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The Bitter Reality of Ebooks and the Kindle Model

diessi.ca

61–65 of 65 posts

Re: The Bitter Reality of Ebooks and the Kindle Model

#61
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it is true that there are certain restrictive covenants which can apply to real property. However, those covenants, deed restrictions, etc., etc., are themselves limited and governed by both local/state and federal law , to the Constitutional level in the US (e.g., restrictive covenants based on gender, race, and/or religion are utterly prohibited and unenforceable). Real estate transactions are also exceptional…

None of this changes the fact that there are lots meanings of 'buy', they include the buying of things with limited resale, redistribution and modification rights and nobody is going to make it illegal for Amazon to label their buttons 'buy' when they sell ebooks.

The principle problems I have with your responses, despite some technical correctness, is that they studiously ignore:

- That Amazon has extended special-case retail transactions to domains in which they were previously utterly absent: retail transactions of books, music, film, and other information goods.

- That the degree, scope, timeframe, variability, and obscurity of Amazon's licensing are all tremendously greater than of other similar prior transactional forms.

- That what were previously simple finite limited and closed transactions --- buying a book, music or video recording, magazine, etc., are now anything but.

- That you're introducing other examples of recent retail practices, post-dating Amazon's significant entrance into markets and subsequent distortions to those. (I'll put that at the mid-to-late aughts, though Amazon itself of course dates to the mid-1990s.) And yes, there's been a significant transition increasingly toward licensing information product sales, most especially of software and information products, which can go back a few decades, but again hadn't applied to books, printed matter, music, and video to any appreciable extent.

That Amazon, and you, continue to equivocate the term buy for transactions which are far better described as leasing or licensing. This specifically includes language on the Amazon website such as "Buy now" (for physical goods, ebooks, and audiobooks). Ultimately this is misleading and fraudulent in Amazon's case, and deceptive in yours.

You're doing this repeatedly in this thread, not just in response to me, and are similarly failing to concede any points raised which contradict or reduce your own claims. Contrast my own multiple concessions.

Etymology for buy: "get by paying for, acquire the possession of in exchange for something of like value; redeem, ransom; procure; get done".

https://www.etymonline.com/word/buy>

Re: The Bitter Reality of Ebooks and the Kindle Model

#62
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> sunken screen What do you mean?

The flush screens of the Kindle have an extra layer to achieve the flushness which adds some reflectivity and makes the screen less paper like. The Libra 2 doesn't have a flush screen and appears much sharper and far more paper like in my eyes and many others.

Is this specific to the Libra 2? How about other kobo models?

Re: The Bitter Reality of Ebooks and the Kindle Model

#63
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The flush screens of the Kindle have an extra layer to achieve the flushness which adds some reflectivity and makes the screen less paper like. The Libra 2 doesn't have a flush screen and appears much sharper and far more paper like in my eyes and many others.

Is this specific to the Libra 2? How about other kobo models?

Libra 2 specifically since it also has the highest dpi. Basically you are looking for the highest dpi and non flush screen.

Re: The Bitter Reality of Ebooks and the Kindle Model

#64

I’m probably an outlier in tech circles but I really like the kindle experience, it’s convenient, the store has all the books I could ever want to read, the price is reasonable and since I never reread books I really don’t mind that I don’t own them forever. I’ve probably bought 200 books from Amazon since I got my kindle back in 2010. If I had to go through the hassles of stripping drm and side loading the books I’d…

>I’m probably an outlier in tech circles but I really like the kindle experience

Why do you think that you are an outlier? That every discussion of it online inevitably descends into discussion of DRM does not mean that people (techie or not) in general like using Kindle and its ecosystem.

I also really like Kindle (and the newest one's faster speed makes it all the better). iOwning one surprised me in how it changed the way I read. I did not anticipate the freedom of being able to move between books at any time for any reason.

I have many dozens of cards from libraries around the US, and can borrow almost anything at any time. It's great being able to hear about an interesting book, finding it at overdrive.com (which searches across multiple libraries), then borrowing it within 30 seconds.

Re: The Bitter Reality of Ebooks and the Kindle Model

#65
The author's repeatedly-stated fixation about how illegal or sometimes "barely legal" all this DRM evasion nonsense regarding the kindle is comes out as absurd. Who gives a shit? Stupid, self-serving, bad laws absolutely should be ignored and there's nothing in the least bit immoral about it, especially considering how Amazon and similar treat you as a supposed "owner" of content you bought.

Just quit the silly hand wringing and get to stripping that DRM parasitism away, straight to hell. No, you're not in any way immoral for doing so.

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