if v-apple != v-orange then next dumb-idea

Via GalleyCat on Twitter, I read of this strange notion:

Sony’s Haber compares LPs to CD transition–sudden resale of back catalog in new format–to publishing today. #ebooksummit

Uh … I hope he isn’t seriously expecting people to buy that one. And that he’s not saying what I think he’s saying.

Books differ from LPs, CDs and mp3s in several important ways which make these kinds of comparisons just plain silly.

Books are human-readable. Unlike LPs, you don’t need special equipment to decode the information recorded therein. Also, they have a very long life — unlike LPs, they don’t scratch and warp.

Well, they do, but you can still read them afterwards.

Furthermore, many people don’t re-read books. But we listen to records* more than once — with the possible exception of those bought by well-meaning aunts.

Those back catalogue sales were driven by people replacing LPs. People replaced their LP catalogues because their LPs were scratched, warped, and wearing out, because CDs were viewed at the time as having superior sound, because they didn’t want to fix their turntable when it broke, and so on.

I can’t see any compelling reason for a consumer to replace his existing books — human-readable, near-permanent media — with e-books just because he buys a shiny new reader. Chances are, you don’t want to re-read them; if you do, they’re on the shelf.

This expectation of a sudden resale of the back catalogue, it seems to me, is nothing but goofy tech boosterism. It seems far more likely that the back catalogue will continue to sell at the same rate, but with an increasing share of the new format.

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* if v-phrase = “listen to records” then message “You’re showing your age again, dude.”

Strong words

Paul Kennedy, chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, addresses one of the issues with certain statements made by certain persons regarding certain events:

I do not accept the version of events as presented by the four responding RCMP members. The statements provided by the members are sparse in terms of detail of the events and the thought processes of the members as events unfolded. When tracked against the witness video, the recollections of the members fall short of a credible statement of the events as they actually unfolded. The fact that the members met together prior to providing statements causes me to further question their versions of events.

A former Warrant Officer of my acquaintance addresses certain other statements made by a certain other person regarding certain other events, in words that are nonetheless apropos:

I gotta tell ya, I’m gonna call ya a fuckin’ liar.

That would be the direct approach.

More from the world of book burning

Ya know, in light of this, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board might want to consider this.