Quote:
Originally Posted by rashkae
The term open source does itself, not necessarily encompass the ideals behind free software, lets call it Stallmaninsm for fun. But to say 'Free Software" is a corruption of the ideals of Open Source illicits an what the actual heck from me.
|
Where do I write that?
We aren't talking about free software, but "registering" a piece of hardware, which doesn't need jail-breaked (unlike John Deere or Amazon Kindle) and doesn't even need a real email address.
I agree you shouldn't have to register, however how do you buy ebooks from Kobo without at least as a minimum a working email address, password, paypal and selecting a country?
If you are never going to buy ebooks from Kobo then fakename@fakedomain works. No need to fiddle with the database or complain. IMO it's the most open ereader on the market.
Public Domain books (and Cory Doctorow's free ebooks if you like his stuff) is enough justification to buy a Kobo ereader. Which is fine because the only anonymous way to buy books is on paper in a shop with cash, assuming they have no CCTV with facial recognition.
But additionally I've had massive spam due to an ISP being hacked, not using my email address to buy stuff. Now gone due to deletion of those accounts.
In seven years with also a real email on one Kobo and fake on another, I got zero emails. I've had hosting and my own domains for over 15 years so I can create new emails at existing domains for free and add new domains at the usual annual cost.
In the last few months since using a real email on one Kobo and buying ebooks from Kobo I have only got email receipts. Same oddly with Amazon.
Ebay & Linkdin can cause spam. I deleted email account Linkdin had.
I get almost no spam. Maybe less than one a week, and not on the emails that Amazon or have. I have no spam blocking on the hosting.
This is more an issue about anonymity for something designed to connect to the internet for purchases of the content. But unlike Andriod, iOS, Amazon Kindle or Libraries the Kobo is fully functional with a fake email address.
You can then shop with a real identity for ebooks anywhere assuming you get ones with no DRM (Baen, Ebooks.com and Smashwords?) or remove DRM from ebooks bought from Barnes&Noble (Nook), Kobo, Amazon or Google Play Books.