rld. This is further promoting a common language for people to
use for communication. But it is also creating contact between people of
different languages and creates a greater interest in multilingualism. A common
language is great but in no way replaces this need.

So the Internet promotes both a common language AND multilingualism. The good
news is that it helps provide solutions. The increased interest and need is
creating incentives for people around the world to create improved language
courses and other assistance and the Internet is providing fast and inexpensive
opportunities to make them available."

For more information about the Web and languages, please see my study about
Multilingualism on the Web.

3. ON-LINE BOOKSTORES

[In this chapter:]

[3.1. Books: a Good Product to Sell On-line / 3.2. On-line Bookstores: Some
Examples / 3.3. Digital Books]

3.1. Books: A Good Product to Sell On-Line

Many "traditional" bookstores - with booksellers, windows, books piled upon
display shelves or lined up on shelves around the shop - have created on-line
bookstores on the Internet - for example, Barnes & Noble (barnesandnoble.com) in
the United States, Chapters (Chaptersglobe) in Canada, Waterstone's in the
United Kingdom, etc. Other bookstores have no walls and no windows looking out
on the street. They are "only" on-line (for example Amazon.com in the United
States, Internet Bookshop in the United Kingdom). Their window is their website,
and all the transactions are made through the Internet.

These on-line stores don't sell only books, but also CDs, audiobooks, DVDs,
computer games, sheet music, movies on VHS, console and CD-ROM software games,
etc. As we are dealing here with the relationship between the print media and
the Internet, we shall focus on books only.

The book-lover searches the on-line bookstore's catalog on his screen. In most
cases, searches are possible by author, title and subject. The home page of the
bookstore often looks like a literary magazine, so the book-lover can be kept
informed of the latest current events. For someone who does not like queuing in
his favorite library on a Saturday afternoon, the Web can bring a lot of relief.
He can "leaf" through short descriptions and extracts of books, order on-line
the books he is interested in and pay with his credit card. The only delay
encountered is the time necessary for the book to be shipped to his house. Such
a person is loo