I believe that the socialization of the web has forever changed and influenced the way human beings interact with each other. Ignoring the existence of the Internet isn't comparable to... say, ignoring the iPod phenomenon. An iPod is the IT gadget, but there are other mP3 players and other ways to get your music. If, however, you ignore the Net, you have made your world very, very small.
It used to be that if you lived in a small town like Mayberry, you would read or watch a TV program or movie to "expand your horizons." Maybe you'd listen to a speaker visiting the town. Today a Mayberry resident can develop a deep friendship with someone in Sri Lanka without ever leaving Main Street. Yep. The Net has really changed us. Tra la la la la.
It was in this mindset that the Goddess went to learn about vooks and got her mind blown.
A vook blends a book and a video together into one complete story. On a single screen, you're able read to the story and click to watch video that advances the tale or adds new dimension. Vooks are available on your computer or iPhone.
It's not the basic conept that left me quiet. I know there's sites where users write the story themselves, like on wattpad or webook. The web can make both reading and writing interactive. Social, ya might say.
Watch What is a Vook? Vook: Read it, Watch it. in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Online vooks are $6.99; mobile downloads are $4.99. Some say Vook founder Bradley Inman sees vooks as a viable competitor to the Kindle. I still can't connect to the Kindle concept, so I'm not the one to ask. Five vooks were launched this month, 3 novels and 2 how-tos. Atria Books/Simon & Schuster is the first content provider to hook-up with Mr. Inman, but more will surely come. They're talking with Stephen King about one, too.
Vooks take social reading to a new place, in my opinion, by easily connecting readers to like-minded readers on their existing social networks. You're encouraged to let your Facebook friends know that you just finished Chapter 6.
I can hear you saying, so what? Oprah's Book Club offers people the same thing in one easy spot. True, but you're forgetting how lazy we are.
Vook offers just one screen (computer or cell phone) where you read the book, watch the video and Facebook. (Didja catch that? "Facebook" is a verb now.) The ease of it will surely be part of its appeal, especially on iPhones. Shame that the rest of us can't try it on the road. I can see it being a real treat when I'm siting in a waiting room somewhere.
The part of the story that made pieces of my mind fly past my eyes is that Mr. Inman envisions readers someday tweeting with the characters of their favorite book, taking interactive reading to a new level indeed. OMG.
I was such a reader as a kid...carrying a book everywhere, reading with a flashlight under the covers after bedtime and entering the library's summer reading contest every year. As an only child growing up in her grandmother's house, I LIVED those books. The characters were my friends and the sisters I didn't have. Trixie Belden and Donna Parker surely lived somewhere nearby. I was going to be a nurse just like Cherry Ames.
Now you're telling me that I could have had a conversation with them?!
First reaction: Holy chatroom, Batman. What a terrific way to get kids excited about reading!
Second reaction: Holy bad guy, Batman. There's a frightening potential for any digital conversation between a young person and the character she trusts because she "knows" her. The scenario of "Cherry Ames" inviting a child to meet at Applebee's is terrifying. Hell, we all know adults who might fall for it.
In summary, I think vooks are worth checking out, but as with all things digital, watch your back.
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