Limited Kindle Unlimited

[John F]

Originally Posted by Mistyfarm

...

So I shall now dismount from my High Duck and leave this pond hopefully even just slightly better for having been here …………..

...

Guess not.

[Mistyfarm]

Um, and let that be an important lesson to all of you!

Including me!!

.............

[Mistyfarm]

John! Really? Can I at least sleep on it?

[Mistyfarm]

....... bad luck John. I'm going to. Go ahead, take your best shot! See you in my morning!

[binaryhermit]

That curried potato cookbook that you linked is indeed ridiculously short. I think whoever said you triggered their fraud detection is right.

I also think this is a "corner case" Amazon's fraud detection didn't think about.
In addition, I think you could make a case for that book in question meeting the "so short it disappoints readers" clause. But you could also make a case it doesn't meet that clause, I mean, it says it's a recipe for curried potatoes and that's what it is. That decision's beyond my pay grade.

It'd be a better practice to package a few recipes into a longer ebook and list the recipes inside the description, in my opinion. But again, beyond my pay grade.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Mistyfarm

......... now go to your room!!!!

Ahh, you don't disappoint at all.

Here is some Karma for effort.

[DNSB]

Just to add my 2 cents (Canadian) into this discussion, I did some downloading, browsing and returning Kindle Unlimited books. I reached 374 before I gave up and did not manage to trigger any warnings from Amazon. Basically, borrow book, read first couple of pages, scroll to end, read last couple of page and return. Repeat until boredom set in. It was something to do over a couple of boring evening while monitoring the MAN.

All I can say is those 374 randomly selected books made it very easy to believe that KU nothing more than a massive slush pile full of copycats.

See The shocking truth about the slush pile.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Just to add my 2 cents (Canadian) into this discussion, I did some downloading, browsing and returning Kindle Unlimited books. I reached 374 before I gave up and did not manage to trigger any warnings from Amazon. Basically, borrow book, read first couple of pages, scroll to end, read last couple of page and return. Repeat until boredom set in. It was something to do over a couple of boring evening while monitoring the MAN.

All I can say is those 374 randomly selected books made it very easy to believe that KU nothing more than a massive slush pile full of copycats.

See The shocking truth about the slush pile.

Full marks for persistence. How on earth did you manage to count the exact numbers of books you went through in this way, when the OP could (or would) not?

KU certainly has its fair share of scams and rubbish, as is inevitable by its very nature. There have been many posts on these forums about some elementary steps that can be taken to avoid these books. It has been many years now since I borrowed one of these, and it was quickly returned mostly unread.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by darryl

Full marks for persistence. How on earth did you manage to count the exact numbers of books you went through in this way, when the OP could (or would) not?

I have the impression that it depends on your motives. If you want your bias confirmed then it will be easy to do so. If at first you don't succeed, change your strategy until you can find the confirmation to the answer you already had. Picking books at random is the worst possible strategy, IMHO. If I were to pick random traditionally published books from the whole list (not just the few front list books), then there be plenty books coming my way I have no interest in reading.

With the right strategy, you can do anything as seen here:

Originally Posted by DNSB

All I can say is those 374 randomly selected books made it very easy to believe that KU nothing more than a massive slush pile full of copycats.

[Mistyfarm]

I said I’d climb down off my High Duck and I have. So I’ve jumped on a passing small Gosling for now.

I’ll try to “value add” to the thread in a moment but first ……….

“OK DT, You can come out now!”. I’ve written to McKenzie Bezos and told her about your Karma “generosity” but surprisingly, she hasn’t responded ….. yet.

[Mistyfarm]

Originally Posted by DNSB

All I can say is those 374 randomly selected books made it very easy to believe that KU nothing more than a massive slush pile full of copycats.

See The shocking truth about the slush pile.

Thanks DNSB for your link, very helpful.

The first thing that jumps out (which supports your conclusion) is that Amazon clearly don’t “reject” their slush pile, in any significant way it would seem !!!

[Mistyfarm]

Originally Posted by darryl

Full marks for persistence. How on earth did you manage to count the exact numbers of books you went through in this way, when the OP could (or would) not?

Would not.

I won't repeat my previous explanation of Amazon not providing a book count in it’s console and my "slow" internet (6-8 Mbps at it’s best minus any international congestion) - it’s there in earlier pages.

