Theos-Talk Archives (February 2009 Message tt00362)

Make use of each & every valuable source whether online or available 
only as printed in a book
---------------------------------------------

I love the Internet. I use it all the time. I've had a website
up and running for many years. I like what you can do with websites:
for example, linking, etc. etc. Things you could never do with printed
material.

Years before the Internet was up and running for the public, I had
gathered alot of rare material on Madame Blavatsky and Theosophy. Way
back then if someone wanted a copy of the material I had to photocopy
it for them and then mail it to them. Of course that would take time
and money. And then if a 2nd person or 3rd person wanted the same
material I had to again copy it and send it. As soon as the Internet
was available to the public and webpages became a reality I saw the
potential for distributing material easily and inexpensively ALL OVER
THE WORLD.

BUT....

I hope that printed material is not completely going away.

In fact, at least at this stage in computer technology, there are
definite advantages in many cases to printed material.

For example, I find it very hard to quickly browse and scan through
some websites whereas with a printed book or magazine it is quite easy
to thumb thru and browse quite quickly thru the material getting ---
for example --- an overview of what the book offers and is all about.

If you go to Amazon.com, even if Amazon gives a partial view of the
book's contents, many times it is still hard to know what the book is
all about, etc. etc. whereas if you find that same book in a
bookstore, you can quickly thumb thru the volume and determine the
value of the book.

Now take the following 5 books:

Universe
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0756613647/blavatskystud-20/

Earth
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789496437/blavatskystud-20/

Human
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0756605202/blavatskystud-20/

History
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/075663119X/blavatskystud-20/

The Great Book of Archaeology
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/8854008265/blavatskystud-20/

The hardbound copies of these 5 books are literally breathtaking.
These are large oversized books lavishly illustrated with beautiful
colored photographs and good text and information. Each book gives you
a breathtaking "tour" of the subject. If you want to have a basic
understanding of any of these subjects, these books help you to get
it. But simply to hold the books and browse thru them is quite an
experience. As a librarian I love books and these books are simply a
joy to browse through. As I said beautiful illustrations and large
colored photographs...wow.

An online version of any of these books could NOT give you the
excitement and wonder that the printed books convey.

Recently I saw a paperback version of the above History book at a 
local bookstore and it was both smaller than the original hardbound 
edition and the printing wasn't as well done. I was glad I had bought 
the hardbound larger edition.

So although I value what is available thru the Internet and the WWW, I
hope printed material doesn't go away any time in the near future!!

Plus in many subjects it is hard to find the latest and most reliable
information on the Internet.

For example, the latest and most accurate information on various
religions of the world is hard to come by on the Internet. 

I have compiled a page of links to various articles
on the world wide web that give reliable and uptodate
information on the many religions of the world --- past
and present, east and west, north and south, the so-called
dead religions, current world religions, cults, etc.

This A-Z list can be found at:

http://religiouslinks.net

But the reality of the situation is that the most scholarly and 
reliable information on religions and many related subjects is simply 
NOT available online ---at least not for free.

For example, the definitive 2nd ed. of THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION 
(in multi volumes) is not accessible for free on the WWW. Anyone who 
wants to gain a basic understanding of various religions, ancient or 
modern, from the east or the west, etc. etc. should consult this 
source but unless you have a subscription to this reference work or 
it is made accessible to you as a member of certain public libraries 
or if you are a student at some university library, then you cannot 
freely access online this wonderful source of information.

Some outstanding and valuable Theosophic works are not accessible on 
the World Wide Web.  Students should not neglect those works simply 
because they are not online.

Many other examples could be given.

In summary, I am glad to live in an age when we not only have printed
books and material but also have online material thru the Internet.

I say make use of each and every source....some on the World Wide 
Web...other sources in printed version....

Daniel
http://hpb.cc
http://theosophy.info