Originally posted at the Huffington Post
Slate’s technology writer Farhad Manjoo recently wrote a very interesting article about some off-base predictions of yore about our digital future. He focuses on a whopper of a Newsweek column from 1995 (which is actually titled “The Internet? Bah!“) about how the Internet would be a passing fad because, among other things, online shopping can’t replicate the experience of a salesperson, an online database can’t replace a daily newspaper, and the Internet was so jumbled he couldn’t even find the date of the Battle of Trafalgar.
Whoops.
Rather than just hardy har har-ing at the article, Manjoo takes a different, and very insightful approach. He notes that the author of the article was hardly a Luddite – he was actually deep in the weeds of the early Internet. The problem with the article wasn’t that the author was dumb, the problem was that he was looking strictly at the Internet of 1995 and ignoring the potential for innovation and change.
Manjoo lays out four principles for more successful predictions about our digital future:
1. Good predictions are based on current trends
2. Don’t underestimate people’s capacity for change
3. New stuff sometimes come out of the blue
4. These days it’s best to err on the side of (technological) optimism
When people make predictions about our e-book future, I find myself mystified that some people are so dismissive of their inevitability. I see blog posts and comments around the Internet from people who look at the nascent e-book landscape and think, “Blech. Expensive grayscale Kindles in a white piece of plastic? No way e-books are going to catch on!” Some people admit that they’re going to be a part of our lives, but do so grudgingly and see them as yet another signpost that we’re all going to hell in a handbasket.
Here’s the thing they ignore: e-books are only going to get better.
Move over Nostradamus, here are some predictions about our digital book future:
1. The e-book reading experience is only going to improve.
Sure – not everyone loves the current grayscale Kindles and tiny iPhone reading experience, particularly for books that are illustrated or are beautifully designed. But better devices are coming and it’s going to open up a new era of book design of unlimited possibility.
I remember that my high school English teacher told us that when William Faulkner was writing The Sound and the Fury he wished he could have published the text in different colors to denote the different perspectives, but obviously that would have been prohibitively expensive for publishers at the time. Not anymore. With the iPad and other devices coming soon, E-books are going color.
Tomorrow’s writers are going to have almost limitless ability to include beautiful color photos and art and interactivity and creative design even in the mass-est of mass market books, the ones that are currently printed on cheap paper and sold on supermarket racks and where the idea of including anything colorful or design-y besides the cover is laughable.
Think of how much a fancy illustrated book costs now and then think about how cheaply that can be done digitally. E-books may be uglier than print books now, but they’re about to get more beautiful.
2. E-readers and e-books are only going to get cheaper.
Sure, right now e-readers are out of reach for much of the population. That’s going to change. Every new technology is out of reach until it gets cheaper. Digital toys that would once have sold for $100 are now given out in McDonald’s Happy Meals. Lower prices for iPad-like devices of the future are inevitable.
And while publishers are currently taking a stand against deeply discounted e-books, the $12.99-$14.99 price point that they are fighting for is still half the cost of a $25 hardcover.
It’s soon going to be possible to buy e-books cheaply on an affordable e-reader device, and they’re going to be more colorful and interactive than most of their print counterparts.
3. Finding the books you want to read will only get easier.
One of the most common fears about the coming era is that no one will be able to find the good books in a time when anyone can just upload their novel to Amazon. It’s the Fear of the Jumble, which was also expressed in that column at Newsweek, where the author complained that (in 1995) you couldn’t even find the date of the Battle of Trafalgar on the Internet. He didn’t realize that Google and Wikipedia would come along to give you that answer in mere seconds.
Already there are sites like Goodreads and Shelfari cropping up that allow people to swap reviews and recommendations about books. People increasingly find new books through blogs, forums, and heck, hearing from an author directly. It was never really possible before for authors to reach their audience directly – now it’s a piece of cake.
Humans are really, really good at organizing things. If we can organize the billions and billions of web pages out there so that we can find what we want within a few seconds I think we can manage a few million books.
4. People are ignoring the digital trend.
I was watching a Seinfeld rerun the other day and there was a funny moment when Elaine hated a movie she was watching so much she called the video store and threatened not to rewind it. I’m going to have to explain this joke to my kids. And then I’m going to tell them about this funny thing we used to have where used to get these things called DVDs in the mail rather than having them downloaded straight to the TV (or wall or inside our eyeballs or whatever we’re watching movies on in the future).
