

A book is not a file. - IpxqwidxG
https://medium.com/writing-a-book/c3a39daa6ba9

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transfire
Would you be happier if we called files "objects" instead? It's just a name
given to a on-disk data structure. Call it what you will. In the end it is
just a stream of bits.

However I agree with you at a higher level. Our computer "file" systems have
not evolved. And now they are being displaced by hundreds of isolated apps the
manage out content. e.g. You might own the Jungle Book in your Nook account,
but your copy of Peter Pan is on Amazon. Worse still, you don't even own these
books anymore, they are instead a lease, which can be revoked at any time.

~~~
IpxqwidxG
Actually it seems correct to me to put books and files in the superset called
"objects", but not name that superset "files" by itself.

Ownership and portability of a book is one thing that becomes relevant when
price includes mark up to be paid to own it.

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Turing_Machine
"Actually it seems correct to me to put books and files in the superset called
"objects", but not name that superset "files" by itself."

What's different about the stream of bits on a disk that represents a "book"
compared to the stream of bits that represents a "file"?

~~~
IpxqwidxG
Technically none, even in the physical world! Both files and books are
ultimately made up of {Book | Files} < Content < Paper < Trees.

But from a consumer point of view, which is extremely important, files and
books in the real world are poles apart. So why not treat them such online?

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Turing_Machine
"Files and books in the real world are poles apart."

Specifics?

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Turing_Machine
I mean, from my POV as a consumer a Kindle book that I can carry around with
me is much closer to a physical book than one of your flip books (which appear
to require an active internet connection in order to work?)

~~~
IpxqwidxG
Owning a book is doable online as well. Clone, provide it to the user who
bought it.

I'm actually still digging this one but "active internet" connection - yes -
that's again doable. Localstorage() /something probably? Or wait for a future
to be more online.

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Turing_Machine
I guess technically the blog posts the author touts aren't "files". They're
(usually) database entries stored in a database _file_. I'm not sure why this
makes a difference, or why a database entry has more "creative discourse" than
a file.

I'm pretty sure that old-school publishers and authors kept (paper) files of
their works, too.

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zrail
A hosted system where you can write and edit a book-length document and then
one-click publish to various platforms, including direct sales, as well as
dead-tree prints, would be pretty amazing.

~~~
Turing_Machine
That's kinda what leanpub.com does, isn't it?

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zrail
Sort of. Leanpub does parts of that flow, but afaik they don't have an editor
or draft versions, nor do they actually publish to the Kindle or iBooks store
for you.

