14th December 2012, 9:28 PM
While it makes complete sense for all media to go digital, and inasmuch as technology continues to get better with each passing year, there is a sense of nostalgic melancholy that comes with seeing different media die off.
I love Netflix and Redbox, but I yearn for the days of Blockbuster. Was Blockbuster better? No, absolutely not. But I have many memories of it. It makes me sad to see movie stores and the like going out of business, and I feel guilty because I, like everyone else, had stopped giving them my business.
Anytime I have to do a research paper for grad school, I visit the campus library and check out books to use as sources. Sure, I use the databases as well, and it is much more convenient, especially knowing that a database will always be there no matter how many people are looking at it, whereas physical books come in limited quantities, not to mention books don't always age well. Still... there's just something about the look, the feel, and even the smell of the pages of a book. Maybe it's an English major thing to find appeal in the smell of a book...
Sometimes I just want to get out of the house and go to a store, you know? Get out a little, feel the fresh air, interact with people. E-Commerce has removed the human aspect of... well, commerce. It removes all need to ever leave my house except to go to work or school--and even schools are going digital as of late.
Again, technological advancements aren't a bad thing and I don't try to reject them. I don't buy CDs anymore and prefer to use an iPod. I'm sure Kindles are nice, though I have yet to purchase one. I no longer buy DVD box sets, my greatest material joy of the previous decade; instead, I opt for purchasing shows on iTunes, Amazon, or Hulu, and that's only if they're not already available streaming on Netflix. Naturally, there is an inclination to do what is most convenient and pragmatic, and in this case it's the electronic storage of your favorite shows, albums, games, and books, because let's face it: we're all running out of shelf space for physical copies.
And yet, I miss being able to take my fiancée to F.Y.E. just to browse, or hanging out with friends at the mall back when it still had stores that we like. Now we just sit around watching Netflix or playing PS3 and Wii games. Not that there's anything wrong with this, but... eh. The times, they are a changin'.
On topic: I am moderately saddened to hear of Nintendo Power's demise as I do have nostalgic memories of the magazine. I checked the website's back issues and they seem to only go back to 2009, which is hardly nostalgic. I wouldn't mind owning issues from the 90's and reliving the days when my favorite games growing up were brand new. Have I mentioned how nostalgic I am?
I love Netflix and Redbox, but I yearn for the days of Blockbuster. Was Blockbuster better? No, absolutely not. But I have many memories of it. It makes me sad to see movie stores and the like going out of business, and I feel guilty because I, like everyone else, had stopped giving them my business.
Anytime I have to do a research paper for grad school, I visit the campus library and check out books to use as sources. Sure, I use the databases as well, and it is much more convenient, especially knowing that a database will always be there no matter how many people are looking at it, whereas physical books come in limited quantities, not to mention books don't always age well. Still... there's just something about the look, the feel, and even the smell of the pages of a book. Maybe it's an English major thing to find appeal in the smell of a book...
Sometimes I just want to get out of the house and go to a store, you know? Get out a little, feel the fresh air, interact with people. E-Commerce has removed the human aspect of... well, commerce. It removes all need to ever leave my house except to go to work or school--and even schools are going digital as of late.
Again, technological advancements aren't a bad thing and I don't try to reject them. I don't buy CDs anymore and prefer to use an iPod. I'm sure Kindles are nice, though I have yet to purchase one. I no longer buy DVD box sets, my greatest material joy of the previous decade; instead, I opt for purchasing shows on iTunes, Amazon, or Hulu, and that's only if they're not already available streaming on Netflix. Naturally, there is an inclination to do what is most convenient and pragmatic, and in this case it's the electronic storage of your favorite shows, albums, games, and books, because let's face it: we're all running out of shelf space for physical copies.
And yet, I miss being able to take my fiancée to F.Y.E. just to browse, or hanging out with friends at the mall back when it still had stores that we like. Now we just sit around watching Netflix or playing PS3 and Wii games. Not that there's anything wrong with this, but... eh. The times, they are a changin'.
On topic: I am moderately saddened to hear of Nintendo Power's demise as I do have nostalgic memories of the magazine. I checked the website's back issues and they seem to only go back to 2009, which is hardly nostalgic. I wouldn't mind owning issues from the 90's and reliving the days when my favorite games growing up were brand new. Have I mentioned how nostalgic I am?