Kinsley goes on to propose a radical set of reforms for the Internet, including the end of electronic texts as we know them.

"There should be a finite, specified number of copies of every document. People who want to read these documents should be able to borrow or purchase them for an appropriate fee. It's the only way writing has ever made sense to me."

Elsewhere in his column, Kinsley announces that Slate will soon feature a regular digest of stories from the tabloid press.