Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
You are not being forced to make these purchases - so "robber-barons" seem unwarranted. The old-technology paper-based books are still available (not that, even there, will you get life+70). No one is forcing you to accept DRM, not even I am suggesting you do this. If you don't like the conditions, don't accept them and don't buy the product - you don't have to act dishonourably just because (you believe) the other person does. The old tit-for-tat argument is how generational feuds get started. To say "if the other acts badly then so must I" brings society to the lowest common denominator, I'd rather hoped we were better than that. (Yes, I know that some recent history proves me wrong, but it doesn't stop me hoping.)
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You keep talking about honour and promises when it comes to ebooks. You're saying it's dishonourable/breaking your word to strip the DRM from an ebook.
No, it's not. For a fairly simple reason...the very act of making a promise or "giving your word" is ritualized and given weight. There's a ceremony involved. A person doesn't give their word or make a promise every time they open their mouth (or even click on an "accept" link).
There's a reason why kids "pinkie promise" or cross their hearts, and adults "shake on it" or sign contracts. *THAT'S* when someone gives their word (and it can be simplified by saying "I promise", but, the weight is still invested in the moment). Continuing with the references to children, any kid knows if their parents say "I'll think about it"...they probably will get an agreement, but, it's not fixed in stone. The parents *haven't* promised. When the parent backs out later, the kids know no promises were broken.
I'm not giving my word every time I buy a pack of gum from my deli (or a paper book from a regular bookstore). Why would I be giving my word every time I buy an ebook? Buying an ebook is not important enough to me to make any promises. My family, friends, co-workers, etc. They're the ones who are important to me. The bank that holds my mortgage and credits cards are important to me, within the limits of the contracts I've made with them. But, I've taken the time to make a promise to them.
I haven't "promised" anything to Amazon. Nor do I hold them to any promises. Amazon as a company is free to say I've agreed to their not-legally-enforceable Terms and Conditions every time I buy an ebook, but I didn't agree in the first place and they can whistle into the wind. They're free to send a representative to my house, to phone me, or to even email me, and *ask* if I agree, and stop selling me ebooks when I don't. I doubt very highly they will. They want the sales. I'm giving them the sales. That's the limit of our relationship.
All I've done is given them money and bought a pack of gum. No honour was lost in the processing of that transaction.