Back when books came on  paper and words came in ink, we had things. Things, physical things we  could fondle with our minds. Books, CD's, cassettes, videotapes and  DVD's. In short, things . If you could smack your own face with  it, chances were you could read it, watch it, listen to it or play it.  Allegedly such things are rapidly falling out of fashion, these material  objects. Yes ownership is not what it used to be, but whilst it has  always come with a list of terms and conditions a half-mile long at  least having some solid copy of something right there in your hands  helped to distract you from the waking coma that was your life.  
An ongoing indictment of the internet in blog form.