The idea of a paperless society is nothing new but it seems there are moves to encourage people to read more online. The US government recently announced that it is publishing the federal budget (all 2,200 pages) online.
From a conservation point of view this is a good idea. But here’s the downside. Staring at a screen for long periods isn’t very good for your eyes - so I would assume most people would print out the pages they were after anyway.
Industry writers are also predicting books, newspapers and magazines will take a huge leap toward electronic "consumption" this year with reading onscreen touted as number seven out of 10 personal tech predictions for 2008 according to this report.
Newspapers and magazines I can understand but books? Call me old fashioned but it’s very hard to curl up with a notebook and try to read. And after sitting at a computer for most of the day the last thing I want to do is go home and look at another screen (unless it is the telly - of course). I seriously doubt e-books will replace paper ones in the near future.
As for magazines and newspapers, many have gone online-only in recent times. This is risky because not having a physical presence on the stands could mean they get lost in the myriad of news sites. Generating revenue is another issue as trying to get people to pay to read news online doesn’t work. Just ask the New Zealand Herald who tried it back in 2006 with its ‘premium content’.
Feedback I get from the reseller industry suggests many still prefer to read the print edition of Reseller News, as they can read it during their lunch break or on the plane.
With that in mind, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts about reading online.
