# Books and stuffs



## dexternicholson

Well, with the availability of information and resources in the internet, there are a lot of things that people are not doing anymore (most of them) like go to the mall and shop. Now, they just go to ebay or something... well, what do you guys think about the future of books. I mean, one can easily google for something they desire. It beats browsing through libraries, it beats paying for a book and actually having to carry it....


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## elkitten

I personally think that the Kindle thing is going to slowly take off over the next few years..that's what its called yeah? its like a book computer thingie where you can upload books and lots of em that you can buy online etc.

I reckon the internet has a lot of pitfalls when it comes to accurate information--anyone can write so sometimes it is hard to be sure that the information you read is accurate. Sure there are books which are based on prevail lies, but, books are peer reviewed before being published, where as websites by and large are not.

I love having a book in my hand when i read something though...the light of the screen becomes very bothersome if you have to read for hours.

Books might go the way of the dinosaur, but it will take a long ol time i think.


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## Wanderer

Certainly a lot of references to all sorts of things online that is great for people who live a distance from Libraries and other than the accuracy of data that elkitten comments from, sometimes it's like info overload too which in turn can probably lead to some people being too readily prepared to accept rather than question.

You take Global Warming as what is arguably the planets most important topic of the moment and Politicians and others would believe nothing else other than the doom that the IPCC predicts, but!
. 1500 IPCC scientists
How many totally have we on the planet - 15M?
If you had all of 1500 anybodys on the one topic, do you really think all 1500 would be able to absorb all the info to agree?
And so then we go to the politicians and how knowledgeable would they really be on anything other than what they were told.

The media ain't too much better and notice how every time there's coverage of GW and a PS is shown with water vapour rising from a Cooling Tower.
And then anything on China always shows pollution, and we should fight that but it's not GW.
There're so many other factors, natural cycles for one and the concept of UG storage another, just so much info out there and where do you stop or how can anyone group co-ordinate it all?, but back on track

I still love a good novel and'll have to ration my online time so I can get back into reading as many as I have in the past.


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## elkitten

Totally agree about spending less time online and more time with books--i mean you can't really sit out in the sun and read an online article (yeah you might have wireless, but the glare? then you have to plug the computer in eventually...you can't just leave it on your chair if you need to go inside for a few coz it might get stolen or bird pooped on etc etc etc).

The global warming thing is so interesting--its a commonly accepted fact, but why? Don't get me wrong, im all for doingg things to improve our proverbial "footprint" as in recylcing, using things that are more energy efficient, conserving water and using public transport.... but is global warming really leading us to doom? why do we all believe it so much...because "everyone says it true"? There is plenty of data that actually goes against GW doom sayers but somehow that doesnt get talked about much...probably because "were going to be ok" is a far less exciting message then "batton down the hatches!!!!!!"

Even the 2012 thing--there are so many websites out there saying "yes its true" while scientific communities have refuted it ad nauseum.... what are people supposed to beliebe? how do you find the right info?

that's my little rant anyways =)


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## elkitten

BTW just a quick thing on global warming--anyone remember that years ago we were told to stop using pesticides or else we would go into an ice age? The ice age was supposed to happen right about now if im not mistaken....


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## dexternicholson

^well, I think people were actually scared of that threat. I mean when those warning came, I was still in my teen years and I couldn't care less, I was more interested in basketball or football matches and stuffs like that. but, since I have to accompany my mom most of the time to the grocery store, I did observed, and I do remember a short conversation with my mom about lessening the use of pesticides and those sprays with is that CFC or UFC? lol... 

I think that at some ways, the internet is making people a little bit lazy. I remember during my college years on how many people would visit the library, nowadays, I will just see some of my younger relatives stuck on the PC...


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## elkitten

^Totally agree!

I n-e-v-e-r went to the library in 4 years of university. Not once...except maybe to pick up books I had set up to get a lend of....online. I did like the fact i could work from home though in my own bubble and not in a library, but at the same time that breeds distractions.

I think another issue is plagiarism--it is so so so soooooo easy to steal stuff from the web and if teachers dont make you submit your paper electronically and have the "checking" software there is no way to tell sometimes. Moreover, you can purchase papers from other people online.....

Internet does make people lazy--hell, you can do all your shopping online, when for a few people shopping was the only cardio they got all week.

It a love/hate relationship for me--love the convinience, but hate that the glowing screen seems to encourage me to sit for another upteenth hour.


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## byron

dexternicholson said:


> Well, with the availability of information and resources in the internet, there are a lot of things that people are not doing anymore (most of them) like go to the mall and shop. Now, they just go to ebay or something... well, what do you guys think about the future of books. I mean, one can easily google for something they desire. It beats browsing through libraries, it beats paying for a book and actually having to carry it....


well for pleasure reading, you cant beat a book tbh.. Also if I really want to study something I go find a really good book on it. the net is so spread out adn a lot of the inofrmation now is from bloggers who dont really know what they are talking about. Of course in It, my field, there is a lto of good information on the net.


