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A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

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Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#81
post #71
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one is entitled to a particular form of revenue. We live in an attention-based economy. Talented and savvy authors can find any number of ways to derive revenue from the attention their work attracts apart from charging IP tolls. If not, they can always get a job where they have no ownership stake in the fruits of their labor, like almost every other job and 99.9% of people writing code for money.

This exact argument can be used to justify both POV. No one is entitled to have any particular piece of media available to them for free, either? Talented and savvy consumers can find any number of ways to make money to pay for media, like 99.9% of other consumers.

Except that making a living as an author or via another creative pursuit is a luxury and privilege premised upon the hard labor performed by countless others which actually reproduces our society.

It’s also not really a matter of entitlement. It’s just an objective fact that trying to gatekeep knowledge behind IP toll bridges is a losing battle which only serves to hinder the development of many realms of human endeavor.

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#82
post #57

We downloaded libgen sql and zlib sql and exported the necessary data from them. Where does this "zlib sql" come from? Anna's pilimi-zlib2-index?

I believe it is indeed our index. :) Hurray for open source and open data!

> I hope everyone have a copy of the index locally, so that no need to rely on any centralized service.

Is this a static index? Or maybe there's further additions and update in the future?

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#83

I wonder why the very concept of public library is not illegal at the first place.. I mean, imagine this concept is being popularized at first in the modern era. I'm pretty sure there's a huge opposition, using the very same argument as digital pirates & AI art debate : "It could damage author's income! People will just go read it for free in public library instead of buying it! Public library is morally wrong and sh…

> imagine this concept is being popularized at first in the modern era. I'm pretty sure there's a huge opposition

Video rentals have been popularized in the modern era.

Netflix mail rentals have been popularized in the even more modern era.

I'm sure some copyright holders argued that they should be burned down, but clearly there wasn't a "huge opposition" to it?

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#84

A question about z-lib, libgen, and regular libraries Suppose I check an e-book out of my local library. Because Reasons, the library doesn't "own" unlimited "copies" of the book, so each "copy" can only be checked out to one patron at a time and if there are enough holds then a patron can't renew a checked out book. In short, ebooks in libraries are just like regular paper books, except to you don't have leave your…

Not an answer to your question, but interesting context for how eBooks work with libraries. And how not checking out a second time effectively is a loss of one “use” that may have directed the library to spend more on this book, rather than another. Sounds like you’re aware. Loved this Planet Money podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id2907834...

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anything is possible, but having some limited github interactions with the core team, that seems unlikely. My impression is that they are a passionate group that hit the jackpot a bit prematurely. Their intentions seemed good to me they just have an ungodly amount of financing while perhaps lacking a core vision & understanding of what is at stake. Put another way, seems more like an academic building something rathe…

I certainly wouldn't disparage the talent- no doubt vast majority have good intentions but unfortunately they are being paid handsomely to have their work be rendered ineffective. Gobble up all the best P2P devs and get them focused on work that is largely ineffective. Lots of code and specs but nothing really usable. Code is not very original, they just take other libraries and tweak them. mplex is their version of…

I’m not saying conspiracy doesn’t exist — it most certainly does — but it just seems unlikely in most cases.

In this case, to be blunt, give a bunch of nerds millions / billions of dollars and see how fast their objectives change. Going from being students to having material wealth unimaginable to most suddenly gets you invited to a lot of conferences / parties / inner circles. You’re doing a lot less engineering and a lot more socializing & experiencing, and suddenly those lofty ideals & nerdy curiosities may just not matter as much any more driving around in a lambo with what you’d consider super models. But making even MORE money to do cool things just might.

Very few people exist on this planet that can resist that, and it is the explanation for most people / projects / orgs that make it big losing their way. Once you have a lot of money, suddenly life without it seems impossible, and you start to compromise values to secure more of it. It is a steep downhill journey.

