When you're down exploring the different options, write up a blog post — "UnTextbook Online Reading Options" — and answer the following questions as relevant to your experience trying out the Hathi, Internet Archive, and Google options (along with the PDF option if you tried that one).
1. Device. What kind of computer or table did you use to do this experiment? (i.e. desktop, laptop, iPad)
I used my home desktop computer to do this experiment.
2. Browser. What browser did you use? If you downloaded and read the PDF version, what PDF reader did you use, or did you just read the PDF in your browser?
Browser Used: Safari
3. Best Option. Did one of the options — Hathi, Internet Archive, Google, PDF — appeal to you more than the others? What makes this one better?
I liked the Internet Archive option the best. I liked that the pages were an ivory/beige color which made it easier on the eyes to read the story. Plus, the Internet Archive option had a "Read Aloud" button. If you wanted it to, it would read the book to you.
4. Worst Option. Was any one of the three options — Hathi, Internet Archive, Google, PDF — really undesirable for some reason? If so, what made it undesirable?
The least desirable option for me was the Google Reader. The pages of the book were bright white and I didn't like staring at the screen for very long.
5. Reading Online. Do you do often read books or other long text documents on your computer? Please give details about what kinds of long texts you read on your computer and what program(s) you use to read them. Do you usually do your reading online or offline?
I do not usually read books or long text documents online. I prefer to read offline with the book or document in my hands. Reading on the computer is tiring for my eyes and I prefer lounging on my couch or bed to read versus at my computer desk.
6. Taking Notes Online. Do you have a good method for taking notes when you are reading online in a browser window? For example, I open a plain text file resize my browser window and text file so that they both appear on the screen, and I take notes while I read. What note taking method do you use for material you are reading in your browser window?
If I have to take notes while reading something online, I usually open up a Word document and copy & paste important info into the Word document. I can easily switch between the two screens so that my copy & paste methods works pretty well for me.
7. PDF Notetaking. Do you have a good method for taking notes when you are reading a PDF? For example, I prefer to read PDFs using GoodReader on my iPad, and I use the highlighter to mark notes, and then I type them up later on my desktop computer. What note taking method do you use for PDFs?
I usually just print off the PDF document and then highlight important info on the printed document. I guess I'm old school when it comes to note-taking. Lol
8. Hard Copies. How often do you print reading materials out as hard copies? What are your reasons for choosing to print out a hard copy? Do you do your printing at home or on campus?
I almost always print out hardcopies of any documents I read. I like to have the physical copy to refer to whenever I need it. I don't have a laptop or iPad as my convenience, so the hardcopy is critical for me to have in my possession. I print all of my documents at home.
9. Other Comments. Do you have any other comments to share...? Please let me know! I'm really curious to learn more about people's reading practices and preferences online!
I'm an older student, so I prefer the methods that I grew up using. Printing off hardcopies, using Word Documents, reading actual books, etc. However, I do like the convenience of doing research online on my home computer versus the method I used when I was growing up: Microfiche and card catalogues. Yuck! I think that may be one of the reasons I never enjoyed reading as a child because I HATED the Dewey decimal system at the library.
