Quote:
Originally Posted by eschwartz
|
Hups - a posting went missing. Probably because it was critical about this forum rather engaging in product support on a case by case basis, than to educate their members on any structural issues within the current Amazon distribution system.
And because it was critical about this essentially being self exploitive behavior on part of the users in here, who rather would engage in producing detailed step by step instructions for every case, at any time, in any thread, than to engage others to think about why Amazons distribution system is structured this way. ("We are helping you, with jumping through the hoops, others have designed, for free.")
Also eschwartzs answer isnt correct as far as Amazons point of view is concerned. Amazon would like you to log into their online interface and specify specifically on which device you want to read an eBook that you want to download on any device that isnt registered to Amazon. The document will then be encrypted with a device specific key, before you can download it on your PC.
This discourages the normal user to use any non Amazon controlled environment for obtaining their books. This is also used so eBook management isnt viable locally (and can only be done via Amazons web interface) - once the first eReader you bought isnt your primary device anymore.
Also, eschwartzs answer isnt correct for the current file format Amazon already is mainly distributing - because there is no way to remove DRM from it.
Right now this forum doesnt care to recognize this, because Amazon consideres PCs (the K4PC environment) to be legacy devices - to which they only distribute their old file formats - from which you can still strip the DRM.
Structurally it is impossible that this way of circumventing Amazons lock in can be prolonged in the medium term future - because "understanding the new eBooks" will only be something that a handful of people at Amazon itself will be able to/have to care about - because in the new paradigm, they will be the only ones that still will be able to produce eBooks.
Getting product support, without being educated on the processes, can be done on reddit just as well. Also - it moves this community from being motivated by self interest to be motivated by whatever emotional payoff still is possible for its members solving customer support problems for Amazons customers. Like it already took place in this thread.
-
No one has said, that starting to realize what it means to run a community like this in the age where Amazon also has a monopoly on production and distribution, would consist of a friendly surface discussion. Its going to be rough.
And censorship already is used to remove critical aspects from the discussion, when it cuts into this - first and foremost - being a platform, where people look for personal support from others for free. Regardless of subforum, or topic. And them being helped out in ways - that dont promote a deeper understanding of the structural causes of the problems they are having.
I think this has been a fair assessment.