TVO.org dives into a discussion about reading with a panel of guests including Microsoft Research’s Bill Buxton. As reading digital content ‘onscreen’ (whatever that screen may be) rather than in print increases, what will that mean for society? And as information delivery naturally ‘packets down’ from long-form literary novels to ever-shorter posts and tweets, are we witnessing the death of long-form storytelling?
This is an interesting dicussion worth watching. As technology adapts to humans and as humans adapt to technology I think we’ll find an ever changing balance with reading habits. Devices like e-Ink Readers and slate tablets have great benefits for long-form reading, and sales of books like Twilight and the Harry Potter series suggest that we’re still willing to invest time in a good text story even while the entropy of choice dictates that in our spare time we’re more likely to jump across info-nuggets social networking and news aggregators.
Also see:
Bill Hill: The Future of Reading on the Web Part 1
Bill Hill: The Future of Reading on the Web Part 2
Bill Hill: Will anyone read an onscreen book?
Bill Hill: Typography in Windows Vista
