Chris F.A. Johnson on reading on paper surfaces and reading on screens: no fundamental difference, he says

Chris F.A. Johnson was kind enough to take some time to answer the questions below, his answers in BOLD. [Chris is an Author, Web designer, Chess Teacher, Cryptic Cruciverbalist, Computer Programmer/Consultant/Trainer.]


> 1. Since reading on paper is very different from reading on screens,
> do you think that at some point it might be USEFUL to coin a new word in > English
> for "reading on screens", ......yes or no?

No.

> 2. If YES, .....can you suggest any possible words for this new word: maybe
> scanning? screen-reading? screening? any other words you can think of
> that might work well here, words or terms?
>
> 3. A futurist inthe USA , a very well known person, tells me:
> "Screening" is not a new term, but this might just be the time that it
> catches on, given the imminent arrival of Apple's iPad, and other
> devices. The last time I heard it -- screening -- in this way -- was
> back in the late 1990s when the RocketBook and Softbook made their
> debut, but the term didn't do any better than the products did."
> do you agree with him that THIS might be the time SCREENING catches
> on? Yes or no or comments?
>
> 4. This furturist told me "This time around, screening is a clever and
> useful term capturing the fact
> that the experience reading on a screen is fundamentally different
> from reading on paper. Not a priori worse or better; just different."
> Do you agree with him here, yes or no or comments?

I disagree that there is a fundamental difference.

The difference is no greater than between a book and a magazine.

> 5. This futurist also told me ..."So definitley SCREENING is the right
> word for the moment in terms of drawing
> people's attention to the vast literary shift about to wash over
> us....Do you agree that we are now witnessing a vast literary shift
> about to wash over us? YES NO MAYBE? COMMENTS?

NO!!!!


> 7. Does reading on screens hamper or hinder our critical analysis
> skills of what we are reading?

It makes it easier.

> 8. If in the future most reading is done on screens, from computers to
> iPhones to Kindles to even textbooks on screens, could this hurt the
> critical thinking skills of young people to think, analyze and asess
> information?

Of course not. If anything, it makes analysis a lot easier because one
can quickly and easily search for references in the text.

> 9. Do you think people will be reading on paper surfaces anymore in
> the year 2050? in the year 2099?

Yes. Yes.

> 10. Are you willing or ready to say goodbye to MR PAPER, and greet
> the SCREEN AGE with a complete open-minded welcome?

Why should it be one or the other? I read books both in dead-tree
versions and on line. There's no real difference.



[Chris F.A. Johnson's website is at http://cfaj.freeshell.org]