know what else is easy to carry?

Books.

 

I've always told myself if I ever see someone out in public with an e-book thing, I'd walk up to them slap it out of their hands and break it and lead them to a book store.

With real books.

 

It makes me sad that even books are becoming obsolete in this world, with the way things are coming and going replacing the old with new it makes me sad and honestly makes me wish I lived in a different time where technology wasn't so praised or even didn't exist like it does not.

 

Ebooks have use too you know! Say your going to a place far away for a long time and you read a lot. Instead of carrying many books which make your bag heavy, you could just carry one ebook! Isn't that simpler. Its not that I don't like real books, its because this is one of the advantages of ebooks.

 

Don't you think your going too far by saying you'll break an ebook? You know it costs a lot and if you break it???

 

Yeah I know. Its sad to see that ebooks are so much better than nice, little books.

[Luciana]

You seem angry.

 

also, tl;dr

cool story, bro.

If you're going to post on an online forum you better learn how to post right.

Apologize when you're wrong and cut that childish attitude. No one is going to respect you if you make posts like that ^

Or just avoid the debate forum and hope no one disagrees with you ever.

 

edit: btw I forgot to address this in my other post. Don't worry about books losing their importance. They are far from becoming obsolete as you can see from some other posts in this topic. It's kind of like how even though we can buy digital albums online, a lot of people still like buying cds or vinyl records!

[Unstream]

I dunno, it seems like most people don't like books in digital formats, so I'm going to try to defend them a little. I got a Kindle for Christmas, and I can't begin to tell you how convenient it is. For one, I like reading a lot, and I tend to be reading more than one book at one time. With a Kindle, I can have multiple books on it without having to lug around 3-4 books in my backpack during school, which is great. Plus, it's thinner than most books to begin with, and I bought a cover for it so it's not like I'm constantly worried about scratching it up (and the cover has a light for reading at night!)

 

I'd also like to point out that the Kindle and the Nook both have screens that look like paper, even in the sun. It isn't an LCD screen or anything, it's a new thing they call E-ink, and it makes it look like it's just ink printed on paper.

 

There are still some kinks though, as with most technology, but the E-book thing really just started recently, so there's still time for improvement. Like the Go to...Location function on the Kindle is pretty useless. Things would be so much easier if they still kept the pages thing going. Pretty much, if I can't tell how many pages are in a said book or easily jump to a page. But I'm sure that'll be fixed eventually.

 

Digital reading is great, in my opinion. It's very similar to reading a normal book, you don't have to hold it open, you can download books almost instantly, and you can carry a bunch of books with you at once. Sure, you don't have the satisfaction of opening or closing a book, but I feel like those things are quite insignificant when compared the actual content of the book and what the author has to say, which is why we buy books to begin with.

 

There are some conveniences the book offers that a Kindle can't. Like I can't lend a book to a friend, and you miss out on some really cool title covers, and that's why I sometimes get a book even though I already have it on a Kindle.

 

Also, I hate online reading. It just bothers me to no end because there aren't any pages, so when I reach the bottom of the page, I have to scroll down, which usually makes me lose my spot, and that's just annoying. But that's really the only qualm I have with reading on the internet.