Sunday 22 March 2009

Page v Screen

In his anything but commonplace blog, A Commonplace Blog, D.G. Myers follows up on my stray thoughts on the future of the book. I think there are still a couple of things to bring in to the discussion, and they're related. I believe the sight of print on paper - in the case of a well printed book in a decent typeface and on decent paper - is not only pleasant to see but literally easy on the eye, in a way that no on-screen image can be. I have a strong suspicion - supported by plenty of anecdotal evidence - that working closely, intensely and for long stretches of time at a screen, however supposedly friendly to the eyes, does a good deal of damage, perhaps not only to the eyes. For myself (and for many others I know of) I can testify that my eyes 'went' at exactly the time I began on-screen working in earnest. Now, some 20 years later, when I reach the end of a week crouched over the computer screen, my eyes can barely focus, I am fighting off headaches and feeling a very specific kind of exhaustion which is quite distinguishable from other forms of tiredness. It may be that screens are doing us more harm than we know - it certainly feels that way to me at the end of a hard week... For me, to turn from screen to printed page is to rest the eyes (if only by the change), and to switch my reading to any kind of on-screen device would be out of the question. And I suspect that I speak for many toilers whose days are spent in the dim, pernicious glow of a computer screen.

38 comments:

  1. I'm sure you're right. A well-made book is an object of delight and a work of art. I've always thought that typographers are incredibly talented people and truly great ones are very, very rare. Mention Hermann Zapf and most folks go blank. Yet imho he is as great an artist as any in the past century.

    I share the worries about eyestrain and health. Similar symptoms here though not as bad. It helps to have a properly calibrated monitor (most are way off for brightness, contrast, colour rendition, etc.), a quiet, non-buzzy PC and a well-ventilated room to keep the ozone fug at bay. Even then, we are all still sitting in rooms surrounded by electro-magntetic fields of various kinds put out by our "must have" devices. Hmmn, maybe a season of simplicity calls.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have little experience with the new technology and books (i.e., Kindle, Sony readers, etc.), and my experiences with reading anything longer than a paragraph or two on the computer screen have not been positive. My less than perfect eyesight is one reason for my aversion to technology and books. Another more curmudgeonly reason is bound up in my aesthetic preference for the old-fashioned pleasures I get from holding and reading words printed on paper. How can electronics replace an exquisitely leather-bound text that is finely printed on quality paper? How can electronics replace the sublime adventures to be experienced while wandering and searching among the bookshelves in bookshops and libraries? How can electronics replace the bliss of sharing the wonders of the reading experience when a parent reads a bedtime story aloud to a sleepy child? The 21st century should keep its technology. Please set aside plenty of books for the rest of us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Add to the demise of the traditional book the next candidate, Hockney has abandoned his sables and bought a graphics tablet, never mind digitising art, the art is digital. The path from conception to a print run has shortened by one step. Pixels replacing ink, and oils. What next, sculpture courtesy of a seven axis router ?

    Anyone with an investment in the analogue, abandon hope all ye who enter here, doom awaits.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The thing about Kindles and other e-readers that caught my attention was the talk about 'electronic ink' technology. Apparantly the image this produces is far closer to printed text than the eye-watering glow of conventional moniter displays. I haven't had chance to try any of these devices out though and I remain skeptical. The thought of reading entire books on an enlarged mobile phone or i-pod screen is quite distressing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Having read hundreds of hours on a Kindle, I can tell you it's nothing like reading from a computer screen. That said, there is nothing better than a book with quality paper and a decent font, but many of the books produced today are no better and many times far worse than the reading the same text on a Kindle or for that matter a Sony Reader. It seems you're comparing apples and oranges here. Have you read anything on a Kindle, have you spent more than a few minutes reading from one?

    ReplyDelete
  6. N.J. argues against comparing apples and oranges when discussing books and electronic texts. However, as one who is reluctant to change from books to Kindles, and in continuing with N.J.'s metaphor, it is simply because I very much prefer apples and really do not like oranges; therefore, I am not making a comparison but simply stating an immutable preference. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. You're absolutely right.

    I've been a kind of guinea pig. I began working in earnest full-time on computer monitors in the early 1980s, and haven't stopped since.

    I grew up with fighter-pilot eyesight. I was a running joke on family car trips, since I could read exit signs a mile and more down the expressway. Now, my left eye (my dominant eye) is permanently ruined with nerve damage, and I get the occasional migraine.

    The worst technology on eyesight was the generation of color CRTs. They were kind of like staring into a color TV eight hours a day, from 14 inches away. Current generation LCDs are a bit better.

    There was some proposed regulation out of OSHA in the late stages of the Carter administration, mandating breaktimes for people who worked on computer screens all day. Needless to say what the fate of those regulations were once the Reagan Revolution took hold.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've always enjoyed reading a book in bed, which allows me to drift off comfortable within 10-30 minutes, depending on how tired I am. I've found that I cannot do this while surfing the internet and blogs with my laptop in bed - in fact, this usually keeps me awake and causes me to be even more wired than before I got into bed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. More prosaic explanations are possible. Say you wear glasses, bifocals. Close prescription is for reading books at 20 inches. Computer screen is 30 inches and level with your head.

