E-books Are Not the Future of Books

E-books Are Not
theFuture of Books
Xavier Badosa
http://xavierbadosa.com
April 2010

E-books Are Not
theFuture of Books
A sillyname
Xavier Badosa
book
e-
http://xavierbadosa.com
April 2010

It all beganwith
mail
e-

book
e-
mail
e-

mail
is a thing

Dictionary.com
mail
is a thing

Dictionary.com
mail
Example
is a thing

Dictionary.com
mail
is a thing
butit’s a servicetoo

mail
e-
butit’s a service
anelectronic

mail
e-
?
butit’s a service
anelectronic

mail
e-
digital
butit’s a service
anelectronic

book
is a thing

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”
is a thing, anartifact

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”
is not a service

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”
Aletteris a thing
is not a service
Mailcan be a service

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”
Aletteris a thing
is not a service
Mailcan be a service
butdelivers a service

book
Access to
content

book
Access to
verbal(mostly)
content

book
Access to
long(generally)
verbal(mostly)
content

book
Access to
long(generally)
verbal(mostly)
content
(a content thatdelivers a service)

Digital
book
e-
Access to
long(generally)
verbal(mostly)
content

Digital
book
e-
Access to
long(generally)
verbal(mostly)
Yesterday’s
WWW
content

Unfortunately
Digital
book
e-
Access to
long(generally)
means
severalthings
verbal(mostly)
Yesterday’s
WWW
content

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”
vs.
“Thisbook is
a page-turner.”

book
“Hardcoverbooks
areexpensive.”
as a metonymy
vs.
“Thisbook is
a page-turner.”

book
as a metonymy
“Thisbook is
a page-turner.”
meansthecontent

book
as a metonymy
“Thisbook is
a page-turner.”
meansthecontent
“Thisnovel, thriller, biography... is a page-turner.”

book
e-
as a metonymy
digital
meansthecontent

book
e-
as a metonymy
Why do weneed
a name for the
digital
meansthecontent
?

book
e-
Why do weneed
a name for the
digital
meansthecontent
?
novel, thriller, biography...
in digital form

book
e-
Why do weneed
a name for the
digital
meansthecontent
?
Save new names for new content
hypernovel, enhanced bio...

book
as a metonymy
meansthecontent

book
as a metonymy
Thiscould
happen
because
a book is...
meansthecontent

book
a 2-in-1
product
as a metonymy

book
a 2-in-1
product
medium for content storage

book
a 2-in-1
product
content viewer (or “player”)

book
a 2-in-1
product
content viewer (or “player”)
The bookgluedtogether
thedifferentlayers.

content
thedifferentlayers.

content
storage
thedifferentlayers.

content
storage
content
viewer
thedifferentlayers.

content
storage
content
viewer
(A book: a player for every content!)
thedifferentlayers.

Publishingindustry
content
storage
content
viewer
thedifferentlayers.

Publishingindustry
content
storage
content
viewer
A single solutionsinceGutenberg

Music industry
content
storage
content
viewer

Music industry
content
storage
vinyl, cassette, CD, DAT, DCC,
etc.
content
viewer

Music industry
content
storage
etc.
content
viewer
turntable, cassetterecorder,
CD/DAT/DCC player, etc.

Music industry
content
storage
etc.
content
viewer
Manycombinations
(All layersclearlyseparated.)

Publishingindustry
content
storage
content
viewer

Publishingindustry
book
content
storage
content
viewer

Publishingindustry
book
content
storage
content
viewer
book

Publishingindustry
book
content
storage
content
viewer
book
“Bookindustry”

“Bookindustry”

( )
(Let’sskiptheweird part.)
( )
“Bookindustry”

( )
Compare to
International Music Day
(1st of October)
( )
“Bookindustry”

( )
Compare to
(1st of October)
( )
There’s no
World Vinyl Day
World CD Day
World MP3 Player Day
…
“Bookindustry”

( )
Compare to
(1st of October)
( )
There’s no
Sound Day
(Music applies only
to good sound.)
“Bookindustry”

( )
Many important
cultural valuesare
book-related.
( )
“Bookindustry”

( )
Many important
cultural valuesare
book-related.
( )
BUT
Celebratingtheartifact
weareforced to celebrate
all the contents
published in bookform.
“Bookindustry”

( )
( )

( )
( )
The artifact is sacralized

( )
Someconfusewhy
webuybooks
( )

( )
Someconfusewhy
webuybooks
To access
a content
( )

( )
Someconfusewhy
webuybooks
To access
a content
( )
thatdelivers
a service

Someconfusewhy
webuybookswith
thephysicalfeatures
of theartifact
To access
a content
thatdelivers
a service

Someconfusewhy
webuybookswith
thephysicalfeatures
of theartifact
touch
smell
...

