The document proposes a "Blog of Ordinary Knowledge" (B.O.O.K.) as an analog solution for disseminating information that addresses some of the limitations of previous technologies like stone tablets, clay tablets, papyrus scrolls, e-readers, and mobile devices. It argues that a B.O.O.K. could be portable, durable, easily annotated, reproducible, available at different levels, cover topics broadly and deeply, and serve as a great democratizing force through mass production and distribution. The B.O.O.K. is presented as a fantasy that predates digital technologies.

1. Reading Backward
Moving Forward
The Blog of Ordinary Knowledge in a
Digital Age
Sunday, July 11, 2010 1

2. Preface:
Educators continue to look for new and better
ways of reaching their students.
The Blog of Ordinary Knowledge may be
the answer.
Sunday, July 11, 2010 2

3. What We Have
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4. Stone
Tablets
•Difficult to make
•Heavy
•Cannot be annotated
•Not reproducible
•Any error renders unusable
http://www.kemah.net/egypt/rosett.gif
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5. Clay
Tablets
•Fragile
•Heavy
•Cannot be annotated
•Not reproducible
http://www.schoyencollection.com/law_files/ms2064.jpg
Sunday, July 11, 2010 5

6. Papyrus
Scroll
•Fragile
•Ephemeral
•Difficult to browse
•Requires special storage
http://www.schoyencollection.com/papyri_files/ms2752.jpg
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7. e-Reader
•Fragile
•Costly
•Requires electricity
•Requires Internet connection
•Cumbersome annotation
http://simoncpage.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kindle23.jpg
Sunday, July 11, 2010 7

8. iPod Touch
iPhone
•Fragile
•Small screen
•Cumbersome annotation
•Requires Internet
•Requires electricity
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/IPod_touch_mit_Wikipedia.jpg
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9. What We Need
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10. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Portable
Convenient size
Lightweight
No need for electricity or
Internet connection
http://faceintheblue.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/books.jpg
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11. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Durable
Unbreakable packaging
Can last hundreds of
years
The item pictured is
over 500 years old
http://www.humanismforsale.org/text/images_full//
6.00_Chapter_Six/HFS_025.02.jpg
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12. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Easily annotated
http://drjohnsonsdictionary.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/
quaintness-n-s1.jpg
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13. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Environmentally
sound, sustainable
materials
http://classicsblogging.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/
horaceinterlinear.jpg
Sunday, July 11, 2010 13

14. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Reproducible
http://lewisandclarkpress.com/sitebuildercontent/
sitebuilderpictures/box_of_egg_books.jpg
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15. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Mass Production
http://justafleetingthought.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/printing-
press1.jpg
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16. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Mass Distribution
http://blog.case.edu/case-news/2008/05/28/booksale.jpg
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17. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Easy to operate
http://adammalster.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/boy-reading.jpg
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18. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Available in graduated
levels
http://cdm.reed.edu/cdm4/indianconverts/images/
primer1762.jpg
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19. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Multimedia
http://cdm.reed.edu/cdm4/indianconverts/images/
primer1762.jpg
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20. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Multiple programming
languages
Translations available
Knowledge of one
language can often be
transferred to another
http://classicsblogging.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/
horaceinterlinear.jpg
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21. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Coverage: Broad
http://bukhari3.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/encyclopedia2.jpg
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22. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Coverage: Deep
http://www.thecsmmi.com/books-graphics/Buttons%20of%20the
%20RN%20-%20Front%20Page%20-%2002.jpg
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23. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Attractive
http://www.rarebookstudio.com/images/4969.jpg
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24. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Easy to store and
display
http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/show.php?imgid=200
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25. B.o.O.K. Use
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26. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Appropriate working
environment
http://lewisandclarkpress.com/sitebuildercontent/
sitebuilderpictures/box_of_egg_books.jpg
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27. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Finding: metadata tags
Subject
Title
Author
http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.63375077.jpg
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28. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Finding: particular
item
Call number
Shelf list
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/lawlib/lexlibris/IMG_0901.jpg
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29. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Finding: general
information
http://www.familyheritage.ca/Images/Atlas%20of%20York
%20County/p05%20table%20of%20contents.jpg
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30. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Finding: particular
information
Search
http://mcpvlibraryguides.pbworks.com/f/BookIndex.JPG
Sunday, July 11, 2010 30

31. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Retaining your place
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/
Book_with_florentine_paper_bookmark.jpg
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32. B.o.O.K. Interface
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33. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Individual
Asynchronous
http://dante.udallas.edu/edu5352/schofield/
TheReaderFragonard.jpg
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34. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
Group
Synchronous
http://www.norwinst.gr/English/lesegruppe.JPG
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35. Blog of Ordinary Knowledge
The great
democratizing force
Egalitarian
Standardized
Mass produced and
distributed
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/moahtml/
mnchome.html
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36. Afterword:
This presentation is based on the fantasy that
the digital somehow preceded the analog.
Therefore, the book (Blog of Ordinary
Information, aka: B.o.O.K.) should be seen as a
new, analog method for disseminating
information.
Sunday, July 11, 2010 36

37. Bibliography:
Manguel,
A.
(1996).
A
history
of
reading.
New
York,
NY:
Penguin
Books.
Nord,
P.
N.,
Rubin,
J.
S.,
&
Schudson,
M.
(Eds.)
(2009).
A
history
of
the
book
in
America.
Chapel
Hill,
NC:
University
of
North
Carolina
Press.
Ostler,
N.
(2005).
Empires
of
the
word:
A
language
history
of
the
world.
New
York,
NY:
HarperCollins.
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