The End Of Books?

Blogging Assignment 1 The End Of Books: Summary Coover argues that the invention of hypertext is changing the way that people are communicating in writing. He says that “with hypertext we focus, both as writers and as readers, on structure as much as on prose, for we are made aware suddenly of the shapes of narratives that are often hidden in print stories. (707)” He goes on further to describe how his students are now able to communicate and interact with one another when they are reading and reviewing one another’s written work. By using examples of how he teaches and defining unknown words (such as hypertext) this article can be read by multiple audiences. They don’t necessarily need to have a background in computers or technology. On page 709, Coover writes about how he “guessed” most of these theories before he even delved into the world of hyperspace. Most of his theories were correct, but the one that he says he could not have foreseen was “[hypertext] is a technology that both absorbs and totally displaces.” I think he is “warning” us that with the invention of new technology, the print media is going to be displaced due to hypertext. He is foreseeing print media (not specifically books) shifting online to the computer where people will be able to interact with the text and communicate with one another, unlike the print media where there is no interaction. As a teacher who created a class dealing with hypertext and this new form of media, I think that he wants people to realize (either his students, the administration, of the world in general) the importance of hypertext, and how it is going to change the way we communicate. Inquiry: Before I respond to the claim made by Coover, I just wanted to say that I felt deceived by the title of the article. The author didn’t talk at all about the end of books, or even truly talk about books in his article. He mentioned a new form of writing and communicating, but didn’t really come out and say, THIS IS THE END OF THE BOOK. I do agree that being able to communicate online and using the computer/hypertext have changed the way that we communicate. Look at the assignment that we are doing right now. We are all writing to one another, and yet never have to meet with one another. When I simply read the title of the article, I was saddened because there has been so much talk lately about the end of books. Last year, the Kindle was the number one selling product on Amazon for a year straight, and there seems to be a shift away from physical print media. I was talking with some friends about the kindle, and they love it. They told me that before, they didn’t read books that often, but now that e-books are cheaper and more portable, they are reading more often. I think that any device that is getting more people to read is awesome. For me though, I don’t actually asorb what I am reading as well if I read it on a computer screen compared to reading it in a book, plus I love to highlight, and I can’t do that. I am not against progress and all the really cool things that we can do online with the improvements in technology, but I don’t think that you will ever be able to convince me to read long articles or even books on a little computer screen. Questions Why do you think there is a shift away from physical books? Did you feel deceived by the title of the article? Why? Have we reached an “end of books” or a new form of books? What are the disadvantages to this shift to non-print media?