Re: What will they think of next! not the BOOK, but the SCROLL !!

This was a great tongue in the cheek posting.

A colleague had the following response:

Thanks, Jacques, for bringing this new technology to our attention.
However, somehow, I don't think BOOK will catch on.
What worries me, are the following aspects.
1.  Has this product been thoroughly researched?
2.  Has anyone considered the divide between those who have and those
who have not.  Will this not just deepen the chasm?
3.  What about accessibility to those who cannot see, or those with
diverse cultural backgrounds?
3.  Do you realise that it might be used as a vehicle for pornography,
hatespeak or other ethically and morally unacceptable uses, and, without

electronic filtering devices, the spread of the evil througout society
would be hard to check.
4.  Have legal issues concerning copyright been sorted out, particularly

in the light of the fact that it would be VERY EASY to photocopy from
paper.

No, Jaques, I'm sorry, but I think the inventors of BOOK should go back
to the drawingboard.
This concept needs much refinement before it can be released onto the
open market.

I have given the proposal a great deal of thought and have come up with,

what I think, would be a better solution.

The SCROLL.

The scroll would eliminate the inherent design flaw in BOOK that pages
come apart, as it will be a continuous roll, much like our current fax
scrolls.
Instead of being done on paper, it would be done on substantially more
rugged material such as papyrus, or parchment.
This will make it harder to photocopy and, since the medium is more
expensive, it will be less open to abuse.
To make this expensive commodity more accessible, it could be loaded
into buses and driven to rural areas where children could be allowed to
work through pre-selected volumes UNDER STRICT SUPERVISION.
In order to compress the data onto scroll, it could be done in a very
small (say 4 point) font, and magnifying glasses could be supplied to
each reader.

I think you will agree that SCROLL will easily outperform BOOK.

Johannes Cronjé

And may I add, SCROLL uses a metaphor we all know -- scrolling through a
screen.

____________________________

Caylin Kingsail wrote:

> A little off the track .....but good none the less!
>
>
>  MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH
> > > ********************************************************
> > >
> > > Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade
> named
> > > BOOK.
> > >
> > > BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no
> > > electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or
> switched
> on.
> > >
> > > It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.
> > >
> > > Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere-even sitting in an
> > > armchair by the fire-yet it is powerful enough to hold as much
> > > information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:
> > >
> > > BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper
> > > (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of
> information.
> > >
> > > The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a
> binder
> > > which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper
> > > Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the
> sheet,
> > > doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are
> divided
> > > on the prospects for further increases in information density; for
> now,
> > > BOOKS with more information simply use more pages.
> > >
> > > Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly
> into
> > > your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.
> > >
> > > BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.
> > >
> > > BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, though like other
> display
> > > devices it can become unusable if dropped overboard. The "browse"
> > > feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move
> forward or
> > > backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which
> > > pin-points the exact location of any selected information for
> instant
> > > retrieval.
> > >
> > > An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the
> exact
> > > place you left it in a previous session-even if the BOOK has been
> > > closed.
> > >
> > > BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark
> can
> be
> > > used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOK
> > > markers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store
> numerous
> > > views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages
> in the
> > > BOOK.
> > >
> > > You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an
>
> > > optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic
> > > Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).
> > >
> > > Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a
> precursor
> > > of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain
> that
> > > thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and
> > > investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles
> soon.

--
______________________________________________
Jacques Steyn (PhD)
Associate Professor: Multimedia
Department of Information Science
School for Information Technology
University Pretoria
Pretoria
South Africa

Tel +27 12 420 4258
Fax +27 12 362 5181
Email: jsteyn@up.ac.za
Web:
Information Science
http://is.up.ac.za
School for Information Technology
http://sit.up.ac.za