Everything that can be digitized is being digitized because it’s cheaper and easier to send pixels around the world than physical objects. First it was music, then newspapers, then movies. Books are next in line.
5. Habits change
Yes, yes. The smell of books, reading in the bathtub, writing in the margins, a bookshelf full of books, etc. etc.
People will still have that choice and there are some books that simply can’t be replicated digitally. But when faced with a better option, consumers shift extremely quickly. Right now the benefits of e-books are a little murky except for early adopters and those that can afford the devices. But that’s just right now. Pretty soon they’re going to be better (color! design! portable! interactivity! instantaneous!) and cheaper. Readers won’t pay a premium for an inferior print product out of habit and nostalgia in great numbers.
The e-book era is going to be one of incredible innovation and unlimited opportunity, and people who don’t see e-books dominating the future of the book world are ignoring the coming innovation and creativity and affordability. I refuse to believe the skeptics and pessimists. Books are about to get better.
Mark says
great article and a good reminder that despite any personal preferences people may have, the population almost always goes for whats easier and cheaper.
What I really will appreciate in ebooks are some kind of popup that will help me remember who a character was when they reappear 3 chapters later or that she is married to the guy currently being shown to be the villain. Much like the early hyperlinking in the internet, I suspect allowing notations and interactivity will enhance ebooks a lot. Just being able to pop up a map showing the layout would make my life easier in most books.
Falen says
I'm really excited for the technology to get better and cheaper. How is that not going to be fun?
ryan field says
"It was never really possible before for authors to reach their audience directly – now it's a piece of cake."
And that's a very positive aspect. Readers can teach writers a great deal about what they want to read.
Shaista (Lupus in Flight) says
Such a brilliant post – so inspiring. I have never read an e-book, but I have been an audiobook fan for years – which most sighted people are snooty about. Dad's blind, and e-books with audio might actually revolutionise the literary landscape for many unsuspecting readers…
I have been reluctant to publish my poetry so far because I do see the corresponding images and dried flowers very much represented in colour. So the future of colour and images alonside the text sounds good!
ryan field says
"Dad's blind, and e-books with audio might actually revolutionise the literary landscape for many unsuspecting readers…"
Shaista…great point. My mother is blind in one eye and e-books have given her back the love of reading. She tried large print, but it still wasn't good enough. With her e-reader there are no problems.
Wilfred Bereswill says
Ah, Nathan, you forgot paperless photographs. I talked to a counterpart at Kodak several years back. He relayed his "Crisis" when his team was challenged to deliver "Paperless" photograph. Their gut reaction was that it was impossible. Now digital photography is the norm and only a few shoot photos on film.
We'll have to go through all the growing pains in the book business as well as dealing with piracy, just like all the media before us.
Ryan says
It's amazing people are even questioning the staying power of e-books.
Vook, the company producing multimedia e-books just secured another 2.5 million in venture capital from investors. Not a ridiculous amount of money, but enough to show people believe in the potential. I've been calling my memoir a multimedia project from the very beginning so hopefully Vook and I will jive soon! 🙂
https://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/publishing/vook_secures_25_million_in_seed_financing_152630.asp
Laurel says
When Kindle first came out that boy I married was eyeballing one as a gift for me. I told him no way, I would always want my books the old fashioned way. I got a Kindle six months ago and I've bought 40 books on Kindle alone and downloaded even more from the public domain titles. This is in addition to the hard copy books and eBooks I've put on my computer.
Kindle is now my preferred format. Not because I love Amazon all that much, but because it is SO EASY. One click buy at 2 am and I start reading at 2:02. The only thing that gives me pause is being tied to Amazon with everything I've bought from them. I'd like more portability with my titles, but that's not a deal killer.
T. Wolfe says
I personally cannot wait to buy one of the e-book reading devices … I just want a good one and sometimes it is best to wait. Though by the time I do get around to buying one they will be preparing to go out of date with something better.
Just can't win. LOL
mfb says
I couldn't agree with you more, Nathan, and am happy to see others' comments are as optimistic and open as yours. My own publisher (O-Books in the UK) is struggling through all the technicalities of getting all their books e-ready – and they started a year ago! But it will be easier and easier for publishers, authors and readers as time goes on – and it will go more quickly than we can imagine! Keep cheering!
