Reading the Next Book Peter Brantley Sept/Oct 2007 DLF

“ a book is a machine to think with.” I. A. Richards Principles of Literary Criticism 1924

“ a book is a machine to think with.”

I. A. Richards

Principles of Literary Criticism

1924

the book is a social construction — a very successful commodity form that is a physical representation of content that has been remarkably successful for almost all modern-era human cultures

the book is a social construction —

a very successful commodity form

that is a

physical representation of content

that has been

remarkably successful for almost all

modern-era human cultures

reading, then, is a social product : a combination of a commodity artifact (i.e., the book as a physical object), the way human language works, an understanding of space, quiet.

reading, then, is a social product :

a combination of a commodity artifact

(i.e., the book as a physical object),

the way human language works,

an understanding of space, quiet.

analog culture is being uplifted to digital ... and so ... what is a “book” is being wholly redefined into a new kind of commodity — and so then also is “reading” being wholly redefined, subtly.

analog culture is being uplifted to digital

... and so ...

what is a “book”

is being wholly redefined

into a new kind of commodity

— and so then also is “reading”

being wholly redefined, subtly.

reading [ to oneself ] was once the epitome of a solitary act, but now reading, as a product, is becoming a social act, woven into the network fabric.

reading [ to oneself ]

was once the epitome

of a solitary act,

but

now reading, as a product,

is becoming a social act,

woven into the network fabric.

the transition is imminent (but implied) by the increasing digitization of text production

the transition is imminent

(but implied)

by the increasing digitization

of text production

books are morphing into digital through two different paths: digital production of the new scanning of the old

books are morphing into digital

through two different paths:

digital production of the new

scanning of the old

direct digital production (by publishers) attractive cost savings over time but complex, expensive to implement therefore often a slow transition

direct digital production

(by publishers)

attractive cost savings over time

but complex, expensive to implement

therefore often a slow transition

scanning printed material : a) externally - Goog, Msft, Ingram ( content > external party control) b) internally - publisher initiated ( content > internal group control)

scanning printed material :

a) externally - Goog, Msft, Ingram

( content > external party control)

b) internally - publisher initiated

( content > internal group control)

access modes are split in Twain: Old : package format (bin w/drm: legacy ebook)  New : network access (reflowable text/html: IDPF epub)

access modes are split in Twain:

Old : package format

(bin w/drm: legacy ebook)



New : network access

(reflowable text/html: IDPF epub)

advantage adheres to - text/html + network access

advantage adheres to -

text/html + network access

text/html advantages: native media easier to maintain than binary user enrichment is straightforward (on/off) content can be redrawn by the user easy accessibility = support for blind device-independent, adaptive re-formatting text is less demanding of hardware

text/html advantages:

native media easier to maintain than binary

user enrichment is straightforward (on/off)

content can be redrawn by the user

easy accessibility = support for blind

device-independent, adaptive re-formatting

text is less demanding of hardware

network advantages print on demand social - sharing, recommending, rating content enhancement (georef, temporal) licensing revenue attractive (vs purchase) highly granular usage data aggregation local caching with sync straightforward constant content updates through push greater account storage available

network advantages

print on demand

social - sharing, recommending, rating

content enhancement (georef, temporal)

licensing revenue attractive (vs purchase)

highly granular usage data aggregation

local caching with sync straightforward

constant content updates through push

greater account storage available

and Google .... ? Google presents page images Text-copy support is limited. GOOG does not currently support “.epub”. ( but they could at the very least for PD text) Eventual conflicts with Ingram and Amazon are likely for the future discovery of content.

and Google .... ?

Google presents page images

Text-copy support is limited.

GOOG does not currently support “.epub”.

( but they could at the very least for PD text)

Eventual conflicts with Ingram and Amazon are likely for the future discovery of content.

How do users pay for digital services? “ Show me the money!!”

How do users pay

for digital services?

