SIGNS OF THE TIMES -
One of my favorite denominational publications, HungryHearts Newsletter,
will be published only on-line beginning with the next issue. Sigh.
Although, I do understand that it will save money and is less costly to produce, I am not ready for that yet.
First, they redesigned the website of our denomination and it is not as user friendly to find and access the information one is searching. It will take longer to log on, get to the website and then search for the newsletter. I can open up my snail mailed newsletter and begin reading, long before I access it on-line.
Furthermore, I cannot curl up on the couch with my computer, I cannot take it with me into the bathroom (I confess!), nor read it while eating breakfast, lunch or dinner at the kitchen table. This is a time, when I get quite a bit of reading done, especially while away from home.
It is truly unfortunate that we have come to this - the pleasure of reading has been greatly diminished and curtailed.
Not only is it this newsletter, eventually, Presbyterians Today, will go on-line as well as The Lutheran. Newspapers are on on-line and deprive me the pleasure of reading the paper at the breakfast table or on the couch on a Sunday afternoon.
Does anyone else hate it, when a news anchor, mentions 5 Ways to get around a detour and then says, check it out on our website?!!? Just tell us, darn it! By the time I log onto the website and wait for the page to appear with all the ads, and flashing stuff, you could've told me at least twice. It takes way too long to read a story, go back to another page and pick up another story. Besides which, there are many older viewers who don't have computers and are left wondering how they will get around that detour on the way to the doctor's office.
No, I am not a big fan of on-line reading. I spend enough time on the computer crafting the liturgy, on-line text studying, emailing, and writing the sermon, children's sermons, prayers, etc. that I desire the pleasure of reading without having to look at a screen, recharging or changing batteries, and reading whenever and wherever I am.
Call me old-fashioned, but reading on-line does not and cannot rival the pleasure of reading a hard copy. I will go into this on-line publication reading, kicking and screaming, and digging in my heels. I cannot help it. Reading is supposed to be fun and pleasurable. Something to savor, and to linger over. That simply doesn't happen on a computer, pardon me. Enough said!!