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## Tarunzzz

Books have really lost their essence or importance over the millenium as more & more of them are becoming existent & available freely in the virtual world. Eventhough i accept the fact that the internet provides easy accessibility to all worldly knowledge & information, there's nothing more relaxing than havin a beer and reading a nice novel on a quiet evening. I experienced this recently as my system crashed (without the beer though. lol) and it felt good to read a real book once in a while.
But i still feel that books will not vanish totally coz i bet there's still a majority of people who would prefer to read a real book rather than a soft copy. I myself find it irritating to go through a PDF doc & switch over to the hard copy. (if i have one)
As they say, everything in life is a cycle i believe that we(this generation) after experiencing and experimenting a lot of things over the evolution of the internet era have started missing books. Otherwise, i don't think dexter would have brought in such a question. We may or may not start buying and reading books though just coz we had a chat on this topic but we atleast know the importance and will try to embrace it from time to time whenever possible. I strongly believe this will hold good for future generations to come too....

Moreover, as long as Writers, Publishers & Marketeers (sorry if there's no word like tat) are around, BOOKS will live loooooooooooooooooooong.


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## kaz101

I love the pleasure of lying in a bath reading a book and just unwinding....

Couldn't do that with a laptop / kindle without me worrying about dropping it. 

Although there is a load of info on the internet some of it is complete gibberish (and that's being polite!) but people can't always tell the difference between the good stuff and the absolutely incorrect stuff out there. 

Rgds,
Karen


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## zanoz

*best book?*

hello, which is the best book about Australia, best hand book??
I see many on net, but I am not sure...


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## benadick123

Thanks for that


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## ellelebelle

kaz101 said:


> I love the pleasure of lying in a bath reading a book and just unwinding....
> 
> Couldn't do that with a laptop / kindle without me worrying about dropping it.
> 
> Although there is a load of info on the internet some of it is complete gibberish (and that's being polite!) but people can't always tell the difference between the good stuff and the absolutely incorrect stuff out there.
> 
> Rgds,
> Karen


I agree 100% with you...I dropped my iPod in the bath once...and there was no going back for it.... Kindles are a nice alternative to those heavy pages, but they don't give the same experience when you are reading a real page turner.


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## heather25098

dexternicholson said:


> Well, with the availability of information and resources in the internet, there are a lot of things that people are not doing anymore (most of them) like go to the mall and shop. Now, they just go to ebay or something... well, what do you guys think about the future of books. I mean, one can easily google for something they desire. It beats browsing through libraries, it beats paying for a book and actually having to carry it....


well, reading a book is pleasure that you will not get while reading e-book or anything on the computer screen. that's why book will survive many days at least those reader who read books for pleasure.


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## MetronHellas SA

Well reading an actual book is very different than reading it on a computer. But i think some research is to be done first in order to decide the perfect book for you.


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## petercnnl

elkitten said:


> ^Totally agree!
> 
> I n-e-v-e-r went to the library in 4 years of university. Not once...except maybe to pick up books I had set up to get a lend of....online. I did like the fact i could work from home though in my own bubble and not in a library, but at the same time that breeds distractions.
> 
> I think another issue is plagiarism--it is so so so soooooo easy to steal stuff from the web and if teachers dont make you submit your paper electronically and have the "checking" software there is no way to tell sometimes. Moreover, you can purchase papers from other people online.....
> 
> Internet does make people lazy--hell, you can do all your shopping online, when for a few people shopping was the only cardio they got all week.
> 
> It a love/hate relationship for me--love the convinience, but hate that the glowing screen seems to encourage me to sit for another upteenth hour.


Internet may replace books one day when will not be from now. As the development of the economy, the industry and the technology, people's desire of information has never been greater. Books or other print media can be no longer enough for processing the ever greater information, neither for its budget nor for its convenience. Producing and publishing paper books costs more than producing e-books, thus e-books are normally cheaper than the paper ones.
People can also save much more time in doing research via the internet than in finding information that they need via books. What they have to do is nothing more than inputint the key word and press the "Search" button.
Issues of using the internet, though, do exist still. The development of the technique, however, will provide a way to avoid them.


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## atulmittal0109

I just love the idea of ebooks. Now, I can find almost all the books on Google store and download them on my android phone. They are much easier to read. Now, I can carry books anywhere I go and can read easily on my smartphone


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## chicken999

I love my iBooks I get to read so many fir free (though I still buy ones online as well) which is brilliant for a speed reader like myself as I used to spend a fortune buying books I would read in just a day or so. Now I can read to my hearts content for free!


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