Fictionwise Cancels F&SF Subscriptions

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Nope. It's not ethical to suddenly screw a good portion of your customers.

So no, I would not send them any money unless it was for a subscription in the format I can use without having to convert.

You wouldn't have to convert but you might have to type in the mag you want into a torrent search engine. I admit that might be a bit too much too ask of anyone in this instant access digital world.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

You wouldn't have to convert but you might have to type in the mag you want into a torrent search engine. I admit that might be a bit too much too ask of anyone in this instant access digital world.

There are a lot of people out there who don't convert. They want it in the format they use or they can't use it. F&SF was out there already in multiple formats. Now it's moving to just one format. So the people who need it in the format they want that's not AZW will be out of luck and that means less customers. And then there is the "piss off your existing customer base that won't be shifting with you" aspect.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There are a lot of people out there who don't convert. They want it in the format they use or they can't use it. F&SF was out there already in multiple formats. Now it's moving to just one format. So the people who need it in the format they want that's not AZW will be out of luck and that means less customers. And then there is the "piss off your existing customer base that won't be shifting with you" aspect.

But there's really no need to get angry. Especially when YOU can easily convert and/or download.

I must admit though to not being a fan of the format wars, they are shown to be a useless endeavor, unless you think that winning the format wars monetarily means anything.

These science fiction mags are supposed to be the most forward looking of our fiction, why they haven't moved to a non-copyright distribution model is probably one of the reasons they are in such dire straits ATM. JM2C

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

..

These science fiction mags are supposed to be the most forward looking of our fiction, why they haven't moved to a non-copyright distribution model is probably one of the reasons they are in such dire straits ATM. JM2C

Precisely because they ARE forward looking as are all the writers and publishers. It's only those like you with an unfounded entitlement delusion that are not.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

But there's really no need to get angry. Especially when YOU can easily convert and/or download.

I know I can convert. But I also know I'd be giving money to Amazon for something they sell on an exclusive basis which I will NOT do. I will not help Amazon with exclusivity. You have a Kindle so you feel this is a good thing. Many do not and overall it's a very bad thing.

I must admit though to not being a fan of the format wars, they are shown to be a useless endeavor, unless you think that winning the format wars monetarily means anything.

Basically, ePub was poised to take over and become the format. It still is, but first, we need to get Amazon to see the light. If it wasn't for Amazon, the wars would be almost non-existent.

These science fiction mags are supposed to be the most forward looking of our fiction, why they haven't moved to a non-copyright distribution model is probably one of the reasons they are in such dire straits ATM. JM2C

But in this case, losing customers is very backwards thinking.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Precisely because they ARE forward looking as are all the writers and publishers. It's only those like you with an unfounded entitlement delusion that are not.

But not forward enough to see that non-restrictive access is the way. I'm not going to sit here and argue about individual entitlements, the individual does not exist, therefore it would be impossible to argue for them.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I know I can convert. But I also know I'd be giving money to Amazon for something they sell on an exclusive basis which I will NOT do. I will not help Amazon with exclusivity. You have a Kindle so you feel this is a good. Many do not and overall it's a very bad thing.

Well what I meant was downloading the mag from one of the various places and then sending a check to the magazine itself, bypassing Amazon. We don't really need Amazon anymore, they gave us the ereader already.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Well what I meant was downloading the mag from one of the various places and then sending a check to the magazine itself, bypassing Amazon. We don't really need Amazon anymore, they gave us the ereader already.

Actually, it was Sony that gave us the eBook Reader. There is no sending any money to F&SF as long as it is only at Amazon. There is no original format other then AZW. There is converting and having to deal with cleaning up the code. This is not something I should have to do. And if I have to pay for it to be able to do it, forget it. Let them go out of business. It would teach them a lesson for screwing customers.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There are a lot of people out there who don't convert. They want it in the format they use or they can't use it.

This is why they frequent only one store, OR like Baen and Smashwords, the stories are provided in multiple formats. Users almost never have to worry about that.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

This is why they frequent only one store, OR like Baen and Smashwords, the stories are provided in multiple formats. Users almost never have to worry about that.

And they shouldn't have to. That's why we need a single standard format (epub) and NO DRM!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kennyc

And they shouldn't have to. That's why we need a single standard format (epub) and NO DRM!

Except for library DRM or we lose library eBooks.

[kennyc]

Good point, but maybe they could just expire....

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by kennyc

And they shouldn't have to. That's why we need a single standard format (epub)

In a utopia, yes, but it works really well as it is now.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

In a utopia, yes, but it works really well as it is now.

Please explain how it works really well now. We had a good subscription that worked. People got it in the format of their choice.

Now we'll have it just at Amazon in one format that not everyone wants. So what they do is take away the subscription and take away the choice of formats. What they are doing is losing customers. How is this working really well? Going exclusive with Amazon is not going to work really well for people who don't need AZW or (maybe) Mobipocket.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by kennyc

And they shouldn't have to. That's why we need a single standard format (epub) and NO DRM!

There are things epub can't do or does very badly--like footnotes. And columns.

Not that any of the other html-based formats are any better, but there's room for fixed-page formats like PDF that are designed for small screens, and potentially for a new-different format to be created that allows other features.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Please explain how it works really well now. We had a good subscription that worked. People got it in the format of their choice.

Now we'll have it just at Amazon in one format that not everyone wants. So what they do is take away the subscription and take away the choice of formats. What they are doing is losing customers. How is this working really well? Going exclusive with Amazon is not going to work really well for people who don't need AZW or (maybe) Mobipocket.

Agreed!