The project was geo-blocked in Germany for a long time: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29024039
One author remains blocked in Germany (but only for a couple more years)...
Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
271–280 of 300 posts
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#272Hi! I'm one of the programmers at Gutenberg. We've been improving the site a lot over the past few months (and more is coming!). If you haven't visited the page recently, it's worth checking out again: https://www.gutenberg.org/
When I thought about Project Gutenberg I remembered that original brutalist non-design. The current site has been very tastefully updated but looks like it's still very accessible if you turn styles off. Great job!
>When I thought about Project Gutenberg I remembered that original brutalist non-design.
I suppose a printed book, black ink on paper, is "brutalist" and unpleasant to look at?
The text of a book shouldn't be encrusted with format, your reader or browser should contain the presentation that you want to see, find appealing, or need (accessibility).
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#273Is there a plan to extend search to book content?
Since the books are available on the site as text and HTML the search engines index them already for you. Try searching for the below; it should take you to the book you expect as the first result:
site:gutenberg.org "it was the best of times"
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#274Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm working on audiobook app that integrates the Libivox catalog. Only on Windows right now - https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n1z76ffb3fc?hl=en-US I'll release Android, IOS, Mac & Linux versions soon.
I love librivox! please add me to your ios release list. my HN username at g mail
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Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#275Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#276Looks like the top downloaded book yesterday[0] was Concrete Construction: Methods and Costs by Gillette and Hill.[1] Beat out Moby Dick, Count of Monte Cristo, Frankenstien, Romeo and Juliet, and others. > 23644 downloads in the last 30 days. I wonder if this is bot behavior? 23k downloads feels like a lot? [0] https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/scores/top [1] https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24855
For context, here is the first paragraph of the book's preface: How best to perform construction work and what it will cost for materials, labor, plant and general expenses are matters of vital interest to engineers and contractors. This book is a treatise on the methods and cost of concrete construction. No attempt has been made to present the subject of cement testing which is already covered by Mr. W. Purves Taylo…
I ... now want to read this book.
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#277Deeply grateful for Project Gutenberg & LibriVox! I've been using the text to force-align LibriVox recordings to produce word-by-word synced audiobooks; first stage of this project is a YouTube channel but I could definitely turn this into a mobile reader app if there's interest: https://www.youtube.com/@LitReadsEditions
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#278Earlier quoted context omitted.
SE editor in chief here. What you describe is incorrect. The only thing we do is very light sound-alike spelling modernization, like "to-night" -> "tonight". We do not do things like change from en-GB to en-US, replace old words with different modern words, or change text for "American readers", whatever that means. I have no idea where you got that impression. I personally worked on the Forsyte saga. If you think so…
> The only thing we do is very light sound-alike spelling modernization, like "to-night" -> "tonight". Curious. Why even bother?
Guess: screen readers and such.
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#279I love PG... but the covers stink. Should have a public competition to have new ones made and voted on. I'm willing to vibe code a website to make it happen if you're willing...
Re: Project Gutenberg – keeps getting better
#280Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not the GP, but I also have mixed feelings about Standard Ebooks. They modernise texts for American readers. This means changing the punctuation, merging some words, altering the syntax, etc. When I read an old novel, written two centuries ago in England, the little differences to modern English are part of the charm, and I certainly don't want any Americanism mixed in. For one of my favorite novels, The Forsyte saga…
SE editor in chief here. What you describe is incorrect. The only thing we do is very light sound-alike spelling modernization, like "to-night" -> "tonight". We do not do things like change from en-GB to en-US, replace old words with different modern words, or change text for "American readers", whatever that means. I have no idea where you got that impression. I personally worked on the Forsyte saga. If you think so…
I commented on this kind of editing several years ago:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16957359
The edit is still in place, and I still maintain that changing 'phone to phone in dialogue changes the meaning.