Publishing news obviously interests me, because I’m a writer. Technology news obviously interests me because I’m a geek. Of course, lately, those two things merge rather frequently, what with this little event known as the ebook revolution. So, in a way, this news grabbed my attention because I much prefer my Nook to a Kindle. In a way, it was disappointing, because I’m certainly no fan of Windows or anything else Microsoft has ever thrown together. At the end of the day, though, I really felt that it was interesting, but ultimately one more in a constant stream of news items on the rapidly changing landscape of digital publishing.
Unless…
I think that this is really important from a cultural standpoint, and I mean that in a bigger way than the obvious ways in which our technological developments impact us as a culture. I think that it’s summed up well in the article’s statement that it will put ebooks front and center in the hands of “hundreds of millions of users.” I think that this is especially important because Barnes & Noble is much more focused on literature than is Amazon. This is more than simply a technological advance that is good for end users. This is about getting literature and good books into the hands of more readers.
Anything that gets us to read more is good for everyone. Anything that exposes us to more good literature is also a situation in which we all win. It’s fascinating how our technology is increasing our access to art and literature, and other information that is of enormous and irreplaceable value to our culture. I wonder if there’s anyone out there that still writes off the digital realm as unsubstantive or as being all about useless videos and time-wasting games?
I’m no fan of Microsoft, but it is still the lowest common denominator upon which most people do their computing. I’m thrilled that ebooks will become even easier to access and more prominent on the screens of more people. The more we read, the more we grow.
Growth is a good thing.
Photo Attribution: Mostly Muppet