Most projects are unoriginal. Just a derivation slightly improved on, or a recombination of prior works in a compelling new way. Nothing wrong with that; our universe is composed of relatively few atoms combined in all kinds of special ways.

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#86

A question about z-lib, libgen, and regular libraries Suppose I check an e-book out of my local library. Because Reasons, the library doesn't "own" unlimited "copies" of the book, so each "copy" can only be checked out to one patron at a time and if there are enough holds then a patron can't renew a checked out book. In short, ebooks in libraries are just like regular paper books, except to you don't have leave your…

My layman's understanding of copyright law says you didn't commit a crime, but whoever sent you the book did commit a crime. My understanding is that it's not illegal to download a book, it's illegal to distribute a book. (Or other copyrighted work.)

No, it is illegal to download (make a copy of) the book. To be legal, you would have to merely view the book without making a copy. This is the operating principle behind all those video streaming sites. This isn't a comment on what OP should have done.

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#87

Can't wait for someone to come up for a solution to copyright that will benefit everyone.

So, you mean, the current copyright solution? That has seen creation of works skyrocket? Or do you mean a system where people can steal what they want because 'reasons' and 'they want to pay less because xyz'? Do you propose a system that takes ownership from authors and redistributes their works maybe? Why shouldn't owners get to set the pricing? Just because people want to steal doesn't mean it's ok to. Just becaus…

For production the current copyright system kind of works (except the whole debate on remixes) I'll give you that but for keeping older content...

Try to find some lesser known book or newspaper from the 80s in epub legally or non-top films from the 90s and you'll see what I'm saying.

Everything is trashed just after it's being produced. The uncomfortable truth for those large copyright conglomerates is that right now it's the piracy scene which keeps most of the content alive, to the point they even have to pirate their own content to release it again sometimes.

And then there's the whole debate on the length of copyright itself, there's no conceivable damage in any shape or form of pirating the Beatles.

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#88
post #57

We downloaded libgen sql and zlib sql and exported the necessary data from them. Where does this "zlib sql" come from? Anna's pilimi-zlib2-index?

I believe it is indeed our index. :) Hurray for open source and open data!

I think with this you need torrents of the index if too many people start downloading the indexes would put extra load on your servers

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#89
post #83

I wonder why the very concept of public library is not illegal at the first place.. I mean, imagine this concept is being popularized at first in the modern era. I'm pretty sure there's a huge opposition, using the very same argument as digital pirates & AI art debate : "It could damage author's income! People will just go read it for free in public library instead of buying it! Public library is morally wrong and sh…

> imagine this concept is being popularized at first in the modern era. I'm pretty sure there's a huge opposition Video rentals have been popularized in the modern era. Netflix mail rentals have been popularized in the even more modern era. I'm sure some copyright holders argued that they should be burned down, but clearly there wasn't a "huge opposition" to it?

I don't know how old you are but there was initially a very large amount of opposition to digitizing media delivery over traditional methods for fear of piracy. It was a huge problem for Netflix.

Re: A search engine for searching books in the Z-Library index on the IPFS network

#90

I wonder why the very concept of public library is not illegal at the first place.. I mean, imagine this concept is being popularized at first in the modern era. I'm pretty sure there's a huge opposition, using the very same argument as digital pirates & AI art debate : "It could damage author's income! People will just go read it for free in public library instead of buying it! Public library is morally wrong and sh…

That is a crude rendition of the AI art debate, and also of piracy.

A public library buys the book. Many people can read it, but it guarantees one purchase, and often many libraries will buy the book. It also limits the amount of readers to those who live relatively nearby. Books were also traditionally written with the ideas of libraries in the author's mind, and also many authors benefited themselves from libraries.

AI Digital art has many facets which make it detestable for some: it floods the market with stuff that can be generated at near zero cost, it weakens the connection between people because people are no longer looking at something another human created, it cheapens the spirit of creation.

While libraries, Library Genesis, and piracy might have some facets in common, they are separate entities and should not be conflated in any sense.

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