Moving text (and image) into e-space (2)

Moving text (and image) into e-space (2)
What are the effects — good and bad — of transforming the printed text, with its familiar strengths, comforts, and weaknesses, into electronic, computer-based text? What advantages can one get by turning a printed book into a form of text that is virtual?

Characteristic Advantage Disadvantage

infinitely variable text can be continually up-dated, corrected, and improved text loses fixity

adaptable same basic text can have additional readers and uses effort must be expended to preserve original main text for certain purposes

open readers can enter at any point when they need specific information author loses some control;
readers who arrive at formerly unconventional points need to be oriented

capable of being "processed" text can searched, analyzed, formulated on demand, or integrated with animation and suimulation preserving integrity of text difficult

capable of being infinitely duplicated far larger audiences at no cost too many texts

capable of being moved about rapidly education, ease, low cost access to many readers; new forms of business, arts, and scholarship Material not on the internet tends to be forgotten. Our notions of necessary speed change.

becomes location independent value not location counts:
Singapore can become a major node in a centerless network potential loss of cultural or communnity cohesion

Electronic media allows hypermedia

Characteristic	Advantage	Disadvantage
infinitely variable	text can be continually up-dated, corrected, and improved	text loses fixity
adaptable	same basic text can have additional readers and uses	effort must be expended to preserve original main text for certain purposes
open	readers can enter at any point when they need specific information	author loses some control; readers who arrive at formerly unconventional points need to be oriented
capable of being "processed"	text can searched, analyzed, formulated on demand, or integrated with animation and suimulation	preserving integrity of text difficult
capable of being infinitely duplicated	far larger audiences at no cost	too many texts
capable of being moved about rapidly	education, ease, low cost access to many readers; new forms of business, arts, and scholarship	Material not on the internet tends to be forgotten. Our notions of necessary speed change.
becomes location independent	value not location counts: Singapore can become a major node in a centerless network	potential loss of cultural or communnity cohesion