Debate : 24657


Off-Topic / Debate / 24657

Reading in steep decline? —Larry Pieniazek
(URL) thing I came away with, and it doesn't offset the overall concern I feel, is that it may not be READING that is in steep decline, it may be reading BOOKS. One of the chief competitive sources listed was the internet. High bandwidth streaming (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

	Re: Reading in steep decline? —Christopher L. Weeks
	(...) I'm not particularly troubled. I hope to see the day when computers have fairly direct interfaces with meat. If/when that comes around, people won't read at all, really. Will that be a tragedy? I think this is just a sign of progress. On the (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Reading in steep decline? —Don Heyse
		(...) Err, do you forsee the computers of that day as more akin to the library, or the television? It could take the term couch potato to a whole new level. (...) Wild, but interesting speculation. It has all the makings of a really good SF book. (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Reading in steep decline? —Dave Schuler
		(...) I expect that reading will always (well, for a good long while yet) be a needed skill, because at some level it will be necessary simply to read the label, directions, caption, or whatever on something that doesn't support the direct-meat (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

			Re: Reading in steep decline? —Larry Pieniazek
			(...) The way I heard it was, around 1450 or so, a learned scientist did a study on the phenomenon, which supported the claim, but since he was not really happy with the results, his method of "publishing" was to ask his son to memorise the whole (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Reading in steep decline? —David Koudys
		(...) I saw an 'Outer Limits' ep about this very thing People worldwide could 'plug into' the 'net and get any info they need instantly. The 'net was run by one giant 'puter. However, there were a very small number of people, whether due to birth (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

	Re: Reading in steep decline? —Christopher L. Weeks
	Something else I should have asked in my other note... What counts as reading? If I get a CD with someone reading the Illiad to me, does that count? Obviously, I'm not engaged in the specific physical act of parsing written language, but I am (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Reading in steep decline? —Dave Schuler
		(...) It doesn't count as reading while driving unless the book is propped open on the steering wheel. Dave! (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

			Re: Reading in steep decline? —Larry Pieniazek
			(...) That doesn't count as reading either! ... but it does count as evolution in action. (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

				Re: Reading in steep decline? —Frank Filz
				"Larry Pieniazek" <larry.(mylastname)@...areDOTcom> wrote in message news:I0JqsJ.8C7@lugnet.com... (...) to me, (...) act of (...) do, in (...) open on the (...) Not if the reader is driving a Humvee... Reading really is a set of skills: 1. (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

	Re: Reading in steep decline? —Dave Schuler
	(...) I agree. While training for my esteemed current vocation, I had to attend a session re: business communication. The central tenet was that people simply don't correspond as much as they used to, and the lecturer cited some (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

	Re: Reading in steep decline? —Bruce Hietbrink
	(...) Various unorganized thoughts: --While web surfing does involve a lot of reading, this is generally in very small bites, distracted by a lot of colorful eye-candy. It's like the contrast between USA Today and the New York Times. Reading books (...) (20 years ago, 8-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)