EG8 Publishes Report In Noninteractive, Nonquotable Format

pbahra writes "You could not come up with a better illustration of the clash of cultures that was the eG8 than the post-forum report. Was the output of the two-day gathering in Paris published on a website so people could link to it? Or perhaps a blog so that people could comment on it? Or even a wiki, so the people who attended could contribute and correct mistakes? No it wasn't. The report is a book. Or rather it is an eBook. Except it isn't even an eBook, in the sense of something that you can read on your Kindle or other eBook reader. It's actually a Flash-based page turner, the sort of thing that was all the rage five years ago. It is a digital facsimile of a book. It is the triumph of design over access. Being Flash, you can't even cut and paste what is in the file. And being Flash it gives complete and total control to the authors. As a user all you get to do is to read it, in exactly the way the authors want you to. It looks good, but you can't do anything with it, except what the authors tell you to do. Metaphor anyone?"

Re:The metaphor is obvious..

[iluvcapra]

The first person to boast that they can read the report on their Xoom will Win The Thread, but probably lose the war.

Re:The metaphor is obvious..

[AliasMarlowe]

It's Flash. You know, the Devils Platform according to Apple. So no, they had nothing to do with it.

But largely out of jealousy by Apple. Flash is even more of a "give us your money, then bend over and spread 'em"[*] tool than any of Apple's.

[*] Is this the metaphor being sought?

Re:Simple solution

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd prefer to make a complex arrangement of mirrors and lenses that focus and re-orientate the view to 90 degree angles and point it towards my scanner.
That is the only acceptable way to screenshot.
It is the manliest way to screenshot.

as an old guy...

[RLBrown]

I can only smile a little. There was a time when if a journalist wish to use a quote from a speech or a report, he or she would copy it out by hand, on notepads or (as a later terrific innovation) using a typewriter. Now, all the bloggers complain "I can't sweep my mouse/trackpad cursor over it and just copy and paste it - what shall I do, what shall I do!"

Re:Reformatting in 3...2...1...

[Anonymous Coward]

Or click the download button and download the freely available PDF. Your way is good too though....