Friday, October 22, 2010
eBook Readers Beware
When Amazon.com launched it's Kindle ebook reader it opened the doors to a whole new market and a whole new medium. This is a digital age and everyday more and more books are being purchased and read electronically. It wasn't long after the initial success of the Kindle that other companies started making their own ebook readers. Barnes and Noble quickly came out with it's Nook ebook reader and Apple 1 up'd the Kindle with the iPad that has several practical functions as well as an ebook reader. As is customary with any form of media, ebook reader are now another way for advertisers to push their message on consumers. Some ebooks have advertisements built into every couple pages, so in a 500 page novel there could be an extra 80-100 pages of advertisements! This is a bit ridiculous in my opinion. If I were reading a book, the last thing I would want is to be interrupted every couple pages by an advertisement and have my train of thought broken. With advertisements popping up in between pages of popular novels it could prove to be very misleading. Readers of a popular author might feel that ads coming up during the book must be supported by the author and the ideas of the book or else it wouldn't be there. I definitely do not put it past the media to try and trick ebook readers in this way.
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An E-Book Reader is a great medium. Not only does is channel information through advertisements but it channels the author's story to the reader. The story can be perceived in various different ways as we read about in chapter 8. For example with the romantic stories and how they are perceived really vs. the stereotypical way. Also an E-Book Reader (the device itself) channels the message of new technology.
ReplyDeleteWell I have an iPad and I use different ebook readers and a few magazine apps and I am usually hit with advertisements. The interesting thing about these advertisements are that they are specific to my personality. They are geared to who I am. I probably wont see an advertisement for lip gloss, but I surely run into many ads for getting 6-pack to show off. Also, I know that one of my ebook apps will offer me an option to turn off advertisements if I pay a premium, which is another way to trick people. Either way, mass media will get you because it's always throwing so many things at us whether it is through advertisements, suggestions for other apps or tricking us into buying things we don't want.
ReplyDeleteliked your comment about how the ads might be perceived as a product or service the author endorses, which can send a bad message. I doubt you would see an article for guns in a children's book for example, but people can quickly be turned off of an author if they endorse something the reader does not necessarily agree with or approve of. Peoples opinions of one another are easily swayed by where they place their support and if the author does not have full knowledge or consent to these ads, these ebook ads could damage someone's reputation.
ReplyDeleteBradley, I want to make money in this media class with you! Check out how we can: Lose twenty pounds and gain four inches!!! It's win/win the easy way! -- C.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog interesting because I never knew this..I definitely agree with Bradley though...I love reading, but if I were interrupted every few pages with an advertisement I think I would get very annoyed. I mean if I bought a e-book I would expect it to come free of an interruptions…I thought the point was to be able to download and read hundred of books at ease. I don’t know I just kind of find this an invasion of space by the medias part.
ReplyDeleteI would not want to be interrupted by advertisements in the middle of my reading either Bradley. It is getting ridiculous just how far companies are willing to go to advertise their products. The thing that I thought of though is that you are right that Apple 1 up'd Amazon and now there might be advertisements in books because they are trying to get more revenue to make up for the lost customers who changed to the ipad.
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