paper is good

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: RISKS List Owner <risko () csl sri com>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 09:31:04 -0800 (PST)
To: risks () csl sri com
Subject: Risks Digest 22.65


Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 12:55:28 -0500
From: David Magda <dmagda+risks () magda ca>
Subject: Paper is good

As we all (should) know, paper is still a useful thing to have around.
A weblog entry from [1]:

--- entry ---
Sat, 22 Mar 2003
Books in Print Wouldn't Fit

An odd thing happened on my way to buy a book at my local Barnes and Noble.
[Yes, yes, before you go and point it out, any story that starts out this
way is almost certainly my fault.]

    Me: Can you tell me who the author of ______ is?
    Retailer: I can't.
    Me: Well, can you look it up?
    Retailer: I can't. Our computers are down.
    Me: Ah. Well, can I take a gander at your Books in Print.
    Retailer: [Smirks] We don't have a list of all the books in print.
               We wouldn't be able to fit it in the store.
    Me: In fact you would. We had these great big volumes and then later
        microfiche when I worked in a bookstore a number of years back.
    Retailer: Do you know how many books that would be?
    Me: Lots, I do believe you. But the fact remains that Books in Print
        is indeed a real thing.
    Retailer: Well, we don't have it. We have computers instead.
    Me: Apparently not.

[Only ever so slightly paraphrased.]
--- entry ---

Book in Print(tm) can be found online at [2]: assuming that your
computer is up, the 'Net is working, and their computer is up. :> You
need an account to search their online catalogue. A paper version is
described at [3].

[1] 
http://www.raelity.org/archives/society/literature/books_in_print_wouldnt_fi
t.html
[2] http://www.booksinprint.com/bip/
[3] http://www.bowker.com/bowkerweb/catalog2001/bibtoc.htm

David Magda <dmagda at ee.ryerson.ca>
...  Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well
under
the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well
under the new. -- Niccolo Machiavelli, _The Prince_, Chapter VI

------------------------------

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