Sony Reader with embedded ads soon? - Page 2

ChrisR1970 · 05-13-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I will be most unhappy if ads on my Sony (enriching my reading experience??) appear prior to a firmware update that allows me to read epubs with full justification. Come on, Sony. It's been many months and we're still waiting for this.

What are Epubs with full justification? I have version 1.1.00.18040 the update said it had Epub support. I have about 80 Epub format books on my 505 and have never had any trouble with them. Are there different kinds of Epubs?

DixieGal · 05-13-2009, 10:25 AM

I think VR was referring to straight margins down both sides of the text.

Sweetpea · 05-13-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

(But the way, the ads in the paperback books (without authorization) is what led to the infamous Ellison gopher incident.)

What is this incident?

vivaldirules · 05-13-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisR1970

What are Epubs with full justification? I have version 1.1.00.18040 the update said it had Epub support. I have about 80 Epub format books on my 505 and have never had any trouble with them. Are there different kinds of Epubs?

What DixieGal says is correct. I don't like the way epubs are rendered on the Sony and so don't use them any longer. Full justification is a clean, even margin on both the left and right margins. The current firmware in the Sony's is only left-justified and I hate that look.

I'm sorry for having brought this up in this thread. It is completely unrelated to the discussion of ads. I was just quite annoyed at the thought that Sony would spend their efforts to poke me in the eye by putting stinking ads in my books even before they've fixed what is known to be inadequate in their current devices.

sirbruce · 05-13-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

What is this incident?

http://harlanellison.com/text/newsfaq.txt

DID HARLAN REALLY MAIL A DEAD GOPHER TO AN EDITOR?

Nope. It was the comptroller of a certain publishing house that bound a cigarette ad into one of Harlan's paperbacks, breaking a stipulation in Harlan's contract. Although better related in Harlan's essay "Driving in the Spikes", suffice to say that after trying nicely to get the book rights reverted back to him, as per his contract, and getting blown off, Harlan mailed 213 bricks postage due to the man (this was back when the US Postal Service would mail anything postage-free, making the recipient pay up), had a Luthuanian hit man friend of his have a talk with him, and then mailed the dead gopher, along with Ted Cogswell's recipe for braised gopher stew, fourth class mail, where it stank up the mailing room for quite a while.

Greg Anos · 05-13-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

What is this incident?

He wrote it up in an essay called "Driving in the spikes." To give a summary is unfair, because he includes the reasoning for the behavior. But in short, after he could get no legal satisfaction for having ads run in his book that he disagreed with, he eventually sent the publisher a dead gopher, 4th class mail...

David Munch · 05-13-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Instead of any expensive (to them) changes to firmware, wouldn't you imagine that they would just insert ads into free books? Maybe every 20 pages or so, press the page turn button, and an ad shows up, then back to the book with the next page turn?

That would be fine with me, unless I had paid full price for the book.

I would be fine with this. Books I love of course, I would buy without ads. But the ones you just pick up because you need something to read, I would have no objection at all to ads, IF the price of the book was severely reduced.

ProDigit · 05-13-2009, 11:00 AM

I think it would be hard to add ads on .lrf books. If they would add ads they would really mess up the book, unless they have a couple of pages in the beginning or end of the book that display ads.

Penforhire · 05-13-2009, 11:24 AM

Sounds like something that would make me hack my Sony to fix that annoyance.

GntlmnBndt · 05-13-2009, 12:16 PM

Doesn't sound like a bad idea, if there is an actual price reduction for the book. More likely, though, it will be like the ads in theaters and on some DVDs -- prices will continue or even rise, and the production companies will claim they would be higher still if not for the ad revenue.

The Bandit

Amalthia · 05-13-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I'm sorry for having brought this up in this thread. It is completely unrelated to the discussion of ads. I was just quite annoyed at the thought that Sony would spend their efforts to poke me in the eye by putting stinking ads in my books even before they've fixed what is known to be inadequate in their current devices.

I still can't figure out who was brain dead enough to think people would want the page numbers right next to the text! I mean really? that's not how they do it in books or in other printed materials. The numbers need to be away from the text not floating along the right margin messing up the paragraphs even more.

Until I can figure out how to remove the page number I don't see myself using epub anytime soon either.

Ankh · 05-13-2009, 01:20 PM

Ads embedded in freebies and teasers I can understand and tolerate. Every second page, or half of every page, if they wish. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

However, every content that I pay for, I expect to be ads-free. An attempt to force ads on me through firmware upgrade would anger me enough to never buy anything made by such a company.

GJN · 05-13-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I wouldn't even read that book if they gave it to me...

I wouldn't touch such a book even if they paid me. Ads may be fine in a newspaper or a magazine where no concentration is required, but in any book of value you expect an uninterrupted relationship with the author/narrator.

eal · 05-13-2009, 02:17 PM

I think at least some of the advertising model he's talking about is flowing newspaper and magazine ads with the content. Of course to really do this they need a larger and preferably wireless device. Like say a 9.7" Sony Reader with 3G and/or WiFi built in, maybe the SRS 9700???

khalleron · 05-13-2009, 03:03 PM

May we reiterate that the article refers to ads in periodicals (magazines and newspapers) and *not* to ads in books?

I would not tolerate ads in books - too invasive to the reading experience. Ads in periodicals - well, of course. What's either novel or upsetting about that?

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05-13-2009, 10:25 AM	#17
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I think VR was referring to straight margins down both sides of the text.

05-13-2009, 11:00 AM	#23
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	I think it would be hard to add ads on .lrf books. If they would add ads they would really mess up the book, unless they have a couple of pages in the beginning or end of the book that display ads.

05-13-2009, 11:24 AM	#24
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Sounds like something that would make me hack my Sony to fix that annoyance.

05-13-2009, 12:16 PM	#25
GntlmnBndt Zealot Posts: 135 Karma: 142 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: iPod Touch, iPad	Doesn't sound like a bad idea, if there is an actual price reduction for the book. More likely, though, it will be like the ads in theaters and on some DVDs -- prices will continue or even rise, and the production companies will claim they would be higher still if not for the ad revenue. The Bandit

05-13-2009, 01:20 PM	#27
Ankh Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 2003751 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: Kobo Glo HD	Ads embedded in freebies and teasers I can understand and tolerate. Every second page, or half of every page, if they wish. There is no such thing as a free lunch. However, every content that I pay for, I expect to be ads-free. An attempt to force ads on me through firmware upgrade would anger me enough to never buy anything made by such a company.

05-13-2009, 02:17 PM	#29
eal Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: iPhone	I think at least some of the advertising model he's talking about is flowing newspaper and magazine ads with the content. Of course to really do this they need a larger and preferably wireless device. Like say a 9.7" Sony Reader with 3G and/or WiFi built in, maybe the SRS 9700???

05-13-2009, 03:03 PM	#30
khalleron Kate Posts: 1,700 Karma: 3605799 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon, United States Device: MeeBook, Kobo Libra Colour	May we reiterate that the article refers to ads in periodicals (magazines and newspapers) and not to ads in books? I would not tolerate ads in books - too invasive to the reading experience. Ads in periodicals - well, of course. What's either novel or upsetting about that?