JEM says
I am also excited about e-book readers, and I have an entire office wall lined with bookshelves filled with books. It's faster, easier, and I like the environmental advantages of not chopping up trees. Also, the demo video from the Penguin UK peeps was super awesome. I just hope publishers get their stuff together about e-book rights…
Talli Roland says
I agree 100 per cent. EBooks are here to stay and the experience will only get better. Trying to hold back technology is pointless.
Yat-Yee says
My perspective on new technology has been skewed from being married to an ultra early adopter of technology. I've seen what you've described here happened many times and have no doubt you're right. My current position is:
(A) I'll still read physical books for now, and
(B) I can't wait to see what new innovations will surface in the next few years so I can feel good about the money I'll plunk down for the e-reader of my choice.
Stephanie Barr says
If you're a traveling reader (like I am), an ereader can quickly go from a nice-to-have to a lifesaver.
I adore my Sony eReader and bought my daughter one for Christmas.
Thermocline says
Marketing for e-books is going to catch up too. We can already go out and buy the soundtrack and video game to many blockbuster movies before their release dates. I can definitely see a future where readers can download the music from a novel they read about a 60's road trip or play as the lead character of a new spy thriller novel on their portable devices.
paravil says
One of the most positive things that I see about the advent of the e-book is that it will put the books where the kids are, and could hopefully help retain the activity of reading as a pastime for kids who are coming of age in a completely digital world.
Re the Seinfeld/VHS joke–recently I was reading one of the "Little Critter" books with my daughter and chuckled at Critter dreaming about being a grown-up and ordering things from a catalog. My daughter will never have need for a catalog. As with the VHS, I'll have to explain what it is.
mfb says
Fantastic idea, thermocline, about the music as the book's 'soundtrack' – i've often thought about how fun it would be to have a CD tucked into the book to provide the movie-ambiance we're all so used to. E-books and even paper books will someday have a chip included to play music appropriate to the chapter (if we want) though I think I prefer silence all around me when I'm really into reading…though when I write, I often have a signature music piece playing to get me in the writing space for that particular project.
Matthew Rush says
Wow. The Sound and the Fury with different colored text for different perspectives and flashbacks. That really would have helped. Excellent book, a classic of course, but certainly required reading more than once to make sense of it all.
Lindsey Himmler says
So, in other words…
Where's my flying car that reads to me??
I hope that's in the future.
Dominique says
This was a very interesting post. It gave me a lot to think about with respect to e-books. I'm still on the fence about the whole deal, but you've certainly outlined some of their potential for me.
TraciB says
Having spent the last 5 years rebuilding my library following Hurricane Katrina, I can say for a fact that had e-book readers been more affordable, I would have bought one and gotten all of my current titles as ebooks instead. The portability alone would make such a device worth having. Need to evacuate? Grab the e-book reader, mp3 player and laptop, and hit the road. No need to lose a document, photo, song or book… Not to mention how much less space the electronic devices take up in the evacuation vehicle.
I'm looking forward to seeing the prices drop and the technology improve so I can join the e-book family.
Michelle says
And what is even more exciting is that e-books can also be viewed on computers. So you don't even need a reading device to do it. Amazon has an application (free download by the way) that allows you access to all the books available to kindle users except you view them on your computer. Granted it's not portable (unless you have a laptop), but who doesn't have a computer?! For a writer, the possibilities of reaching a larger reader-base through e-books is amazing!
therese says
I hope this post makes the round to publishers desks through links in many blogs and emails. Spread some techno-sense!
I remember the excitement when my mom got her correctable typewriter. I remember my first word processing experience and the monitor was a black-n-white TV. 🙂
Tracy says
I'm perfectly fine with adapting to whatever the technology is, so long as I'm never forced into any technological devices. Let eReaders flourish, until I decide to get one. I currently have no desire to do so, but I'm fine with them and the customers who want them to grow & thrive. So long as the option to buy that same title in book format isn't taken from me, I'm good.
JTShea says
We humans love redundancy in our pastimes. New entertainments tend to augment old ones rather than replace them. Convenience does not dictate all. We simultaneously buy vast amounts of electronic entertainment and also expend vast amounts of money, time and effort to experience age-old low tech entertainment directly and in person. The dollar song download and the hundred dollar concert ticket. Take AVATAR. Two hundred million people left their homes in the depths of winter to pay 2 billion dollars to see that single science fiction movie in theaters.
