Into the cyberWoods: The best place for New Adventures?
h3. The New Adventures on the Internet.As it appeared in Broadsword issue one.This is the first debate style-article that will feature in Broadsword. This debate looks at the possibilities of having New and Missing Adventures on the Internet.h3. Positiveby Richard PrekodravacDo you ever dream when you look at the stars?When you saw Star Wars wished you had the power of the force. Star Trek gave you an opportunity to explore, Doctor Who gave you time.When I look up at the stars, I realise I’ll never get to travel up there.But I’m sitting at my computer, I can ask it to open or close the program I’m in, by simply using my voice. The Speech Recognition program will do this, I can ask it now to open my communications folder, and dial my account. Now I have access to a vast source of information.The dream is becoming reality.Can the simple reason for attempting to provide NA on the Internet, be satisfactory, for the sake of technological advance. Yes. The History of Science, indicates when science became an important aspect of society: this occurred when science was done for the sake of doing science.There is a broader reason for providing NA in electronic form, in its way it does help push the uses of technology further. Utilising the new technology provides faster access for not only those interested in Doctor Who but for the casual surfer along the electronic waves.Because everyone else is doing it, is not the reason, but because, everyone should be doing it.The advantages of providing NA on the Internet, are perfect for a fan of Doctor Who. Each NA can be edited, at Virgin publishing on computer, and then be available to be accessed by computer users around the world. This would mean that anyone accessing a NA, will be able to read the story, before the book was printed.Each NA would be provided at a cheaper price, as printing costs, shipping costs, and retail costs would not be added on.Then with an Apple Computer, their speech recognition programs, can read the text to you. This could mean that if voices available for the computer was to be expanded to feature the voices of Sylvester McCoy, or Jon Pertwee, or even a Dalek, any voice can easily read the story to you.h3. Negativeby David RobinsonThe reason why I really dislike this idea is that the technology is not yet sophisticated enough to provide novels over any computer format in a comfortable and elegant manner.The computer, for those not fortunate to have a Powerbook, is restricted only to one physical location. To read your novel, you must sit in your ergonomic chair with the monitor at eye level, the lighting in the room reduced to the right level for minimum eye strain, with one hand on the mouse in order to scroll down to the next page (Doesn’t sound much like a book does it?). You can no longer read in bed or on the bus, on the lounge or down at the park or basically anywhere that isn’t in front of your computer screen.With novels on the computer, as the technology is at the moment, we would lose something that is unique to the experience of reading a good book. Also consider the complications of actually accessing the novel on computer in the first place.What about the “spectacular” cover art works? One would no longer be able to see those pictures of Ace being very `un-Ace’ like.A more tangible problem is that the publisher would have a great deal of difficulty in making any money out of this venture for two reasons.The first, it would take time to catch on, and during the initial period the publisher would not make any money at all, more likely to lose a lot of money.The second, because of the ease at which information can be copied on a computer, one person could pay for the novel and then give copies to all her or his friends.Neither of these facts are going to encourage anyone to fund this endeavour.I can see that one day, possibly quite soon, the technology will exist that would give me the freedom that I don’t want to give up, and I can see that the only way that will happen is if someone starts the process going first. However I personally am not prepared to compromise anything just for the sake to using a “new” technology.Replies to the opposing positions concludes this debate.h3. Positive Replyby Richard PrekodravacIt is always interesting that when someone takes the negative position, against change, that person will appeal to paranoia for support.Comfort is a good point, but I think, that reading NA will be a unique experience. It is plainly obvious that it is unlike reading a book, because the computer is an entirely different medium. Multi-media will provide a new way of accessing NA.With multi-media, cover art, will be developed further, other art can be included. Music can be added, a title sequence can be added, and contributions by fans on the Internet can perhaps animate some of the scenes from the Novels.Great possibilities exist.h3. Negative Replyby David RobinsonIt would seem that we are in agreement about the benefits of having NA on the Internet, however the difference lies as to when (it always comes back to time).My opponent would have us believe that the sooner the better. However that depends totally on the quality of the final result that you want.If you choose “now”, NA you would have, but you would destroy everything they have established.The final decision is, as always, yours. If you do want NA on the Internet, how are we going to get it started?