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Originally Posted by johnnyb
Only if Kobo does not implement that feature. There is really nothing stopping them.
Did you actually read my post? There is absolutely nothing stopping Kobo from doing it like Amazon, Tolino or Pocketbook and make the cloud service optional. No cloud service enabled? No scanning your whole library and saving it to the cloud.
Actually, if you are talking about Pocketbook or Tolino: On both systems, the cloud service is not enabled by default and needs separate registration. Upon enabling it, you have to scan your library. After that, Pocketbooks automatically uploads books added to the device, Tolino upon request.
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As I stated elsewhere in my post I was talking about Pocketbook. Firstly, I am surprised the service is not enabled by default. The tendency is for these sort of things to be on by default. Or maybe I should say that the tendency is to turn everything on and let the user turn off what they don't want.
The interesting thing I find here is that in my original post, I made suggestion about how "proper cloud services" worked. You came back and told me I was wrong and it was more limited than that, but did mention that one of the three devices did work the way I suggested. Now I find that two of the three work that way. And to be clear, what I said was to sync the sideloaded books via the cloud. You were quite insulting in the way you told me that isn't the way it worked. But you added an aside that one of them did. Now you tell me that two of the devices are syncing sideloaded books. You are justifying your statement a bit by saying it is opt-in for both and not automatic on one of them, but go back to what I originally said. I was very simplistic in my description and asked for an option. And yes, I assumed it would be opt-out rather than opt-on. I actually don't have a hassle with that as long as it is clear and I get the choice early. The thing here is that from what you have described, my statements fits two of those "proper cloud services"
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And even if that weren’t the case: There is absolutely nothing stopping Kobo from doing just that: Offering a cloud service that gives users the choice. Those that want max privacy can entirely refrain from using it, while others who do not want to jump through all the hoops of saving their status and annotations to a computer (and feel safer saving to the cloud, for example, on vacation, where there’s no computer around) are offered an easy solution.
Of course, offering such a solution means that the manufacturer of the device has to be comfortable with 1. writing stable code that allows such a service to function properly (Kobo perhaps isn’t) and 2. that users will still spend most of their money on the manufacturer‘s built in store, even though they are given the choice while not losing the convenience (Kobo perhaps isn’t).
To all of you protesting: Only because “cloud service” could imply to mean “total invasion of privacy” does not mean that it necessarily has to be so. It could also simply be a convenient tool to conserve work and time put into reading and making it easy to switch models.
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You have concentrated on my first post and my response to yours. But, you missed another post where I stated the I have no interest in Kobo adding a cloud sync for non-Kobo sourced books, because I have no interest in using that function. Yes, part of it is privacy considerations, but most of it is because I have ABSOLUTELY NO need for it.
Let me state my real position:
I do not want Kobo to develop a sync service for non-Kobo sourced books because I want them to spend their time improving my reading experience and the other parts of the software that I use.
Yes, that is a totally selfish attitude. And I am completely happy to admit to it. In fact, I have never claimed not to be a selfish bastard. But, I am willing to accept that other people have other opinions of what is important. And, more importantly, that Kobo have their own opinion of what is important in their product.
And of course, Kobo could add "proper cloud services". You can go ahead and be insulting to them about the reason. But, a far more likely is that they don't think it is important to them and their customers. And, as I stated in one of my posts, there might be legal barriers making it undesirable. Of course, Kobo would be the ones defining what "proper cloud services" meant, so maybe they consider they already do offer them. Or, they see not offering them as a differentiator to the alternative products.
@Jackastor: My apologies for the hijacking of your thread. And especially if my posts are rude in any way. I tried to keep a civil tongue, but I won't be surprised if something slipped through.