Usher Alexis James
ENGH 377
Review of Digital Text
6/13/21
I took a look at the HTML and ebook versions of The Scarlet Letter on Project Gutenberg. In terms of the format from the reader's perspective, I think that generally the ebook version can be more conveniently accessible especially in terms of the HTML since there is no downloading required with the HTML and it can be viewed instantly while the EPUB or other versions have to be downloaded to be looked at in some sort of ebook reader. However, unlike the HTML, reading the ebook in a reader does make reading a bit easier on the eyes since there are typically dark mode functions which help to not have to look at a bright screen. Although, real books would probably be easier on the eyes overall since there are no LED lights involved.
We had mentioned in class how ebooks can be easy to navigate since the table of contents can quickly link the reader to a chapter which can be good for research as real books could be hard to navigate or can become quite cluttery. On the other hand, this same organizational advantage cannot necessarily be said for the HTML version of this particular ebook since there are no links that can take the reader to a particular chapter, so the reader would have to scroll to look for the right chapter. Though this is still better than having book clutter. Another difference is in how the HTML and EPUB reader versions are formatted in terms of indentation and just how readable it looks on the page. When I was looking at the HTML version of The Scarlet Letter, I was not very enticed to read that version because it was just a long page of blocked text on a bright background with no paragraph indentation. With the EPUB version, it was easier to digest not only because of the dark mode that I mentioned earlier but also because there were paragraph indentations and the reader allows the text to be split up like pages of a book. However, at the end of the day, the ebook version still doesn't have the same feel as a physical book since you're not actually holding on to something.
In terms of the author perspective, I think that the main differences are similar to the reader differences. There is no actual physical product to hold, while it may be convenient, it can also be hard on the eyes, and the formatting changes significantly. However, the convenient nature of ebooks can be both a blessing and a curse as a creator. It is a blessing in that it doesn't take much to create an ebook which keeps production costs low for the author, and it also makes it easier to self-publish a book. However, promotion and advertisement may come to be a concern as an author because there is high risk of becoming lost within the large sea of other writers who publish their own ebooks.
Overall, I think that there are a lot of both advantages and disadvantages to ebooks and physical books. Ebooks can be more convenient but unlike physical books they can cause eye strain, and if a reader prefers the feel of an actual book in their hand, they won't be able to get that with an ebook. On the other hand, ebooks do save space and can be very helpful when researching because of the ability to search and usually find things easily. Ebooks can also make it easier for a new author to put themselves out there because it is pretty low cost to make an ebook and it doesn't take much time or technical work per say. I think that nowadays preferring physical books may come down mostly to feel because of the ease of ebooks.