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beepreader

ebook software senses nonattentiveness then generates lively sidebars
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I read a book [link] that said that during the 20th century only a tenth of people would actually read all of a book they aquired

If ebooks, as specific reader gadgets, could up that to a third or even two thirds then ebooks would have more purpose

If it actually tripled absorption people or firms could justify book with reader rather than just book. maybe. (I say maybe as I think retention is different between the two media)

anyway an eBook could sense when you were getting nonattentive at the scrollbar or perhaps even read your pulse

On detecting drifting attention the ebook could suddenly grab a piece of writing that started with one of a few hundred Zing words suggesting that if you kept going you'd get there

The effect would be a little like a magazine with the lively quote or gist appearing as a sidebar

the reason this is actually a fresh feature rather than say an ancient printing tradition is that the Ebook is measuring your reaction to the material with the goal of keeping you reading

beanangel, Oct 23 2008

This person studies motivation as well as purposeful change thus went to an effort to craft a book people would actually read after aquiring http://www.amazon.c...d=1224734322&sr=8-1
[beanangel, Oct 23 2008]


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       I try to read all the books I get, I just go at my own pace and vacation from time to time, eventually it gets read. Nothing can *make* me pay attention.
Spacecoyote, Oct 23 2008
  

       The trick is the read while your doing something else. Playing an audio book in your car while you drive turns a rather boring experience into an interesting one, especially on long trips. Surprisingly enough it doesn't effect your driving, probably because different areas of the brain are in use.   

       Audio books are expensive but public libraries have an ever growing selection of them.
theGem, Oct 23 2008
  

       I don't like it when machines (or people) try to motivate me into doing something - it always comes over as being patronising - how dare someone (or something) deem to assume they know what motivates me?! I used to have a manager who would always make a point of slinging in an aside about why I should give a monkey's about the latest slice of shit-pie I was being asked to deal with - these normally took the form of appeals to my avarice, professionalism or as chances to annoy some imagined enemy (whether that says more about my apparent motivations, or his, I don't know) What was most frustrating was that there seemed to be no consistency in what constituted a valid motivation, and often one exciting reason to apply myself in some particular direction would directly contradict last week's reason. e.g. One week, it would be good to do x because it was a personal challenge, something loftily aspirational to achieve, the next, it was 80/20 bosch-bosch-bosch, the sooner you're done, the sooner we can get you out of there. The upshot was that I found myself not only being asked to perform tasks, but also having to adopt rapidly shifting points-of-view. The mental gymnastics were both annoying and not necessary.   

       It was almost as if he were cynically picking up whatever motivations came to mind at the time...the way someone might do after reading some godawful management training philosophy manual. Dear, sweet Jesus.   

       Anyway, I'm self employed now - this particular manager's attempts ended up motivating me to leave and seek my own employment - sans managers - Yet I still don't feel comfortable with people or things trying to tempt me with what they think I might be interested in. If I want to read, I'll read - I don't want my life to be full of needy things demanding my attention.   

       If I want to read, I'll read - if not, then I won't. Thanks.
zen_tom, Oct 23 2008
  

       // used to have a manager who would always make a point of slinging in an aside about why I should give a monkey's about the latest slice of shit-pie I was being asked to deal with - // [zen Tom]   

       He was using the "Carat or the Shtick" learned in MGT101.
theGem, Oct 23 2008
  


 

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