“ Show me the money!!”

public domain might be free that is a social responsibility > we must make it happen < everyone benefits through access the rest will be paid, somehow

public domain might be free

that is a social responsibility

> we must make it happen <

everyone benefits through access

the rest will be paid, somehow

revenue models : advertising-supported - or - expect PPV for individuals licensing for organization/enterprise

revenue models :

advertising-supported

- or -

expect PPV for individuals

licensing for organization/enterprise

what can’t easily generate revenue is the broad class of “orphan works”: not obviously in public domain could be in-copyright probably out of print rights holder is uncertain

what can’t easily generate revenue

is the broad class of “orphan works”:

not obviously in public domain

could be in-copyright

probably out of print

rights holder is uncertain

if Google settles with publishers ... for in-copyright, out of print books expect a licensing scheme (voluntary collective licensing) revenue sharing between publishers and Google

if Google settles with publishers ...

for in-copyright, out of print books

expect a licensing scheme

(voluntary collective licensing)

revenue sharing between

publishers and Google

library books digitized by Google then resold by Google licensed by libraries

library books

digitized

by Google

then resold

by Google

licensed

by libraries

all online models are a mixed blessing particularly for reading !! “ Architecture is politics ... ” - Mitch Kapor

PRIVACY

PRIVACY

in the digital world privacy does not inherently exist it must be explicitly designed for. & because engineering is expensive user control of information may be the rarest artifact on the network.

in the digital world

privacy does not inherently exist

it must be explicitly designed for.

& because engineering is expensive

user control of information may be

the rarest artifact on the network.

if we should not be careful privacy becomes a corporate commodity (not even a public commodity) negotiable for purchase

if we should not be careful

privacy

becomes a corporate commodity

(not even a public commodity)

negotiable for purchase

libraries had protected and still protect in their contracts but agglomeration of information will certainly only increase with time and the power of awareness with it

libraries had protected

and still protect

in their contracts

but agglomeration of information

will certainly only increase with time

and the power of awareness with it

StreetView capture pictures of people on the street, in shops, in homes is this a privacy violation?

StreetView

capture pictures of people

on the street, in shops, in homes

is this a privacy violation?

Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2004. Street View &quot;does not appear to meet the basic requirements of knowledge, consent, and limited collection and use as set out in the legislation.&quot; Canadian privacy commissioner, letter to Google, Sept 2007

Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2004.

Street View &quot;does not appear to meet the basic requirements of knowledge, consent, and limited collection and use as set out in the legislation.&quot;

Canadian privacy commissioner,

letter to Google, Sept 2007

&quot;We would launch Street View in Canada in keeping with the principles and requirements of Canadian law ... we'll have to focus on finding ways to make sure that individual's faces are not identifiable in pictures taken in Canada and that license plate numbers are not identifiable in Canada.” -- Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel

&quot;We would launch Street View in Canada in keeping with the principles and requirements of Canadian law ... we'll have to focus on finding ways to make sure that individual's faces are not identifiable in pictures taken in Canada and that license plate numbers are not identifiable in Canada.”

-- Peter Fleischer,

Google's global privacy counsel

the majority of network data collection is invisible to the user. my mobile phone service provider: / knows where I am / who I talk to / when I talk to them / who my friends are

my mobile phone service provider:

/ knows where I am

/ who I talk to

/ when I talk to them

/ who my friends are

the down s i d e life experience is recorded information use is tracked, advantage adheres to those who insert dams to pool events within the flow of information

the down

s

i

d

e

life experience is recorded

information use is tracked,

advantage adheres to those

who insert dams to pool events

within the flow of information

accepting loss of privacy with an ability to opt-out yields an enhanced product offering

accepting loss of privacy

with an ability to opt-out

yields an enhanced product offering

privacy issue is not dissimilar from copyright Google Book Search Google digitizes copyrighted material provides an innovative useful service and there is an opt-out option

privacy issue is not dissimilar

from copyright

Google Book Search

Google digitizes copyrighted material

provides an innovative useful service

and there is an opt-out option

Both are appropriations (without any apology) (with givebacks upon request) that enable useful services.

Both are appropriations

(without any apology)

(with givebacks upon request)

that

enable

useful services.

[Information flow] (on-line) things people >> do >> corporations >> >> governments >> ??

[Information flow]

(on-line)

things people >>

do

>> corporations >>

>> governments >>

??

how well, really, do national governments actually control corporations? and what is the relation of people to government?

how well, really,

do national governments

actually control

corporations?

and

what is the relation of

people to government?

and therefore the relation of people to their identity people to their privacy people to their rights

and therefore the relation of

people to their identity

people to their privacy

people to their rights

as reading becomes a social act embedded within the network

as reading becomes a

social act

embedded within

the network

all this is present in how we decide >> together << to shape reading -- with our new books

all this is present

in how we decide

>> together <<

to shape reading --

with our new books

contact info: email: peter at diglib org thanks !

contact info:

email: peter at diglib org

thanks !