There are many who moan about the small community bookstore, a place you go to buy books, a place where you know the bookseller and he knows you, a place where he knows what books you like and often what books you have read. The small local community bookstore is gone, and unlike the phoenix, unlikely to rise again. But that does not mean that it cannot arise again in another guise, as a virtual community bookstore.
Like the local community bookstore, there will be those who know books and who know your taste, who understand what you want and what you need. Some of these people are friends, some are virtual friends, friends you only know online, and some are virtual booksellers, who can frequently find what you are looking for, whether they are books published on paper or e-books in its various formats.
There will be people willing to discuss books that you have read or books you may want to read, or just discuss the ideas raised in these books.
As in the old community bookstore, there will be people, some who are friends and others you meet there who are willing to discuss to discuss books you have read or would like to read, or perhaps just discuss the ideas in books and magazines. Perhaps this will be more than just a virtual community bookstore, but more a vitual community or group of community with discussion groups about any subject you or anyone else would like to raise.
The condition is that every discussion must be done with consideration for others who also visit, consideration, respect and tolerance, whether or not you like or agree with their ideas.
The books you want might be new, second-hand or collectors items. They may be published by Orot Publishers or any other publisher. If we do not have them available, we will do our best to find them, from another publisher, distributer or bookseller. They may not be the cheapest or the highest quality, but they will be good quality at a reasonable price. Moreover, whether or not you buy books here, you are invited to join our community and discussion groups.
In order to ensure that we can afford the best possible service, we will allow ads on the website and enable and appreciate donations. But there is no obligation to buy from our advertisers or to donate.
You will have copyright on all your literary or artistic contributions, be they stories, poems, plays, parts of other literary works or contributions to discussion groups. If we want to use any of these in any manner other than the way in which they were put on our site, e.g. in a book, magazine, on paper or online, we will do so only with your permission. If we are able to pay a small amount for these, we will let you know. At the moment, we cannot. Currently we are asking developers, editors, publishers, etc. to help us without pay, but as we grow and earn money, we expect this too to change. If you would like to work for Orot in any way, we welcome your application.
It is also valuable to be clear about what Orot is not. Although Orot may be used for social networking, it is not a competitor fo Facebook or Myspace, meant to be a place of social networking or playing games. Although it may be used for business networking, it is not intended to be a competitor to LinkedIn. Although it is a virtual bookstore, it is not a competitor to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Orot is not only our website, belonging to those who have started Orot, but to you. And we want and need your suggestions to improve Orot and be the best it can be.
Orot will go online as soon as we have enough developed to make it worthwhile. At the beginning, it will not be perfect. But with your help, it will be what you and I want, a friendly community where open discussion is welcome, a successor to the old community bookstore, a second or third home, because we do intend it to be place like home.
We invite you. Join Orot.