I think electronic book readers (Kindle, Nook) are amazing. They have such a thin and light form factor that makes them easy to carry around and they have *books* in them. It makes me all squirmy inside knowing I can read anything I want. However, there are a few things that make me nervous.
http://www.thepassivevoice.com/05/2011/the-most-highlighted-kindle-passages-of-all-time/There is something about privacy with the Kindle (and the Nook). One of the major selling points of the Kindle is that you can synchronize your position in a book with the server, then get it from every other reader. So, a friend at work reads on his Kindle, but then just picks up where he was on his iPhone when he's in the doctor's office. This is... worrying for me, mainly because I don't think Amazon needs to know that I'm reading hot girls gone bad or even
The Mummy's Girl (yay for plugs!).
In the above link, they also aggregate highlighted passages.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.htmlhttp://news.cnet.com/8301-13512_3-10290133-23.htmlhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32014285/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/amazon-redacts-orwell-kindle-its/http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/amazon-sold-pirated-books-raided-some-kindles.arsProbably the biggest thing that scares me about the Kindle is what happen with George Orwell's 1984. Some time ago (July 2009), 1984 was available for purchase in the Kindle store. Since it is great story, people bought it. A while later, suddenly it was gone. The person selling the book didn't have the rights, so Amazon removed the book from the store. And, because the Kindle is pretty much "always connected", then went in and deleted the copy from everyone who purchased it. They did give a refund, but it was the fact they could delete, update, or modify a book on every Kindle without you knowing that bothers me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrineI believe that the first sale doctrine is the entire foundation of our economy. It is the reason we have used book stores, car dealers, and everything else. But, electronic books are still not firmly in the first sale, which is okay because they are easily copyable. But I still think that if you bought a book, you shouldn't have to worry about it being deleted. Imagine if someone decided that The Mummy's Girl was to be banned. They could order Amazon to delete every copy of it from every machine. And do the same with Barnes and Noble, Sony, etc. I wouldn't even have to know about it, just that my book disappeared.
Not going to happen because The Mummy's Girl isn't that significant in the bigger picture, but there is technology out there that could make it happen and... I think since the tools are there, someone is going to use it.
