Do eBooks Change What You Read?

[schroedercl2]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I've become more political in my reading habits since I purchased a reader, as in my actions are now no longer based solely upon 'wanting' to read, but on supporting that which is fair, honest and what is attuned to my own beliefs about digital freedom. I no longer support any system or author that has DRM or geographic restrictions near their work. I now read a lot more classics that are available in the Public Domain, and a lot of new and experimental authors who release their works under the Creative Commons license.

It has definitively changed my reading habits, and all for the better.

Interesting. Which systems/authors have DRM or geographic restrictions near their work? I've never heard of that. And what is DRM?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by schroedercl2

Smallville is still on? I thought that was cancelled years ago. I have the opposite problem as you-I love TV and that holds me back from reading more....

Not only is Smallville still on, but it look almost certain that there will be a 10th season.

And Clark Kent is still the only Kryptonian who can't fly. He finally has a costume of sorts, but one that makes him look more like a super-stalker than a Superman. The shirt has a dorky gray symbol that looks as if it has been through the wash cycle one too many times.

When will the producers ever abandon that absurd "no flights, no tights rule?" Come on, producer folks! Up, up, and away already!

On the bright side, the "S" symbol is everywhere this season.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by schroedercl2

... So you said you now read more fiction. What did you used to read more of before?

Almost everything I read pre-Kindle was non-fiction; philosophy, science, religion, and some politics, mostly. There were exceptions, of course. I read all of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, all of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories, some Agatha Christie books and stories, and a few other fictional works, but I've always enjoyed non-fiction more than fiction for some reason. My current Kindle reading list is still heavy on the non-fiction.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by schroedercl2

Interesting. Which systems/authors have DRM or geographic restrictions near their work? I've never heard of that. And what is DRM?

DRM - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

Geo-restriction is when you go to an online store and they refuse to sell you a book because you're from a certain country. Most, if not all, the online ebook stores have one form of geo-restriction or another in place (this is mainly at the behest of publishers who are trying to protect their old paper book business models).

All (well almost all commercially published) writers who are available in ebook have their books available in a DRM-laden format, and geo-restricted to boot.

Places that don't have DRM or geo-restriction are Baen, Smashwords, Feedbooks, Manybooks and Project Gutenberg.

[schroedercl2]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Not only is Smallville still on, but it look almost certain that there will be a 10th season.

And Clark Kent is still the only Kryptonian who can't fly. He finally has a costume of sorts, but one that makes him look more like a super-stalker than a Superman. The shirt has a dorky gray symbol that looks as if it has been through the wash cycle one too many times.

When will the producers ever abandon that absurd "no flights, no tights rule?" Come on, producer folks! Up, up, and away already!

On the bright side, the "S" symbol is everywhere this season.

Wow, 10th season. Maybe I should start watching :P

That costume IS strange. If it's supposed to be the "modern" version, it wasn't represented very well at all. Maybe if the show continues long enough, he'll start flying AND dressing well. Or we can hope.

[schroedercl2]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

DRM - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

Geo-restriction is when you go to an online store and they refuse to sell you a book because you're from a certain country. Most, if not all, the online ebook stores have one form of geo-restriction or another in place (this is mainly at the behest of publishers who are trying to protect their old paper book business models).

All (well almost all commercially published) writers who are available in ebook have their books available in a DRM-laden format, and geo-restricted to boot.

Places that don't have DRM or geo-restriction are Baen, Smashwords, Feedbooks, Manybooks and Project Gutenberg.

I don't understand the point of geo-restriction. Why would they do that?

[kjk]

Originally Posted by schroedercl2

I don't understand the point of geo-restriction. Why would they do that?

They have different distribution deals in each country-and haven't worked out how to satisfy each one with a one-size-fits-all arrangement. Same as with videogames, music, movies, etc...


In theory, going digital should open the world up to everything...the reality is still lagging

[captcrouton]

I'm also a sucker for freebies, though I've bought a few. I read:

1) Alot more classics
2) Alot more authors I never heard of, just because it's free on Amazon.
3) Alot more in general because it's always available.

[lene1949]

As I got older, it was harder to see the small print in the cheap paper backs, and the hard backs got too heavy...

Then I found my Palm Zire72, and I started reading ebooks... In those days you could buy anything you liked... I used FictionWise... and I read a lot...

These days I get much pleasure out of reading the old classics, which I would probably never have done, if they weren't free on the net... You can buy some of these classics from the book store, but they are very poor quality and cost money.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Treven

I've found that e-books has opened up books that I wouldn't have purchased if they were paperback formats; that I've been introduced to authors that I wouldn't have read pre-digital reader.

yep

me too ...

[GhostHawk]

I tend to read a lot more series. Kind of nice to get into a series and read 3,4, 5 in a row just snarfing them down as fast as I can chew.

I am also reading a lot more of the classics. And filling in a lot of gaps from fav authors that I just missed, or couldn't afford at the time.

Its a big wide world out there, and there is an abundance of material if your willing to take a chance now and then.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by GhostHawk

I tend to read a lot more series. Kind of nice to get into a series and read 3,4, 5 in a row just snarfing them down as fast as I can chew.

I am also reading a lot more of the classics. And filling in a lot of gaps from fav authors that I just missed, or couldn't afford at the time.

Its a big wide world out there, and there is an abundance of material if your willing to take a chance now and then.

AH ! series ...... mmmmm .... fictionwise .... 3 of a series available for me to purchase, the final two in the series are GR ! ..... GRRRRRRRHHHHHHH

[worxland]

Q: Do eBooks Change What You Read?
A: No.

[alecE]

Definitely changed my reading habits. Because my liseuse has liberated me from the restrictions of space, not enough of, I can now indulge myself and buy titles which I wouldn't have found in the local library and wouldn't have been able to house. Good example - I'm working my way through the Barsoom series by Burroughs, which I would *never* have done if I'd been restricted to pbooks. Ditto for the Arsène Lupin titles. Not to mention the wonderful items on Gutenberg. So many books, so little time!

[emonti8384]

Yes. When I go into the bookstore to buy a book I generally know what I'm coming in for. I don't like to go throught the entire library to browse for books. With my reader I've discovered authors I never would've considered (maybe turned my nose up at) if I had still been buying pbooks.