The first publications to roll off the printing presses in 1450 were theold manuscripts. People then were more intrigued by the fact that amachine could produce the written form than they were interested in thesubstance of the form itself. But as printers began to look for moreways to expand their market (and make a profit) and as readers soughtmaterial which stimulated and challenged them, the focus turned to thecontent-the creative possibilities of the new medium.
From reproducing old manuscripts, printers turned to translations (ofGreek and Roman myths), then to epistles, day books and characterstories (biographies). And these helped to pave the way for the novel. Still it was almost 200 years after the invention of the printing pressbefore this innovative and creative genre emerged.
No one expects to wait 200 years for the electronic medium to give riseto its own creative forms. But there is still a long way to go beforethe innovative/artistic potential of the new medium begins to berealised. Just as the early printers transferred the old manuscripts tothe new medium, so do we now see old forms of print being transferredto CD ROM format. (The majority of successful CD ROMs are conversionsfrom books.)
It could be said that the response at this stage is more one ofmarvelling at the existence of the electronic medium, at the fact thatit can be done, than it is one of appreciating the unique anddistinctive artistic nature of the product.
The challenge for electronic producers at the moment is to develop"content" that is medium appropriate, and which extends the artisticand critical faculties. And there are many reasons for concluding thatthis won't take the form of a CD ROM.
One of the fundamental differences between the book and the electronicmedium is that print remains stable, defined, fixed while theelectronic can constantly be changed, upgraded, --providing the latestinformation; "hot off the press". Which is why the CD ROM has all thedisadvantages of the book -- {It is set, unchanging} -- and none of theadvantages of the electronic - where the user can interact, upgrade andchange the material as required. Making their own mark on theinformation provided.
This doesn't mean that we can't learn from the old print genres. Thebasic attraction of novels (and computer games) is that they have anoutcome. A primary reason that people read novels is to findout what happens in the end. A primary reason for playing computergames is to win/lose, or have some form of resolution. Andthese critical ingredients are not yet built into the creative on-lineforms available.
The Internet for example provides a vast public market place - a streetbazaar where users can set up their own stalls, as well assample the products of others. And while much can be said of the valueof street bazaar information shopping, it has little of the compellingand artistic attraction which goes with fiction, or computergames-outcome.
This is why one of the next stages of the development of the medium isthe focus on content. Too often the discussions--and thedeterminations--are currently concerned with the technology, ratherthan the artistic and creative possibilities. And in providing anelectronic form which combines outcome with the vast anarchic freedomof the Internet, we will not only devise a product that rivals theachievement and popularity of the novel, we will have a whole new rangeof skills to teach with, and a new range of abilities and talents andartistic and intellectual possibilities--to teach the nextgeneration.
Dr Dale Spender is a researcher, broadcaster, public speaker,teacher, author and editor of more than thirty books. Dr Spender is anexpert in the fields of language, communication, writing, editing,publishing and equity. She is an international columnist and convenorof the Australian Society of Authors technology sub-committee.