    Every time you work at the computer you tilt your head up to see through lower lens and you squint because prescription is for 20 inches, not 30 inches.

    Several hours later, you feel awful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. More prosaic explanations are possible. Say you wear glasses, bifocals. Close prescription is for reading books at 20 inches. Computer screen is 30 inches and level with your head.

    Every time you work at the computer you tilt your head up to see through lower lens and you squint because prescription is for 20 inches, not 30 inches.

    Several hours later, you feel awful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Since marriage is a permanent bond between two love ones,
    roses are very much preferred for dcor of wedding place.
    Fortunately, our minister has neither, and he's asked very little of us as well. This site helps you find vendors within your local area.

    Also visit my web-site ... wedding website affiliate program

    ReplyDelete
  12. providing relevant content for your blog. Robert Riohe is a well-known author,
    he has been writing different blogs on different topics
    like health,nutrition,supplements etc. I recommend
    this online marketing formula to beginner's.

    Here is my web page internet Marketing plan

    ReplyDelete
  13. You still have to expert all of those other guitar chords so as to engage in very easy
    popular music. The sooner you memorize some chords, the easier will be
    for you to perform plenty of styles of music.
    The last type of chords we will discuss in this article are spread voicings.


    my web blog; free piano chords and keys

    ReplyDelete
  14. Depending on what type of business you have you should build a fan base that consists of your target audience.
    An experienced service provider from the industry can anly assist
    you buy Facebook fans and likes that would be real
    and active Facebook users. Like anything else in this world, you
    get what you pay for.

    Look at my weblog http://socialbears.com/facebook-fans/
    My web site > netenet.in

    ReplyDelete
  15. They buy Twitter followers as Twitter is an effective marketing platform as much
    as it is a social networking media. It means the more the
    number of followers, the expensive would be the cost
    of the package. In short, an online business can able to get
    fair ranking on major search engines and generate huge traffic by increase Twitter Followers in bulk.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I every time used to read post in news papers but now as I am a user of net therefore from
    now I am using net for articles, thanks to web.


    Here is my web site: 5th birthday party ideas
    Also see my site: 13Th Birthday Party Ideas

    ReplyDelete
  17. On Sunday nights Erin Jaimes hosts a blues jam where anyone from Alan Haynes to Gary Clark,
    Jr. Local country clubs are offering trivia fun for as
    little as forty dollars per couple. 8.

    My web blog; pub quiz area

    ReplyDelete
  18. can be included. By meat I mean red meat, white meat and seafood.
    Long Hair on the Paleo Diet: Omega-3s.

    Take a look at my page; paleo diet And Alcoholism

    ReplyDelete
  19. The irritation could then spread in the baby's buttocks and upper thigh area, as well as the genitals. The most common feature of yeast infection are-. If you apply Aloe Vera gel on the affected areas it can help reduce the itching and burning caused by the infection.

    my weblog symptoms of Yeast infection and Bleeding

    ReplyDelete
  20. There are features that allow you to keep track of vendors that you like and keep
    notes so you know why they are listed. Fortunately, our minister has neither, and he's asked very little of us as well. This is not always something that brides or grooms have time to put together on their own.

    Here is my blog :: wedding website and invitations

    ReplyDelete
  21. The other way to get more Facebook fans is by rewarding the loyal
    fans that you already have. An experienced service provider from the industry can anly assist you buy Facebook fans and
    likes that would be real and active Facebook users. One way of looking at the
    cost of the purchase of fans for fan pages is whether to place an ad,
    you would have to pay for it.

    Take a look at my web blog :: www.helpinghand.org.nz

    ReplyDelete
  22. Simple and Easy to Create Recipes with clear step by step instructions you will be
    able to produce paleo friendly meals that get rave reviews from friends and family every- time.
    Obesity is an epidemic in our society. The Paleo Gluten Free Diet has many health claims.


    Check out my page paleo diet acne rosacea
    My site :: paleo diet and Diabetes

    ReplyDelete
  23. There are various kids birthday party games that it is possible to play with your kids and your guests.

    There are tons of places online that will help you in
    this regard. Kids birthday party themes and ideas are not hard to find, and there are many good suggestions here on the site.


    Feel free to visit my web site: 16th birthday party ideas
    My web site - 16th birthday party ideas

    ReplyDelete
  24. '''. The sooner you memorize some chords, the easier will be for you to perform plenty of styles of music. When you're acquainted
    with these core 7 keys you can start to learn about the black
    keys (flats and sharps).

