[Dtb-talk] I Guess That Several People Know.

[DanFlasar at aol.com]

Greg,
   I have enjoyed your posts on audio and  DAISY file creation and 
modification very much but I couldn't  disagree with you more.  Music is one thing, DVDs 
are another and books are  something entirely different.   Everybody, no 
matter their level  of literacy, wants to listen to music and watch movies.  Book 
reading  doesn't occupy nearly that level of interest.  Even though audio 
books  are becoming more and more popular, most people prefer to  actually 
physically scan books by eye (I'm speaking of sighted folks  which are the ones we're 
worried about, right?)   People like to *buy*  books and show them off in 
libraries.  You can't do that with digital  books.  Libraries have seen drops in 
readership for years now meaning that  those who read books are an even more 
narrow section of society.
     Audible.com seems to be doing well enough in  providing recorded books 
but the very fact that people are willing to pay for  these services reinforces 
that book-lovers are less likely to be interested in  breaking the 
encryption.  How many copies of the last Harry Potter  volume were sold?  And how many 
were pirated?  Perhaps there were  pirated copies in Asia but in general, 
people wanted their own copy.  Okay,  what about Christopher Hitchens latest book?  
Or a political, left or  right, polemic?  not likely to be pirated.
     I don't buy your premise.   
Dan
 



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Greg,
   I have enjoyed your posts on audio and DAISY file creation and modification very much but I couldn't disagree with you more.  Music is one thing, DVDs are another and books are something entirely different.   Everybody, no matter their level of literacy, wants to listen to music and watch movies.  Book reading doesn't occupy nearly that level of interest.  Even though audio books are becoming more and more popular, most people prefer to actually physically scan books by eye (I'm speaking of sighted folks which are the ones we're worried about, right?)   People like to *buy* books and show them off in libraries.  You can't do that with digital books.  Libraries have seen drops in readership for years now meaning that those who read books are an even more narrow section of society.
     Audible.com seems to be doing well enough in providing recorded books but the very fact that people are willing to pay for these services reinforces that book-lovers are less likely to be interested in breaking the encryption.  How many copies of the last Harry Potter volume were sold?  And how many were pirated?  Perhaps there were pirated copies in Asia but in general, people wanted their own copy.  Okay, what about Christopher Hitchens latest book?  Or a political, left or right, polemic?  not likely to be pirated.
     I don't buy your premise.  
Dan
 
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