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Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

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Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#191

Post by walterbell »

blhack wrote: post #136
toomuchtodo wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Half agree. Use a local library as the prototype, document how you did it and the results, and then scale up with that experience.

Seriously, libraries seem to all recognize the need for hackerspaces, but they don't have hackers to staff them. They have budgets for things, and space, and a desire, they just need help figuring out where/how to spend things and how to then use the things they've gotten.

Is there an online community where hackers share knowledge about library-based hackerspaces?

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#192

Post by walterbell »

clavalle wrote: post #158
CWuestefeld wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For ebooks, Amazon already has one free "rental" per month of select books, for Prime members. There are other good sources of free books include this blog: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/category/books/free-fiction...

I was not aware of this. Do you get to chose the book?

Kindle Lending Library: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000739811

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#193

Post by walterbell »

VLM wrote: post #129
blhack wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of libraries are starting hackerspaces. You should see if you can mentor at one. I mentor at a program at my library every week, and it's been really awesome.

Maybe ease into makerspaces like my local library which hosts meetings, and hosts kids events put on by one of the local makerspaces, but isn't technically "The Makerspace" probably because there is zero permanent storage, although makerspace people are there seemingly every day. Once you're all there all the time anyway, then ease into the "now we want/need/demand permanent storage" And machine tools. And a pony. Th…

Do they tag them with crayons like street parking spaces? Seriously, how does that work - is someone watching for unattended bag.. er kids and then calling police? What's the minimum age requirement for unattended visits to the library?

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#194

Post by cypherpnks »

Amazon is the new socialism. There are basic services which the government ought to provide -- access to unlimited books, movies, music, software, and similar. It's dramatically more economically efficient that way. The governments won't, for a whole range of reasons. Amazon seems to be stepping up. You pay a private tax, and you join a private government.

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#196

Post by walterbell »

x0x0 wrote: post #143
chubot wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a regular user of the local library, but I notice that most people in my "class" (i.e. tech people earning a lot) don't go there. It's easier to buy it on your Kindle for $10-$15 than to make a trip to the library. I'm gonna be a jerk and say that most people also like to hang out in expensive coffee shops with other members of their class, and not in the library where there are lots of poor people. It's a little…

I was a regular user of the sf library until we found a dead bedbug in a book. It's just not worth the hassle of potentially infesting my apartment. Also, the bathrooms there are foul. I guess it's nice that street people have a bathroom they can use but the only way to describe it is rural western gas station. That killed lingering at the library.

San Francisco has one of the world's great libraries, e.g. see these photos: http://www.pinterest.com/stellacarruth/san-francisco-public-...

Did you complain to a librarian about the restrooms? That is a cleaning issue, same as a busy airport. The library belongs to all local residents, chip in and help make it the space where you would like to linger. Bathrooms can be cleaned. The rest of the building and books are wonderful.

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#197

Post by walterbell »

roganp wrote: post #185
WalterBright wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have several thousand books. Many I've cut & scanned into pdf's. It is just marvelous to be able to take with me that library when I travel - I never lack for something to browse. I no longer have to read those wretched in-flight magazines. My bookshelves are still crammed with books, but they've all got a date with the slicer! Mua-ha-ha-ha-haaaa! BTW, for examples of books I've cut & scanned, see http://www.genera…

I'm curious about this, I've got a bunch of books I don't want to throw away, but I'm tired of the space they occupy. Seems like scanning them would be a huge hassle though. Any special techniques that you use to do this? How long does a single book take to process?

1dollarscan will cut&scan for $1 per 100 pages, they destroy the book afterwards. You can also ship to them directly from Amazon, etc. It's a way to buy electronic versions of older books which may never be on Kindle. Just cutting the spine from a book costs $2 at Staples.

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#198

Post by walterbell »

TheMagicHorsey wrote: post #182
nlh wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most people don't spend $9.99 on books every month on average. If Amazon encourages people who are infrequent readers to devote more of their time/entertainment-dollars on reading, then this service will be a win-win for Amazon and authors. Totally. I'm one of those people and right smack in the middle of the crosshairs for this. I'm the kind of person that is always willing to overpay in order to have "unlimited"…

Imagine if we could get access to the O'Reilly library of technical books, that would be extremely valuable.

What's the advantage of accessing O'Reilly's library of technical books via an Amazon app vs. an O'Reilly app, other than O'Reilly losing money that would otherwise go to improving their technical books?

Re: Amazon leaks Kindle Unlimited

#199

Post by MBCook »

threedaymonk wrote: post #179
CWuestefeld wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For ebooks, Amazon already has one free "rental" per month of select books, for Prime members. There are other good sources of free books include this blog: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/category/books/free-fiction...

Last time Amazon gave me a free trial of Prime, I tried out the free rental. As best as I could make out, it was only possible to use it by browsing on my Kindle, which was a rather suboptimal experience, allowing only specific search or a paginated list of about 50,000 pages. I couldn't actually find anything I wanted to read.

If you know how to use Amazon's interface it's possible to see the list of books online so you don't have to do all the browsing on the Kindle, but you still have to 'buy' it from the Kindle.

It's sort of a hidden link or a special way of narrowing search results with the criteria on the left side of the page. If you google I'm sure you can find instructions.

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