Comments for Twocentsworth.com http://twocentsworth.com The homepage and weblog of Aaron M. Wagner Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:28:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on Is the future of reading really in danger? by Leah http://twocentsworth.com/2007/11/25/is-the-future-of-reading-really-in-danger/#comment-27 Leah Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:16:25 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/11/25/is-the-future-of-reading-really-in-danger/#comment-27 I'm totally in agreement with Geoff, with the physical and environmental issues of a physical book. However, I'm now faced at work with the concept of imaging, and going toward a "paperless" mortgage file. Heck, we're still facing issues with all the Guidelines and Manuals on-line! These do not, in fact, save time! I look back fondly at the time when rifling through the dog-eared, many post-it notes stuck on pages went much, much quicker! Another issue that is being totally ignored is our eyesight. Like many people, I'm nearsighted, with an astigmatism, and because of my age, also have Presbyopia. http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/presbyopia.htm Years ago, my eye doctor told me that as I aged, my vision would in fact get better, and I could schedule my eye exams further apart. However, the reverse has been true, and at my last exam, I asked him to explain. He asked me one question. How many hours a day are you at a computer?? It turns out that the old rules have flown out the window, driven by our technological advances, to the detriment of our eyesight. I have 13 years to go before retirement age. At what point, can I claim Workman's Comp for my worsening vision??? Just wondering!? I’m totally in agreement with Geoff, with the physical and environmental issues of a physical book. However, I’m now faced at work with the concept of imaging, and going toward a “paperless” mortgage file. Heck, we’re still facing issues with all the Guidelines and Manuals on-line! These do not, in fact, save time! I look back fondly at the time when rifling through the dog-eared, many post-it notes stuck on pages went much, much quicker! Another issue that is being totally ignored is our eyesight. Like many people, I’m nearsighted, with an astigmatism, and because of my age, also have Presbyopia. http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/presbyopia.htm
Years ago, my eye doctor told me that as I aged, my vision would in fact get better, and I could schedule my eye exams further apart. However, the reverse has been true, and at my last exam, I asked him to explain. He asked me one question. How many hours a day are you at a computer??

It turns out that the old rules have flown out the window, driven by our technological advances, to the detriment of our eyesight. I have 13 years to go before retirement age. At what point, can I claim Workman’s Comp for my worsening vision???
Just wondering!?

]]> Comment on Is the future of reading really in danger? by Scott http://twocentsworth.com/2007/11/25/is-the-future-of-reading-really-in-danger/#comment-25 Scott Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:03:42 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/11/25/is-the-future-of-reading-really-in-danger/#comment-25 I'm still in the dark ages (pre-iPod), but I'd love to see a contrast on Amazon's Kindle with the iPod's TOS... I’m still in the dark ages (pre-iPod), but I’d love to see a contrast on Amazon’s Kindle with the iPod’s TOS…

]]> Comment on Is the future of reading really in danger? by Geoff http://twocentsworth.com/2007/11/25/is-the-future-of-reading-really-in-danger/#comment-23 Geoff Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:23:56 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/11/25/is-the-future-of-reading-really-in-danger/#comment-23 I've tried reading ebooks and PDF books before, but it's not the same as holding a real piece of paper or an actual book in my hands. With a real book, you can dog-ear the pages, write in the margins, underline or highlight key words. You can smell the pages, feel the texture of the paper, add a bookmark that physically sticks out to mark your page. The best part of owning a physical book; not needing to make sure that you have enough battery juice to keep reading for hours! I'm curious about the "greenness" of ebooks and their hardware readers. You have to constantly charge it like any other electronic device, so it requires power from the grid that is, in the US, majority coal-produced. When it breaks, it'll end up in a dump and the battery will leech into the soil and cause contamination. Are they produced without lead (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RoHS" rel="nofollow">RoHS</a>) or other materials that will leech as well? Is there a plan to recycle the electrical components after the reader stops working in a few years (because we all know that hand-held electronics all break eventually)? What happens when the reader breaks, do you have a way to get back the old copies of the ebook? Are you allowed to backup the files and still have them work for you? I like the fact that I could, if done with a physical book, go to a used book store (like <a href="http://www.bookmans.com/" rel="nofollow">Bookmans</a>) and sell/trade it so that someone else can get enjoyment out of it. With DRM, I'm betting you can't just do that. I like the fact that just about 100% of a book can be separated and recycled into a new book or magazine or something else useful and reused again and again. That is certainly not true with electronics. Call me old-fashioned, but I like physically owning the book and not virtually owning it. I'll still opt for paperback and hardcover over ebook any day. I’ve tried reading ebooks and PDF books before, but it’s not the same as holding a real piece of paper or an actual book in my hands. With a real book, you can dog-ear the pages, write in the margins, underline or highlight key words. You can smell the pages, feel the texture of the paper, add a bookmark that physically sticks out to mark your page. The best part of owning a physical book; not needing to make sure that you have enough battery juice to keep reading for hours!

