Do you read books or blogs?
May 20, 2008 12:40 pm What to Read, Why reading?Books vs. Blogs « Marketing Integrity
I realized today that I have spent more time reading in the past 6-months than normal, concentrating on blogs rather than on books….Historically, I have consumed information on business and career topics from books. Now…not so much.
This is an interesting article about the change in the role of literature over time, especially as technology develops. The author contends that he reads blogs far more than books now. He is talking from the point of view of non-fiction, business type blogs (I suspect, given the title of his blog). However, I think it has sparked an interesting discussion in the comments.
For me, there are two types of reading. First, there is the type of reading that this blog focusses on - reading to expand who you are, and experience the world. That is much better done in books (or perhaps maybe E-book readers, although no good ones work in Australia, so I am not an expert on that).
There is also “work reading.” This includes marketing, business, current events and all that stuff. This sort of reading is much more applicable to blogs. Blogs form sort of radio programs, or television sound bites - you tune in for the segments you are interested in, and then tune out when something more important comes up. I think we need to remember that people who read posts like the one above, are likely to be much more immersed in the internet information sea, and the blogosphere than the rest of us.
What do you think: Will literature enter the blogosphere? Do you read your fiction in blogs? Do you read blogs to relax? What is the role of blogs vs printed books?
(Via Tweet from Darren Rowse (Problogger).)
Related posts:
- Read novels to find conversation starters (includes Commonwealth Writers Prize regional winners)
- Books about books refresh your appetite for reading
- The Big Read
- Audio books killed the radio star
- Books can U-turn your life
