Will HTML ever replace the printed book?

[Jariel]

Just a bit of a discussion point here. I've head a lot of people who say that HTML is killing the book and magazine industry, but I'm not sure that's such a bad thing.

With the advent of the Internet, people everywhere of all backgrounds now have the freedom to express themselves, and unlike books that need to go through red tape, administration and incur a lot of expense, HTML is instant and free of any corporate politics.

Although every writer longs to hold a copy of his/her hardback book, this is really just a gesture that says "I've been approved". Likewise, when a book is on the shelf and in best seller lists, it gains publicity, but websites gain publicity too if the marketing is right. Fees can also be charged to view or download material, but will be much cheaper than books due to lack of overheads.

Also, writers don't have to fill X amount of pages before their work can be released. In theory, this reduces the amount of surplus waffling and filler material.

Anyway, just want to know your thoughts...

 

[spider_007]

not any time soon.....by 20 years from now, who knows.

 

[mintxx]

Despite all the good material available online, most is sh!t. Books are certainly becoming a luxury item with niche appeal, but that's due to illiteracy and lack of interest more than anything. Few young adults can hold their attention spans down long enough to read The Great Gatsby or any average length paperback, and putting that same material online won't make an iota of difference to the diminishing use of the written word.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I don't think so.
Sitting in front of a screen is entirely different than kicking back with a good book.

if anything it's an issue of utility, comfort, and feel.

 

[Fred Da Head]

It's already pretty much done in some countries like Japan, although it's not so much general HTML as it is made-for-cellphones. Many of the best sellers are republished for cellphones, and there's even a developing market of direct-to-cellphone books, written for that specific market and that medium.

I think the practical aspect of online/electronic books will eventually win over actual books, if only because you can lug around thousands of books in one with a computer or even a palm pilot, whereas you can conceivably lug around a few, and they're bulky and not very practical.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Are you serious? Never in a million years.... YouTube on the other hand....