I’m curious about the “greenness” of ebooks and their hardware readers. You have to constantly charge it like any other electronic device, so it requires power from the grid that is, in the US, majority coal-produced. When it breaks, it’ll end up in a dump and the battery will leech into the soil and cause contamination. Are they produced without lead (RoHS) or other materials that will leech as well? Is there a plan to recycle the electrical components after the reader stops working in a few years (because we all know that hand-held electronics all break eventually)? What happens when the reader breaks, do you have a way to get back the old copies of the ebook? Are you allowed to backup the files and still have them work for you?

I like the fact that I could, if done with a physical book, go to a used book store (like Bookmans) and sell/trade it so that someone else can get enjoyment out of it. With DRM, I’m betting you can’t just do that. I like the fact that just about 100% of a book can be separated and recycled into a new book or magazine or something else useful and reused again and again. That is certainly not true with electronics.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like physically owning the book and not virtually owning it. I’ll still opt for paperback and hardcover over ebook any day.

]]> Comment on small update for friends, family, colleagues, etc… by Lance Willett http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-21 Lance Willett Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:33:57 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-21 It's great, as always, to read and hear about life in the Wagner household. Keep the writing going! We love seeing your pictures, too. It’s great, as always, to read and hear about life in the Wagner household. Keep the writing going! We love seeing your pictures, too.

]]> Comment on small update for friends, family, colleagues, etc… by Brian C. http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-20 Brian C. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:19:40 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-20 welcome back. Nice to hear the family is doing well - Looking forward to reading more about it. welcome back. Nice to hear the family is doing well - Looking forward to reading more about it.

]]> Comment on five miles to bliss by Leah http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/10/five-miles-to-bliss/#comment-12 Leah Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:31:45 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/10/five-miles-to-bliss/#comment-12 Smart Daddy! Smart Daddy!

]]> Comment on small update for friends, family, colleagues, etc… by albert http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-11 albert Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:56:23 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-11 That's great, Aaron. Glad you are doing so well and have such a wonderful family. That’s great, Aaron. Glad you are doing so well and have such a wonderful family.

]]> Comment on small update for friends, family, colleagues, etc… by Aaron http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-9 Aaron Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:09:24 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-9 Thanks Sam. I agree and definitely can't imagine not being there. Thanks Sam. I agree and definitely can’t imagine not being there.

]]> Comment on small update for friends, family, colleagues, etc… by Todd http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-7 Todd Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:50:43 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-7 Awesome that you are having the opportunity to spend so much time with Nate. Glad to see you posting again. Awesome that you are having the opportunity to spend so much time with Nate. Glad to see you posting again.

]]> Comment on small update for friends, family, colleagues, etc… by Sam D http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-6 Sam D Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:58:09 +0000 http://twocentsworth.com/2007/10/05/personal-update/#comment-6 Hey, been there, doing that... Sleep deprivation goes with the territory, strange hours and a feeling of always missing something. But after all the endless towers built and knocked down, all the bubbles blown, all the little milestones gained, can you imagine not being there or letting some 'care giver' see those moments... Sam D Hey, been there, doing that… Sleep deprivation goes with the territory, strange hours and a feeling of always missing something. But after all the endless towers built and knocked down, all the bubbles blown, all the little milestones gained, can you imagine not being there or letting some ‘care giver’ see those moments…

Sam D

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