Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 20:15:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Cliff High <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: ELECTRONIC TEXTS
Sender: "SHARP-L Society for the History of Authorship, Reading & Publishing"
 <[log in to unmask]>
 
Frwd from a discussion about the quality of etexts on gutenberg
by jmcf:
 
>        Given all of that, I would mention that these sources will only
>get better in the future.  (People such as David Seaman at U Va. are
>keeping an eye on these texts' quality.)  In my library school classes
>this semester at the University of Arizona, I have observed the
>continuing rapid transformation of information access from print to
>electronic form.  As we are in a transitional period, the texts are not
>as numerous as they will be in the future but as with past technological
>innovations of this nature, the technique will improve over time and with
>scholars' increased experience with this media.
 
>        I hope that helps you.  Thanks for listening.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>David J. Duncan
 
There is also the issue of the evolution of reading. We are in a transitional
phase there as well. It is absurd that in essence we are reading as we would
from stone tablets. We have simply transfered the information to a tablet
whose virtual lies in illumination.
 
Yes, I am aware that they are flexible and erase easily and provide really
cool graphics as well as interactive tv, but the computer screen, as it is
currently used, is no great improvement over stone tablets. As far as the
reading is concerned.
 
Consider that the average reading speed for English language speakers is 240
words a minute on a white background black foreground reflected light
surface. It actually goes down under testing on most computer screens to 180
to 200 words a minute from most word processing programs. This is in spite of
the 'richness' of the text display.
 
Of course, reading is our way of assimulating information from the computer
media. The very same media that allow us to crank out information in such
vast quantities that we are in danger of drowning in it. It is no wonder, at
even 240 words a minute, that the information society feels more like an
information flood. It is no wonder that we feel as though we never have time
for anything other than fatigued assimulation of and endless text stream. It
is no wonder that we begin to hate the producers of this flood.
 
Now, it we could only read faster........
 
 
Try the future of electronic books. Vortex is Machine Assisted Reading
Software. It is an entirely new way to read. Our users report reading at
better than 1200 words a minute within minutes of use. The impact of works of
fiction at that speed are akin to living the experience written about.
 
Vortex 1.01 is shareware. Try it to see the future of reading.
You will never think about reading in the same way again.
 
___________________________________
Cliff High
Tenax Software Engineering
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         "To change the world,
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