Two Kobos, One Kobo Account?

[idanby]

My hubby has a kobo and I use an Android. We've both purchased books under his email address. He doesn't read mine, but I read his. The problem is that every time he plugs in to his computer, his kobo syncs everything. Even if it doesn't download my books, it downloads the titles. He doesn't want to have to see all my titles (or even all of his own) when he scrolls through his twenty odd page book list (200 books so far) when he is finding what he wants to read. It wouldn't be a problem if they would just say in the on-line library where we could find a name if we wanted to download the book, but they don't. He deletes them off his device and they sync back on. When we had just our Sony Ereaders we didn't have this problem. We'd go onto our Sony Library and download just the names we wanted to show on our devices. Now we have hoards of books we don't want to see all the time. With hundreds of books on our account, it would be good if Kobo could set up so that all books showed up on the kobo website, but only downloaded (name or text) to a device when wanted. And seeing as families have always shared purchased books within the household, it would be nicer if the books could be separated into his, hers and ours.

[Mellobob]

You can have different shelves for his and her.

[robko]

Depending which device he's using you should have an option in the library view to filter only the books that are on the device (i.e. whole book has been downloaded to it, not just the cover). I can't remember which of the older devices might not have this option, but if you're running a "newish" firmware it should be there. It's in the library settings accessed via the three lines at the top right in the library screen and tick the box to only show downloaded books.
Not sure what options there are for in Android.

[burnafterreading]

current eink readers and tablets aren't yet able to differentiate between two human beings using said device. as far as Kobo / ADE is concerned, John Smith owns 2 or more devices, one in the bedroom and the other in the living room. when John Smith buys a book, using device A, it'll show up on device B. John Smith is also able to own multiple computers, and have the same ADE account set up on both.

when Jenny Smith grabs one of the readers, the reader doesn't know that it isn't John Smith, so it just shows all the books that JS had loaded. when Jenny goes through 15 pages, and John picks up the other reader, he'll see that "he" is 15 pages ahead from where he last remembers being.

there's no DNA lock or retinal (or rectal) scan done yet to authenticate you and only you and only you and none of your offspring.

and yeah, you can organize shelves (or collections, actually) so that the romance books are in one group, the thrillers in another, the comics in yet another. i think the "collections" is what you'll want to use. it appears to sync between eink reader (my Glo) and android (my 7HD and 10HD).

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by idanby

And seeing as families have always shared purchased books within the household, it would be nicer if the books could be separated into his, hers and ours.

In theory, I think this violates the Kobo terms of service. In one case with Amazon, a customer had their account deleted though it was reinstated after a public outcry.

On a more serious note, one niece and her significant other have set up multiple shelves for their Kobos. Two labelled with their names, one labelled Shared and the fourth labelled as Who Knows (some free books, etc.). Sideloaded books are easier since they only sideload the books they want on their reader and reading position, etc. are not automatically synced.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by DNSB

In one case with Amazon, a customer had their account deleted though it was reinstated after a public outcry.

Are you sure of this? It would be odd if something like that happened, since they encourage sharing among family members, and have provisions to make the devices work better if there are multiple people using the account with multiple devices.

Shari

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by shalym

Are you sure of this? It would be odd if something like that happened, since they encourage sharing among family members, and have provisions to make the devices work better if there are multiple people using the account with multiple devices.

Shari

The event I was remembering was a couple of years back. At the time there were quite a few articles though information from Amazon itself was non-existent other than copies of the emails sent to Linn. Here's a link to Cory Doctorow's article about it:
Kindle user claims Amazon deleted whole library without explanation

[shalym]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The event I was remembering was a couple of years back. At the time there were quite a few articles though information from Amazon itself was non-existent other than copies of the emails sent to Linn. Here's a link to Cory Doctorow's article about it:
Kindle user claims Amazon deleted whole library without explanation

Ok--I remember that, but I didn't remember that it had anything to do with two people sharing an account, and re-reading it, I still don't see that it does. Can you point out where it says that her account was closed because she was sharing her kindle account with another person?

I'm sorry to seem like I'm fixating on this, but it is very important, as one of the things that Amazon advertises is the ability to share your account with family members...they even created a way to have separate profiles so that you can hide some books from some people (so if I had adult books I could hide them from my children, while still allowing my children access to the other books on my account)

Shari

[DNSB]

[QUOTE=shalym;3019468]Ok--I remember that, but I didn't remember that it had anything to do with two people sharing an account, and re-reading it, I still don't see that it does. Can you point out where it says that her account was closed because she was sharing her kindle account with another person?