I remain convinced that the paper book is such a good idea that now would be a very good time to invent it if it did not already exist! It remains unique among mass entertainments in not requiring the user to buy or operate a device to enjoy it. But suppose E-books add more than they subtract from the book market, replacing some but not all paper book sales, but also selling more to the large majority who buy few paper books anyway?
And Lindsey Himmler is right, Young Futurist Nathan. While you're still gazing into your crystal ball, answer us this – WHERE'S THE FLYING CAR!
Nathan Bransford says
Hey guys, for those wondering about the flying car, Farhad Manjoo actually takes that one on in the Slate article I linked to.
Sue says
This is a great post to fire up excitement about the future of publishing.
I'm lovin' it. My only concern-
contract problems/squabbles causing titles to be pulled off my lovely device.
No one can do that to a physical book sitting on my night stand (nefarious booklers aside).
Dara says
I'm much like Tracy's opinion–as long as the option for an "old fashioned" book is still there, I'm fine with it. At least until eReaders become more affordable. Then I'll probably switch over pretty quickly.
I am slightly saddened though that the days of buying books as gifts will be numbered. How would you do that with an eReader? I'm sure there will be something like sending a book to a specific eReader on a specific date or what not. But you can't wrap up a Kindle title!
Oh well! Guess we will learn to adapt 🙂
lotusgirl says
I was one of those skeptics. I love a book in my hands. BUT I could see the upsides of having a Kindle. I got one for Christmas and have become totally converted. I had to read an actual book last week for my book club and realized how much I'd come to love the light/slim Kindle and how much I'd come to rely on it keeping my place.
I look at the iPad with eager longing. It's funny how time moves us along from our preconceived notions. If those who say you have to pry the books from their cold dead hands had the chance to read just one heavy book on the Kindle they might change their tunes.
The Writing Muse says
Right on!
Carl says
All true, and the resistance to the e-book by the industry is short-sighted. Consider the advantages to the publishing industry of being able to market directly to the reader in the form of book trailers that accompany the books that are purchased, complete with links to purchase the new novels.
The technology may also revive the serial novel and employ other techniques which could help to encourage interest the reluctant reader population.
abs says
I wonder how long it will be before someone starts GIVING away a decent e-reader packaged with a 2-year contract requiring purchase of X books per month from whoever's doing the giveaway? That'll turn the tide for sure, and might be a way for publishers to build some brand loyalty.
LJCohen says
I have a gen 1 kindle and although it has its limitations, I really do love it. Like most ereader owners, I still buy physical books, and some books I have both in physical form and as an ebook.
My biggest complaint is in the difficulty in flipping back a chunk of pages in order to read something a few chapters back, or refer to something you know you read yesterday.
My experience is that books that can be read fairly simply from start to finish work really well on the kindle. More complex books don't provide as quality an experience as the physical book.
Case in point. I started reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" on the kindle. Hated it and gave up on it about 30 pages in.
A few weeks later, hubby bought a hard copy of said book. I started reading it and *loved* it. But this is a complex, convoluted read that had me flipping back and forth the entire time I was reading.
So, current technology/interface is not a match for all kinds of reads.
Eileen Wiedbrauk says
Eventually I will come to buy ebooks like I buy digital music: if I'm taking a risk on a new author = ebook; if I'm already in love with the writer/series = paper book
I download singles that I love off the radio but whenever the Red Hot Chili Peppers come out with an album I go to the store and buy it — the quality and the experience is, in fact, better. And I know it's money well spent since I already love the band.
Gehayi says
I'd rather have a real book than an e-book any day of the week. Yes, I think that the e-books are going to continue to gain in popularity–why, I can't imagine, but I think they will.
But I prefer the cheaper, low-tech stuff. E-book readers are WAY out of my price range, and I think they're going to remain that way for some time.
As long as print books remain available, I think I'll be okay. If everything goes digital, I don't know what the hell I'll do.
Nick says
So long as I can be the guy on his front porch waving his shotgun around and telling the goddamn kids to get off his lawn, I'm on board with e-books, as I've said before. Take away the option for print and you'll soon find that old man's gun is more than a prop. Personally I'm not on board with interactive e-books — something which I have actually already started seeing. I forget where but I did see two really basic ones — or e-books in color or anything like that. Pictures…not wild about either. Sure, some old stories had sketches to go with them, so if it were something like that that's okay I guess, but let the story stand on its own. Being interactive, in full color, with photos, yaddah yaddah yaddah screams one thing and one thing only to me. Gaudy. But if people want such a thing, they can have it. Just leave me my paperback copy of Fleshmarket Close.