    Here is my web site tanging yaman piano chords and lyrics

    ReplyDelete
  25. On Sunday nights Erin Jaimes hosts a blues jam where anyone from Alan Haynes to Gary Clark,
    Jr. Popular prizes include sports tickets, cash and vouchers
    for drinks, food - and dollars off of tabs. Her father, Bruce Paltrow,
    produced the critically acclaimed TV series that is considered the precursor to many
    medical shows today, St.

    Have a look at my web-site ... redtooth pub quiz answers
    My web page > pub quiz and answers

    ReplyDelete
  26. G# or Ab - (lower) so#, (middle) do, (middle) re# G#, C, D# keys.
    So you want to learn how to play the piano.

    It is very soothing to hear the sound of piano and based
    on such vast change of scales, a song sounds so melodious.


    my page; piano chords of a thousand miles

    ReplyDelete
  27. The decor on the inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful.
    *Rounds table format. They feature almost nightly drink specials and some form of entertainment every
    night of the week--DJ's, live music, trivia, you name it.

    Here is my page; pub quiz names

    ReplyDelete
  28. It is through urine and feces that we purge our body of infection.
    Drinking a lot of water, eating plain yogurt, and drinking unsweetened cranberry juice as part of her
    daily diet can help maintain a woman's natural p - H, if she is prone to yeast infections due to constant p - H imbalance. If you apply Aloe Vera gel on the affected areas it can help reduce the itching and burning caused by the infection.

    Here is my page - yeast infection and pregnancy symptoms

    ReplyDelete
  29. Well with the internet the world has suddenly become the
    customer base of many businesses, especially Facebook.
    Facebook fans and you can get Facebook fans cheap if you follow the link at the bottom of this article.
    Like anything else in this world, you get what you pay for.


    my web blog Buy Google Plus One Votes Cheap
    Also see my web site: increase Google Plus One Votes

    ReplyDelete
  30. (Thank you rounds are always welcome, of course.
    Popular prizes include sports tickets, cash and vouchers for drinks, food - and dollars off of tabs.
    The buccal cavity is a small cavity that has neither jaws nor teeth.


    Have a look at my homepage; pub quiz austin texas
    My site: pub quiz aberdeen

    ReplyDelete
  31. You still have to expert all of those other guitar chords so as to engage in very easy popular music.
    As an alternative, it will most likely be far more powerful for you to
    learn about audio and chord idea. When you're acquainted with these core 7 keys you can start to learn about the black keys (flats and sharps).

    Feel free to surf to my blog; piano chords am f
    Also see my website: christian piano chords and lyrics

    ReplyDelete
  32. One quick and important note: make sure you know the
    requirements and can get them all accomplished for your out-of-state
    or out-of-country wedding. Meredith's mother suffered from Alzheimer's in prior seasons.
    If you don't have time, think about hiring someone for Best wedding website.

    Also visit my site ... free wedding website advertising
    My site > the knot wedding website amanda isgate and brandon hicks

    ReplyDelete
  33. It is particularly helpful as you fight off this yeast infection in mouth.
    Include about three to 4 tablespoons of vinegar to a bathtub stuffed
    with a tiny sum of warm h2o and only bathe
    in it for fifteen to twenty minutes. Apple-cider vinegar diluted in water kills yeast and
    provides temporary relief.

    My site: vaginal yeast infection after hysterectomy

    ReplyDelete
  34. In other words, they go against the grain of the careers their
    parents had. Brazenhead is a great place to go with your family or for a business lunch or dinner, but if you are looking for a party atmosphere, this isn't it. The Bull's Head Pub,
    Bangkok.

    Also visit my homepage: pub quiz and answers general knowledge

    ReplyDelete
  35. Food has become the most overused drug and the most underused form of nutrition.
    The fact is, most grains are quite high in glycemic index, meaning that
    they make your blood sugar go up rapidly, and send you crashing down soon thereafter.
    - Lecithin.

    my website paleo diet and ms
    My webpage > paleo diet alcohol

    ReplyDelete
  36. You might also want to visit my blog at blog. You are now familiar
    with the advanced search feature of Yahoo Answers, once you do a.
    There are many blog plug-ins  such as Caffeinated Content for Wordpress 
    that  pulls.

    Look into my blog post: Internet Marketing Tips

    ReplyDelete
  37. With the increasing fan base your product sale will also considerably increase and your
    marketing objectives will be easily achieved. Everyone knows that the internet
    is a global village where it is very simple to reach your
    audience for the promotion of specific business idea, products
    or services. Facebook fans offers the opportunity for you to be spontaneous and quick responses as well as
    receive messages from your users.

    Take a look at my blog post; increase facebook fans

    ReplyDelete
  38. In the world of social networking, numbers say a lot about one's business. An experienced service provider from the industry can anly assist you buy Facebook fans and likes that would be real and active Facebook users. This is the reason why most of organizations are now being into contact with social networking solution providers.

    my blog post - Buy Facebook Fans Cheap
    My web page: http://www.geetaurzabooronline.com/space/?L=blogs.blog&article=1181

    ReplyDelete