[JeanPierre]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

I consider turning on wifi an "explicit invocation" for any device to keep itself up-to-date. To me, that's the main reason for an ereader to have wifi. Being able to check Google or Wikipedia is a side benefit.

The key words here being "To me". There are other reasons for using the wifi connection other than syncing, and other users make use of them. This argument is nonsense unless you're a solipsist. Syncing as a consequence of turning on wifi is a side-effect, not an explicit invocation. An explicit invocation of sync is pressing the sync button only.

Originally Posted by lkmiller

In these days of everything getting connected to the internet, I'm surprised to hear that people expect anything but turning off wifi to stop *all* syncing. Looking at the Kobo's setting page, I can now sorta see how it could be misinterpreted. But I'm still surprised.

By this rationale you shouldn't be surprised to learn that a device with a wifi radio called back home even with wifi off then. You appear to be indifferent in attitude to your devices sharing information without your knowledge or consent. Your personal indifference to it doesn't make it sound design (to ignore any ethical or legal dimensions completely).

Originally Posted by koboy

what baffles/surprises me is why there isn't an option in Firmware 4.12.12111 in the settings menu (already) that is easy to find, so that the user/owner of the ereader as the choice to always turn off all syncing (permanently) if that's what they desire/want. it would be especially good to have for people like me who only ever sideload their books.

Yes, exactly. I'm also one of those people who only ever sideloads their books.

Originally Posted by DNSB

I know several people who use their ereaders anywhen from on the weekend to maybe once or twice a month. For them, the scheduled sync would help to keep them up to date.

Keep them up-to-date with what? What on a device that is barely being used needs to be kept up-to-date on a daily basis?

Originally Posted by DNSB

...

I'd probably still be using that service except that they decided to jump the cost beyond what I considered reasonable.

Just because you're personally comfortable - if that's what you're saying - with free things being downloaded to your device with no way to stop it, that doesn't mean other users will be.

Originally Posted by dmapr

Sorry, haven't installed 4.12 yet. Are you saying they took out the Wi-Fi checkbox? That's the one I use on my Kobo to turn off all syncing (permanently) and I have to say it works extremely well. I haven't noticed any unexpected syncing happening at all.

The patronising tone of this message seems misplaced to me given that the assumption that would justify it is incorrect: It is not the case that the only reason to connect to wifi is that so your device syncs.

If you learned the device silently connected to any stored networks that were available and synced on occasion, even with wifi disabled, would you be okay with that too?




In summary, my message is:

1. The language used in the settings page is insufficient to infer its purpose without having observed syncs occurring with it disabled.
2. It is a problem that there is no way to completely disable all syncing with Kobo when wifi is enabled.

If you wish to disagree with these points, that is fine, but please recognise whether you're making an argument from the perspective of a designer, who accounts for likely use cases of everyone who uses the device, or from your own narrow perspective of how you use your device. It happens to be the case that several users in this thread perceive the lack of an option to disable automatic syncs when connected to wifi to be a problem, and the reason for this is not simply poor reading comprehension, as a number of you seem intent to imply. That is just rudeness, plain and simple.

Insofar as further engaging in this discussion in this thread appears to be both an exercise in futility and off-topic, at this point I would reiterate something davidfor said earlier and encourage everyone that believes there should be an option to disable all automatic syncs to send Kobo an email on the subject. I, for one, will be doing exactly this.