Also I must disagree with your last sentence. Books are not about to get better. Books are perfect the way they are. e-books are about to get better (arguably).
Anjali says
I was an early naysayer about e-books. Now not only am I hooked on it, so is my 8-year old.
Kristin Laughtin says
Wow, that is an interesting article, and it makes a very good point: we can't assume that e-books (or any other technology) will remain static and stuck in its earliest forms. Technology changes and evolves as we get used to it and use it more. E-books aren't the exception to that rule. (And this is coming from someone who still hasn't bought an e-reader and has only read a few e-books. I read short stories and the news online. I know I'll also end up reading more books electronically in the future.)
Ken Hannahs says
Nathan, I'm sorry, but novels are NOT video games, and they are NOT picture books. The oncoming technology will undoubtedly change publishing, but I am hesitant to say that it will be for the better. The video you linked on Friday and again today is terrific for children's books, but how can this even be considered the same as a great novel by Chabon, Chaon, DeLillo, or Yates? I'm sure I don't have to tell you that those books do a job strictly through the words and that muddying them up with colors, soundtracks, pictures, or "interactive elements" will only DETRACT from the writing itself!
Don't get me wrong — I am a big believer in technology. I'm currently on my second (!) kindle, but I don't believe that we should embrace it quite as willingly as you purport to do. I don't think that you're suggesting that we make everything the cerebral equivalent of a pop-up book, but I think we have to be careful to maintain dignity of the artform.
Nathan Bransford says
ken-
And no one has to add anything. Not every e-book is going to be enhanced nor needs to be. But even if you don't add anything to an e-book the experience will still improve. You can do keyword searches, instantly navigate between chapters, and better yet, obtain books instantaneously. (Last night my wife finished her book at 11:30pm, downloaded another one and started reading again at 11:32)
Right now interfaces are a little clunky but they're going to get better, even for the books that don't want/need enhanced design.
Anonymous says
I agree with LJCohen–I bought a bunch of ebooks for research, but it's almost impossible to find something in an e-book–very frustrating. The only ebooks I buy now on my e-reader are fluffy forgettable books.
I believe a study was done at Princeton–students were given ereaders, but after a few months of using them, they wanted to go back to printed books.
I doubt people will want highly illustrated coffee table books on an e-reader. These are the types of books that people like to browse through (or display in bookshelves etc).
Personally, the most frustrating thing about ebooks is that they are on a device and once you read them, they are out of sight, out of mind. I suppose that appeals to some people, but not to me. I like to flip through books later (for example, writing or gardening books).
Ken Hannahs says
Nathan,
Thanks for the quick response time (almost german engineering quick) and I see now what you are getting at. I misunderstood the original post, I suppose.
Follow up for anyone:
How many times have you have actually used the keyword search? I keep on forgetting it is there, and then when I remember I can't think of a time I would use it!
Final question to the masses: What makes the kindle and similar devices so pleasing is the e-ink screen. Has anyone tried to read anything on the iPad? I have very sensitive eyes (they dry out if I even THINK about anything electronic) and the idea of reading an LED screen for hours on end makes me wince. It should be interesting to see if the iPad finds a way to counter-act that problem.
John C says
OLED's – organic light emitting diodes will probably unite the paper book faction with the e-reader faction. OLED's can actually enable a sheet of paper to emulate a computer screen. Currently, the technology has a very slow refresh rate, but it seems it'd be perfect for e-reading.
Here's an old youtube vid from 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=iMz1iwkZFbE&feature=channel
Nick says
Personally one of my biggest issues with e-books are I get distracted from them far too easily. Far too easily. I read Grant's memoirs on GoogleBooks because I lacked the money for it and the whole thing was free. It took me a month and a half to read his first chapter…which was something like five or six pages. Okay, so that involves the internet. Easy to get distracted there, right? I've tried e-reading on things like my Touch, which lacks internet unless I siphon off of a network (and most networks are encrypted these days). I still get distracted. I get bored. Every few words I start looking for other things to do. Actually holding the book in my hand and literally gives me incentive to keep going. Even a touchscreen copy burns out after about three minutes. Sure, e-books are still in their infancy, so I hope there's something to solve that, and who knows? Maybe there will be. But as is there is nothing to suggest that anything will solve that problem.
