Reading In Cyberspace?!?

Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #5

Google is one of the most well-known search engines that can be found in the whole Internet universe. It can be used to access unlimited amounts of information on any subject imaginable.

Google Book Search is one of the many tools available in Google. The company takes books and scans them into the Internet so that they may become globally accessible. They only provide full access to information on books that are out of print and are not copyrighted. Otherwise, they only scan tiny parts of books in order to avoid copyright infringement.

This library-based digitization will most likely cause problems with Google’s publishers. Google will still need to keep in contact with the publishers but the publisher may feel that their sales would severely decrease now that their books can be freely accessed in the Internet.

Libraries will slowly become obsolete over time. Since almost everyone in North America has access to the Internet in their homes and will eventually have access to books through Google Book Search, there would be no need to leave their homes to visit the local library.

Google’s competitors such as Microsoft and Yahoo will most probably respond to this technology by developing similar ones the way the iPod was parodied by other companies. Yahoo and Microsoft do not want to lose their online audience and so will most likely do whatever it takes to keep their audience and probably increase it as well.

Personally, I think that this is a great use of the technology we have at our disposal. Instead of wasting our times playing games, we finally have access to books and other useful information that can be found in the library. This saves the time and energy it takes to travel to the public library. However, this would mean spending more time indoors parked right in front of the computer screen. This poses health hazards such as Repetitive Strain Injury from constant typing or eye problems from staring at the computer for too long.

This all comes down to how one uses this privilege. It should be used in moderation and not abused so that one can fully benefit on its advantages.