I'm sorry to seem like I'm fixating on this, but it is very important, as one of the things that Amazon advertises is the ability to share your account with family members...they even created a way to have separate profiles so that you can hide some books from some people (so if I had adult books I could hide them from my children, while still allowing my children access to the other books on my account)/QUOTE]

The problem is that no one knows for sure why the account was closed and then re-instated. The only items that Linn Nygaard was aware of that might have been an issue was

• Having given Amazon an UK address they wanted before shipping a replacement for her defective Kindle. Amazon would not ship to Norway since there was no Amazon office in Norway.
  
• Giving her original Kindle purchased in the UK.her mother after transferring her account to a Kindle obtained from a Danish classified ad. Did her mother continue using her account?
  
• Using a UK address when ordering ebooks from Amazon.co.uk?
  

If you read some of the emails from Amazon in Matin Bekkelund's post (definitely worth a chuckle):

Outlawed by Amazon DRM

And a followup story after her account was restored:

Linn Nygaard Deleted Account Restored

There is no information from Amazon as to why her account was deleted and re-instated. Stating that her account status should not have affected her ability to access previously purchased books did not help when they had removed her purchases from her Kindle.

Edit: In response to a PM, I've worked in IT for quite a few years. I know that I am paranoid, I just don't know if I am paranoid enough! They are out to get me -- just check the firewall logs.

[eschwartz]

I thought I heard regarding the Nygaard case that she was judged guilty of circumventing georestrictions by buying books from the wrong store.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I thought I heard regarding the Nygaard case that she was judged guilty of circumventing georestrictions by buying books from the wrong store.

Also, I believe that no books were actually removed from her Kindle. Her Kindle broke, and she wasn't able to re-download her books to a new Kindle because her account was closed.

Shari

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I thought I heard regarding the Nygaard case that she was judged guilty of circumventing georestrictions by buying books from the wrong store.

As far as I can remember, Amazon never made public any information about why they deleted and restored her account.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by shalym

Also, I believe that no books were actually removed from her Kindle. Her Kindle broke, and she wasn't able to re-download her books to a new Kindle because her account was closed.

As I read the story, her Kindle developed dark lines across the page but was still functional and she was still reading on it while trying to get a replacement. After she contacted Amazon about a replacement, her account was closed and the 40 or so ebooks on that defective Kindle were deleted. To quote Cory Doctorow's article: "Her account was closed, and her Kindle was remotely wiped." To quote Martin Bekkelund's article: "Amazon just closed her account and wiped her Kindle. Without notice. Without explanation."

The emails sent by Amazon.co.uk's Michael Murphy left me with the impression that Franz Kafka's The Trial was on his required reading list.

[shalym]

Here's the mobileread thread on the issue. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=194580 Here's a link to the announcement that her Kindle was NOT remotely wiped https://twitter.com/webmink/status/260432600814981120

In any case, (and to almost get back on topic...) I can't find any indication anywhere that the closing of her account was because she was sharing her account with a family member. Can you point me to a link where that is stated?

Shari

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by shalym

Here's the mobileread thread on the issue. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=194580 Here's a link to the announcement that her Kindle was NOT remotely wiped https://twitter.com/webmink/status/260432600814981120

In any case, (and to almost get back on topic...) I can't find any indication anywhere that the closing of her account was because she was sharing her account with a family member. Can you point me to a link where that is stated?

That was why I put a question mark after that item in my list of possibilities since Amazon never supplied any reason.

My reasoning was that a while back, I heard from one acquaintance after she and her husband purchased a Kindle as a gift for a friend. The Kindle was shipped pre-configured with their account information. When they questioned a book purchase, Amazon's first level support was not very supportive even though it was made clear that she was not aware that pre-configuration before shipping was standard for Amazon at that time. A suggestion that their account could be suspended for sharing books with their friend was tossed around. Admittedly, the next person she talked to was able to remove the purchase and sent information on how to change the account used by the gifted Kindle.

Anyhow, I think we've beaten this issue to death so perhaps time to let the thread wander off into the sunset.