I will still ultimately prefer a hard copy to a digital copy, but if someone could find a way of making the digital copies interesting for me, I would feel more inclined to read them. CNN and the BBC have managed to do it with the news (although I do still enjoy a proper newspaper). Paul Tomkins' website has managed to do it for me and sports reporting. But e-books have time and again failed to engage my interests, even if I'm reading a brilliant story that would have my brain completely shut off the outside world were it a hard copy.
/addendum
Alison says
I suppose ebooks might seem ideal for picture books, as Ken says, but I'm concerned they would become the latest "educational" babysitter. Why read to your kids when the reader can do it for you?
And if the technology really takes off… if future e-picture books will be like "Xbox games on an e-reader" (https://maureencrisp.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-books-shooting-for-moon.html), what happens to the joy of reading?
K.L. Brady says
I recently got a Kindle and I just LOOOOOOVE it! I mean really really love it. Here are a few of my observations over the past few weeks regarding ebooks.
1. I wear glasses and the display is easier on my eyes than the stark white or cream paper. It's also more comfortable to hold than a book. So I read for longer periods of time.
2. I've read more books in the past few weeks than all of last year. I've bought more books than I care to think about. The convenience of buying the book I want whenever I want is awesome. I never knew how much driving to the bookstore kept me from buying books.
3. If certain publishers weren't clinging to the high prices, I would repurchase a lot of the paperback and hardcover books I haven't read yet in Kindle format–and they'd have two sales to show for that book instead of one. I don't think they are really looking at things from that perspective.
Great post though! I couldn't agree with you more.
Summer Fey Foovay says
As a writer who is also an artist and webpage designer I find the idea of books in color, with graphics and interactivity really exciting! I find the idea of being able to reach directly out to my readers and hand them over a digital copy within seconds without the layers of "middlemen" between us freeing to me. Even though I am a terrible marketer and know it. LOL. As a reader – who has hauled a collection of literally a few thousand books from coast to coast for the last 30 years, I find I rather like the idea of having them all stored on this nice little laptop that fits under the bed – with just a few dear favorites still in their hardcovers to go to sleep with at night. What's not to like? It's great to see someone else who sees the movement to ebooks as a good thing. Oh yes, one more thing – won't it be NICE to be able to go online and download old favorites for 99 cents just like you can now download old favorite songs from iTunes? Seriously – I have owned six copies of The Hobbit because the paperbacks fall apart eventually.
Donna Hole says
I think I'm one of those going kicking into the digital age, but going I am. My first computer cost over $1200 and had 1GB for memory. My $50 MP3 player has more than that.
You are right Nathan. Things change – people change. I'm basically just sitting on my laurels and waiting for it all to sort itself out. Then I'll buy.
And be totally hooked.
………dhole
Gehayi says
"Oh yes, one more thing – won't it be NICE to be able to go online and download old favorites for 99 cents just like you can now download old favorite songs from iTunes?"
No, it won't. If they're that cheap and that accessible, I'll buy them all the time and I'll go into more debt than I'm in now. And yes, this is a very real worry of mine.
John C says
Here's a cool pic of what could be with OLED.
https://www.e-ink-info.com/lg-display-shows-19-flexible-e-ink-display
I read paper books, e-books, books off my PC monitor. I listen to audio books on my mp3 player or iPhone or Droid.
I think if I were thrust back into the 90's knowing what I know now, I'd surely suffocate of anxiety for not being able to instantly look up anything on google.
I remember doing research papers with the circa 60's era encyclopedias my parents had. I remember when they bought a new set and were so proud of it.
I remember in college when Lexus was not the name of a car, it was the only way to get info "online".
While we all have our preferences, our current mindset will be slowly overwritten by the current gen, and so forth and so on, like a slowly evolving computer program. Someone then will be reading the archives for Nathan's blogs and wondering just what in the world we were thinking.
Except then they won't have PC's or smart phones as we do. They'll likely have a Google chip in their brain sending the info directly into their brain's visual cortex.
And my dreams of having cyborg pirates and ninjas taking over the world will finally be realized.