Metonymy
touch
smell
...

Metonymy
touch
smell
...
leads to

Metonymy
leads to blind
Fetishism

“E-bookswillfailbecausethey
don’tfeel and smelllikebooks.”
Fetishism

Of course,
it’s a joke!
http://aprilfoolsdayontheweb.com/joke/7537/

Welikethe(current)
physicalfeatures
of theartifact
touch
smell
...
The artifact is sacralized.

Welikethe(current)
physicalfeatures
of theartifact
touch
smell
...
Butthat’snotwhywebuybooks

In bookstores,
Welikethe(current)
physicalfeatures
of theartifact
touch
smell
...
Butthat’snotwhywebuybooks

In bookstores,
,touch, etc.
booksarenotsortedbysmell

See any fetishisthere?

Thesearethe
real fetishists

Thesearethe
real fetishists
Queuingoutside
for hours

For a symbol

Fetishismcangrowanywhere.

Fetishismcangrowanywhere.
In electronicdevices, too.

I’m sure people love
their horses, too.
Jeff Bezos

I’m sure people love
their horses, too.
Jeff Bezos
But you’re not going to keep riding your horse to work just because you love your horse.

Jeff Bezos
The once and future e-book: on reading in the digital age
John Siracusa

Did you ride a horse to work today? I didn’t. I’m sure
plenty of people swore they would never ride in or
operate a “horseless carriage”
The once and future e-book: on reading in the digital age
John Siracusa

Did you ride a horse to work today? I didn’t. I’m sure
plenty of people swore they would never ride in or
operate a “horseless carriage”
—and they never did! And then they died.

Peopleloved to takecare of theirhorses.

Theystill do.

Music industry
content
storage
etc.
content
viewer

Music industry
(physical)
content
storage
etc.
Distribution
content
viewer

Music industry
content
storage
etc.
Distribution
content
viewer
Consumption

A separationunknown
in thepublishingindustry
content
storage
etc.
Distribution
content
viewer
Consumption

A separationunknown
in thepublishingindustry
content
storage
content
viewer
Butnot new for
thereadingworld.
Microfilm Reading Room of the UN Library, 1968

Publishingindustry
content
storage
etc.
Distribution
content
viewer
Consumption
Therevolution
of books

1
Publishingindustry
content
storage
etc.
Distribution
content
viewer
Consumption
A new reading
experience
Therevolution
of books

2
Publishingindustry
content
storage
etc.
Distribution
content
viewer
Consumption
Serial production of
a distributable
storage
Therevolution
of books

Commodity
Business
Model
Therevolution
of books
a distributable
storage

Commodity
Business
Model
Thebook as
a means of
monetization
Therevolution
of books
a distributable
storage

Compare to
Thebook as
a means of
monetization

Compare to
A non-
distributable
storage

Compare to
Possible
Business
Model?
A non-
distributable
storage

Theater
(Service)
Business
Model?
Possible
Business
Model?
A non-
distributable
storage

Theater
(Service)
Business
Model?
Pay to go in

Theater
(Service)
Business
Model?
Local monetization
Pay to go in

Publishingindustry
a means of
etc.
Distribution
Books
are
monetization
Consumption

Publishingindustry
a means of
etc.
Distribution
Books
are
monetization
Consumption
And then

the Internet
changedeverything

Music industry
(physical)
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
MP3 Player
digital file
the Internet
changedeverything

Publishingindustry
(physical)
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader
digital file
the Internet
changedeverything

Publishingindustry
broken!
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader
digital file
The unity of thebook,

“e-book”
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader
digital file

“e-book”
(physical)
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader

“e-book”
(physical)
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader
Digital distribution

“e-book”
Object
Stream
Digital file as a
virtual commodity
Content
in the “cloud”

Service
Emulation of
“ownership”
Service Business Model
Commodity Business Model
Object
Stream
DRM-ed
Digital file as a
virtual commodity
Content
in the “cloud”