I just wan’t prepared to load, wait, count, scroll, load, wait, count, scroll….. repeat.

DNSB it appears, counted as he went along, choosing titles at random. Goodonya DNSB for your commitment to the cause!

I originally loaded from a subject/search result list and I’m guessing that it was that specific concentration that flipped the switch. (Or maybe the’ve tweaked the code recently).

Originally Posted by darryl

There have been many posts on these forums about some elementary steps that can be taken to avoid these books. It has been many years now since I borrowed one of these, and it was quickly returned mostly unread.

I’m sure there are those answers, somewhere buried deep in the bowels of these 000’s of messages (no I’m not going to ask for a link, don’t worry)

But my point in responding is; Absolutely, return the books “unread”.

And to use what I’ve learned so far with all the previous links supplied in this thread - just make sure you return to the “cover” of the crappy book before you return it so that the Amazon abacus doesn’t “pay” the numb nut author any money.

Not to help the behemoth but as some small assistance to genuine authors and maximising their available pot.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Mistyfarm

The first thing that jumps out (which supports your conclusion) is that Amazon clearly don’t “reject” their slush pile, in any significant way it would seem !!!

Amazon make no judgements about the quality of the writing of a book published through KDP. They are generally only concerned about contents that are illegal or fraudulent.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by Mistyfarm

Would not.

I won't repeat my previous explanation of Amazon not providing a book count in it’s console and my "slow" internet (6-8 Mbps at it’s best minus any international congestion) - it’s there in earlierhttps://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3850499#post3850499 pages.

I just wan’t prepared to load, wait, count, scroll, load, wait, count, scroll….. repeat.

DNSB it appears, counted as he went along, choosing titles at random. Goodonya DNSB for your commitment to the cause!

I originally loaded from a subject/search result list and I’m guessing that it was that specific concentration that flipped the switch. (Or maybe the’ve tweaked the code recently).

Your excuses for not providing the numbers are patently ridiculous and I doubt many of us believe them. My conclusion is that the number of books you "borrowed" was so high as to detract from the case you were trying to make. Now we are at 384 without attracting a ban similar to yours. I'm not so sure that your numbers would not be in the thousands rather than the hundreds. Your internet speed is sufficient to allow you to stream Netflix HD video, and hugely exceeds the speeds required to get adequate performance on Amazon's websites. You can guess all you like what it was that "flipped the switch". My bet would be sheer number combined with your skimming and quick return.

Originally Posted by Mistyfarm

I’m sure there are those answers, somewhere buried deep in the bowels of these 000’s of messages (no I’m not going to ask for a link, don’t worry)

But my point in responding is; Absolutely, return the books “unread”.

And to use what I’ve learned so far with all the previous links supplied in this thread - just make sure you return to the “cover” of the crappy book before you return it so that the Amazon abacus doesn’t “pay” the numb nut author any money.

Not to help the behemoth but as some small assistance to genuine authors and maximising their available pot.

Perhaps you have not noticed that Mobileread has a search function, including a versatile advanced search.

It seems that you have learned very little so far. No one knows for sure what algorithm Amazon uses to determine pages read for KU purposes. I doubt very much that it relies on the page you happen to be on at the time the book is returned.

KU simply does not cater for what you have been doing. It is for people who want to read the books, and the terms make this very clear. If you don't like it, cancel your subscription.

[Mistyfarm]

Originally Posted by darryl

Perhaps you have not noticed that Mobileread has a search function, including a versatile advanced search.

One which you seem very loath to use yourself.

But OK then …… Please indulge me with a simple 3 or 4 word search that will reveal these posts you refer to.

Just very quickly, off the top of your head, shouldn’t take you more than 3.64 seconds.

I’m not asking you to find those posts yourself, I can do that for myself.

I know how much you hate providing verifyable links of your claims.

Originally Posted by darryl

It seems that you have learned very little so far.

Actually quite a lot. But none of it thanks to you though .… except maybe in the very near future.

I’m working on an algorithm to work out a poster’s “maturity” based on their number of Karma points together with the total number of their posts and factoring in the year of joining and the amount of useful information ….. I’m trying to work out whether to insist on a note from their mum first - I might even use the same abacus that Amazon uses.

Us old fossils tend to value hard evidence over thin air speculations.