Choose a genre on the list of examples. For that genre is listed examples of electronic publishing that you can compare to an earlier oral or print medium. Examine at least one of each and describe, using the following categories.
content: author? new? rehash? composite? title or titles?
audience (reader/owner): who will read/use this "book"?
material: floppy, CD-ROM, online, all? How many? up-dated?
size: what kind of monitor is desirable? color? enhanced graphics?
amount of date (or pages): what is the equivalent of pagination? How do you know where you are in the data? Do you know where you are?
organization of "book": chapters, titlepage, indexes in print?
What in your example(s)is electronic? Can you understand the structure? Can you page back, look at previous work (history)? Can you easily get to the "table of contents" (opening menu)? Can you design the organization interactively?
layout: number of columns, lines; relationship of margins to text; running heads, running feet, running arms, illustrations, windows? Can you design the layout interactively?
function of color
script/type
illustration
binding/packaging
documentation/manual/thesaurus/other print accompanying material
Use Ong categories of orally-based
expression:
--additive rather than subordinative
--aggregative rather than analytic
--redundant or `copious'
--conservative or traditionalist
--close to the human lifeworld
--agonistically toned
--empathetic and participatory rather than objectively distanced
--homeostatic
--situational rather than abstract
Compare the two media. Did the electronic publisher try to imitate the printed book? If so, was he successful? Did he try innovations? Describe. What are the possitive and negative aspects of each "book"; are those aspects peculiar to their medium or did your publisher overcome or succumb to difficulties?
Try to find a printed review or two of your electronic item to stimulate your thinking.
The written assignment should be 3-5 pages, can be in outline form following the above categories. Be prepared to make a 15-minute presentation on your subject in class.