Service
Emulation of
“ownership”
Service Business Model
Sustaininginnovation
Disruptiveinnovation
Object
Stream
DRM-ed
Digital file as a
virtual commodity
Content
in the “cloud”
ClaytonChristensen, The Innovator’sDilemma

Emulation of
“ownership”
A reassuring concept
for the book industry
“e-book”
Object
DRM-ed
Digital file as a
virtual commodity

Emulation of
“ownership”
A reassuring concept
for the book industry
“e-book”
publisher
retailer
Object
author
reader
DRM-ed
Business as usual
but digital
Digital file as a
virtual commodity

“e-book”
content
storage
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader

“e-book”
A new readingexperience
content
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader

reading
means many things
A new readingexperience
content
Distribution
content
viewer
E-reader
(There are many “reading devices”)

reading

reading
device, medium, structure…

compare…

Whosaidwewillneverread on screen?

It’s paper
but it’s not
a book

It’s paper
and it’s
a book

It’s paper
and it’s
a book
But this is
not what we think when we say
book reading

book reading

Immersive
Reading
book reading

Immersive
Reading
Drown in a sea of words

l
e
t
t
e
r
s
w
a
t
e
r
f
a
l
l
a
Immersive
Reading
Drown in a sea of words
o
f

book
Access to
Immersive
Reading
long(generally)
verbal(mostly)
is not a service
content

www
Access to
(all kinds of)
content
butis a service

www
Access to
(all kinds of)
content
butIs immersion
still possible?

butIs immersion
still possible?

Butwait...

While most people believe that the attention span of a goldfish is a few seconds this has been proven wrong.
A study done by the School of Psychology at the University or Plymouth in 2003 proved that the attention span of a gold fish is three months.

Isn’timmersion a matter of interface?

Isn’timmersion a matter of interface?
Can’tthewww
facilitatemanykinds of reading?

even
this
one
Can’tthewww

book
e-
A usefulconcept?
Can’tthewww

book
e-
A wordthatlooks
to the past
instead of thefuture

book
e-
overloadedwith
meaningfromthat past

book
e-
maybe reassuring
for the publishing industry

book
e-
but
a limiting metaphor

book
e-
but
a limiting metaphor
Sooner or later,
it will be forgotten

Thankyou
See also
The Future of Books:
Digital Literature & Market

Credits
Logos and products and websitesphotoshavebeentakenfromtherespectivecompanies’ websites. “You’vegot mail” logo from youvegotmail.warnerbros.com. 1986 Ford Quadricyclefrom oldcarandtruckpictures.com. “Print Media” image, authorunknown, available in manysites (startupmeme.com, sarahdavies.cc, andywhitman.blogspot.com, blogs.citypages.com…). MeinKampftcover, publishedbyHurst and Blackett (1982). The Postman Always Rings Twice cover, published by Pocket Books (1953). World Book and Copyright Day poster, from UNESCO. Dictionary page photo
from PompeuFabra’sDiccionari general de la llenguacatalana(Edhasa, 1977).
Xavier Badosa

lynxman / Marc Cluet
Dan4th / Dan4th Nicholas
Fox O'Rian / MattLaskowski (frag.)
13bobby / Bobby
thebbp / Giulio Bernardi
wili_hybrid / VilleMiettinen
rich115 / Richard Giles
_RoScO_ / Francisco
nep / Travis Nep Smith
Jason Pratt
Celeste / Celeste RC

JoshBancroft
Adam Solomon
LaughingSquid / Scott Beale
digitalink / [raymond]
Big Grey Mare / Carol Von Canon
swamysk
jessohackberry / Josh Kramer
splorp / Grant Hutchinson
UnitedNations
Karen Horton

http://xavierbadosa.com	2146
http://geek007.wordpress.com	155
http://www.slideshare.net	104
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	96
http://www.subversivescribe.com	47
http://ultimate	31
http://weblog.geek007.com	9
http://abtasty.com	7
http://twitter.com	2
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com	2
http://elhilodigital.blogspot.com	2
http://courtesystandoff.com	2
http://paper.li	2
http://www.thesubversivescribe.com	1
http://thesubversivescribe.com	1

E-books Are Not the Future of Books

by Xavier Badosa

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

15 Embeds 2,607

Statistics

E-books Are Not the Future of Books Presentation Transcript