Fictionwise Cancels F&SF Subscriptions

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

The magazines have always been DRM free at Fictionwise.

What about the Kindle versions - presumably they are too?

Given my subscriptions run out in one issue. FSF ran out a while ago, and never resubscribed, was just getting them ad hoc with no other option.

I don't think so.

Everything I know of from amazon is DRM'd other than a few self-published things.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I don't think so.

Everything I know of from amazon is DRM'd other than a few self-published things.

Correct; my Analogs are DRM-locked (I moved to Amazon when my Fictionwise subscription ran out).

So I fear the F&SFs are going to be DRMed as well.

[kennyc]

Thanks for the confirmation mbovenka.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Everything I know of from amazon is DRM'd other than a few self-published things.

Wrong. Major publishers have DRM-free works in the Kindle store.

I'm happy to announce that more than 160 O'Reilly books are now available on Kindle (both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2), and are being sold without any DRM (Digital Rights Management).

http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/04/ove...n-the-way.html

This year, Doctorow approached Macmillan’s CEO John Sargent and CTO Fritz Foy and asked if they would be willing to let him try to place his e-books in some of the major e-book stores without DRM

Sargent and Foy gave their blessing, and Doctorow approached Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Sony with his conditions. Of the results, he writes:

I’m happy to report that Amazon, to its eternal credit, was delighted to offer my e-books without DRM and with the anti-EULA license language, as was Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Unfortunately, I had no such luck with Apple or Sony.

http://www.teleread.com/copy-right/c...sony-hold-out/

[kennyc]

As I said, a few independent publishers and a few individual authors ...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

It is not optimal, but everyone has access in some way that does not involve stripping and converting. At minimum, there is the PC.

I did not buy my 650 in order to sit at the computer and read eBooks purchased from Amazon. So that's really not an option. You really don't get it. Lots of people who have a portable reader got it so they are not tethered to the computer. So how is this an option when it's not an option? The option is for F&SF to keep making their magazine in multiple formats. When they stop doing that, they lose customers. They also lose any sort of respect they may once have had.

You need to get with reality and realize that not everyone is going to want to read on an alternate device just because F&SF have moved to Amazon. You also need to understand that we are not going to pander to Amazon. What we are going to do is stop paying money for F&SF. We are going to move on and let them hopefully fail as they'll have less customers.

This is a rather stupid business decision by the people in charge. You have to understand that just because something can be done doesn't mean people want to do it. You will find a lot of people will not want to head over to Amazon to buy F&SF. It could be for a number of different reasons. But each reason is valid.

Not everyone thinks Jeff Bezos is a god like you do. He's made a lot of mistakes since the Kindle came out and this is just yet another mistake. There is no perfect reader and there is no perfect company selling readers and/or eBooks. But this exclusive deal makes Amazon & F&SF even less perfect then they were before.

Look at things from the point of view of someone who bought a reader that's not made by Amazon. Did they buy the reader to then have to read on the computer? No. They bought the reader to be able to read away from the computer.

The more you say there are options, the sillier you look. Are they valid options? Not to a lot of people. To a lot of people, your options aren't options at all.

You say everyone has access in some way. Show me how I have access to an eBook from Amazon that will work on my 650 without having to convert to ePub? I don't read eBooks on my iPhone. So that's out. I don't read eBooks on the laptop or computer so that's out. So what do I have left? My 650. So can you show me how I can buy ePub from Amazon?

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by kennyc

As I said, a few independent publishers and a few individual authors ...

is different from:

other than a few self-published things.

No?



Edit: Oh, and Macmilllan is one of the biggest and oldest publishers in the world. No minimizing that.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I did not buy my 650 in order to sit at the computer and read eBooks purchased from Amazon.

Then the limitation is being imposed by YOU. Thats YOUR choice.

F&SF magazine IS available to you, just not the way you want. But you do have the tools to read it in your possession.

Sadly, it seems that the best thing to do otherwise is for the two of you to go your own way.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Then the limitation is being imposed by YOU. Thats YOUR choice.

F&SF magazine IS available to you, just not the way you want.

Sadly, it seems that the best thing to do otherwise is for the two of you to go your own way.

If all the ways I read eBooks is not AZW compatible, then in reality (the reality, not yours) it's not available to me.

Do you understand this yet or shall we leave you to your own little world where everyone wants to read AZW and every option for reading AZW is the best option?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

is different from:



No?

Nope.

You are wrong again. You just want to argue apparently.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Then the limitation is being imposed by YOU. Thats YOUR choice.

F&SF magazine IS available to you, just not the way you want.

Sadly, it seems that the best thing to do otherwise is for the two of you to go your own way.

No. You are completely wrong. The limitation is being imposed by the change to only offer via Amazon.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Nope.

You are wrong again. You just want to argue apparently.

No, I'm trying to figure out how one of the biggest and oldest publishing houses in the world gets spun down to being just a 'few self published things'.

As for the other post, you both have the tools to read Amazon files at your disposal. Whether you do or not is your choice.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

No, I'm trying to figure out how one of the biggest and oldest publishing houses in the world gets spun down to being just a 'few self published things'.

As for the other post, you both have the tools to read Amazon files at your disposal. Whether you do or not is your choice.

We don't know if F&SF will have DRM or not. So let's not argue about that.

What we do know is that it will only be in AZW. And to buy it you have to give money to Amazon. Some of us do not want to buy from Amazon. Some of us do not want to have to go through the hassle of getting it over to a different format.

You've not yet told me how I will be able to buy F&SF from Amazon and use the downloaded file on my 650 without (at least) converting to ePub? The options Amazon is giving us are useless. So useless options are no options at all.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

No, I'm trying to figure out how one of the biggest and oldest publishing houses in the world gets spun down to being just a 'few self published things'.

As for the other post, you both have the tools to read Amazon files at your disposal. Whether you do or not is your choice.

Quite easy when it's only one author. Are are you unable to comprehend what you read at all.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

No, I'm trying to figure out how one of the biggest and oldest publishing houses in the world gets spun down to being just a 'few self published things'.

As for the other post, you both have the tools to read Amazon files at your disposal. Whether you do or not is your choice.

You are WRONG. End of story. The restriction has nothing to with me and everything to do with the withdrawal of purchasing options for the subscription.

Just drop it Rock, you are WRONG.