1393 Harry

Saturday, July 21, 2007

I saw something rather interesting on the news last night. A reporter was in the storage room of a bookstore. He pointed at sealed boxes containing the new Harry Potter book, with date warnings all over them. The sellers are not allowed to open the boxes until midnight.

Then the reporter reached to a shelf, and picked up an un-boxed copy of the audio version. No fancy protection there. Then he picked up (horrors!) a BOOK! A regular copy of the book. He flipped the pages and everything. Even peeked at the ending! How did this book escape the sealed box?

It was a library edition. They have stronger spines. No explanation as to why it wasn't protected like the others.

Don't those sealed cartons seem even sillier, now?

A friend asked why so many people are so anxious to get the first copies as soon as they're released. She wonders why it's so important to be first.

I can answer that. Anyone who has walked around at work the day after an important sporting event with their fingers in their ears, because they'd recorded it and hadn't watched it yet, will understand. Knowing the ending ahead of time will spoil the story. They want it fresh.

So, I understand the Potter campers, although it's not something I would do.

What I DON'T understand is the people who camped out for the iPhone. Now THAT's just plain stupid.
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