physical media is good, actually

i'm somewhat of a fan of computers, all things considered. of course, this isn't a shock to anyone who knows me; but despite all my enjoyment of computers and doing things on them, i've started to appreciate not having everything on a computer lately.

but why is that? computers are supposed to be The Future, are they not? when everything is digitized, it is all available at your fingertips! the sum of humanity is just a click away, isn't it? to understand, perhaps we should look to compare between physical media and fully computerized counterparts.

e-books, when first proposed, seem like a miracle of convenience. you can carry as many books as you desire with you in your pocket, and read them on any device you please. the same would be said for streaming TV, allowing you to view any show on any device, no matter when or where. all of knowledge and entertainment with you everywhere you go, is it not what we all should want for?

now, if that was fully the case, of course, they would be a pure upgrade from their predecessors. but there is one thing preventing that from being the case: DRM. because of DRM, trying to consume digital media is a minefield of restrictions.

when you "purchase" an e-book, you can only read it on certain devices, and the publisher can simply take it away if they ever desire. streaming TV is perhaps even worse, with the ever-increasing quantity of streaming services charging more and more per month to access ever-shrinking catalogs of content, only playable in HD on a handful of devices. even if you "purchase" the movie, you'll find you get no better; the publisher able to take it away just the same.

it only makes sense why — in an environment of user domestication — physical media becomes quite attractive. print media may be bulky, but you can lend a book to a friend without the publisher stopping you. optical disks may be fragile and finicky, but you don't have to pay a monthly fee to watch a DVD.