an article i came across...

I recently came across an article on Jstor called "Representing and Interpreting Literature by Computer" by David D Miall. In his opening discussion of how online literature may change the reader's experience of literature, he states: "...it is perhaps imprudent to speculate about changes in such a fundamental human activity as reading when we know so little about how we have accomodated to conventional printed materials over the last several hundred years." Miall goes on to discuss how the reading activities that take place with a book are not yet readily available on the computer.
His comments indirectly stimulated a line of thought about the history of the printed book and how this long tradition will hold up as it faces online literature. Perhaps, as Miall points out, electronic literature is still too young to act as such a strong force as the book. Furthermore, are the two, meaning printed literature and electronic literature, developing independently? Of course, there are increasingly many printed articles, excerpts, and even books that are available completely online but the more interesting question involves the development of the book and how somewhere in its history we may find an indication of future technological advances. Of course, not that many years ago, we were unaware of the possibilities of the internet but it seems that there has been a general trend toward development and perhaps an embrace of technology in developing literature (thinking back to the simpler times of the development of the printing press, for example). Considering the history of the book, and looking forward, one may ask if the book and electronic literature will continue to develop or will one form win out?