Consider the scrolling protocol. Our eyes and brains are
limited readers-decoders. There is only that much that the eye
can encompass and the brain interpret. Hence the need to
segment data into cognitively digestible chunks. There are two
forms of scrolling - lateral and vertical. The papyrus, the
broadsheet newspaper, and the computer screen are three
examples of the vertical scroll - from top to bottom or vice
versa. The e-book, the microfilm, the vellum, and the print
book are instances of the lateral scroll - from left to right
(or from right to left, in the Semitic languages).
In many respects, audio books are much more revolutionary than
e-books. They do not employ visual symbols (all other types of
books do), or a straightforward scrolling method. E-books, on
the other hand, are a throwback to the days of the papyrus.
The text cannot be opened at any point in a series of
connected pages and the content is carried only on one side of
the (electronic) "leaf". Parchment, by comparison, was multi-
paged, easily browseable, and printed on both sides of the
leaf.
Pages:
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103