Content sharing on Kindle in docs created with Calibre

[kovidgoyal]

It's clearly a bug and it needs to be fixed. My, oh my, let me get right on that for you.

Once again, you can have either automatic syncing or content sharing, not both. And that limitation comes from Amazon.

Originally Posted by LittleMike

Kovid has actually stated what the problem is, I believe. Something to do with the way the AISBIN is on Amazon's site or something. I forget exactly and I didn't quite understand it at the time either. Any programmers out there want to release a patch? I'm very happy with the way the current Calibre works aside from this one issue. I use it so often, though, that I had to downgrade to a version that it still worked in. :\

I don't even know what an AISBIN is, although it sounds like a product number of some kind. Any MOBI content that hasn't been processed by Caliber seems to work OK, as does any other kind of content such as Word documents that were converted using another process. I prefer using Caliber and think it does a fine job of formatting and making documents more readable, but I frequently share excerpts of what I'm reading on Facebook with comments, and not being able to do that with any of my Caliber created content is a nuisance at the very least. From now on I'll try not to use Caliber for conversions unless it's the only option.

I can understand how the developer doesn't want to bother with tracking this down or changing the code, especially since he's providing free software. If I could make the patch I probably would, but my programming days are long gone except for a few macro languages for statistical analysis.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

It's clearly a bug and it needs to be fixed. My, oh my, let me get right on that for you.

Yup, I'd think that's worth a mid-week patch, Kovid. Especially since the complainers are such active members.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

I don't even know what an AISBIN is, although it sounds like a product number of some kind.

You are correct the ASIN is an Amazon product number. This number tells your Kindle that the content is copyrighted (purchased or managed by Amazon).

Originally Posted by freewheeling

Any MOBI content that hasn't been processed by Caliber seems to work OK, as does any other kind of content such as Word documents that were converted using another process.

Calibre adds a psuedo ASIN to all mobi books converted by calibre. Adding this number allows page syncing between devices, just as if you purchased the book via amazon. This is a feature that was frequently requested by Kindle users to allow them to move from device to device without losing their place in the book.

Originally Posted by freewheeling

I prefer using Caliber and think it does a fine job of formatting and making documents more readable, but I frequently share excerpts of what I'm reading on Facebook with comments, and not being able to do that with any of my Caliber created content is a nuisance at the very least.

As you have discovered the down side to adding this feature is since your kindle now thinks the book is purchased it also assumes it is copyrighted and you can't share content like you did before. This is not a bug but how Amazon chose to implement its sharing of content restriction.

Originally Posted by freewheeling

I can understand how the developer doesn't want to bother with tracking this down or changing the code, especially since he's providing free software.

Since the developer created the feature that enabled page syncing and Amazon chooses to make page syncing and sharing content mutually exclusive he doesn't need to track it down. He just doesn't feel the need to put in the time required to make page syncing between books optional.

Originally Posted by freewheeling

If I could make the patch I probably would, but my programming days are long gone except for a few macro languages for statistical analysis.

I too have limited skills. It will take someone with the skills and the desire to enable content sharing, knowing it will override page syncing. Someone may come by and do this but it is really a very small subset of users.

In the mean time use Mobipocket Creator to create your personal documents. You can add these mobi books to calibre just don't do any conversion with them in calibre and you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

You are correct the ASIN is an Amazon product number. This number tells your Kindle that the content is copyrighted (purchased or managed by Amazon).



Calibre adds a psuedo ASIN to all mobi books converted by calibre. Adding this number allows page syncing between devices, just as if you purchased the book via amazon. This is a feature that was frequently requested by Kindle users to allow them to move from device to device without losing their place in the book.



As you have discovered the down side to adding this feature is since your kindle now thinks the book is purchased it also assumes it is copyrighted and you can't share content like you did before. This is not a bug but how Amazon chose to implement its sharing of content restriction.



Since the developer created the feature that enabled page syncing and Amazon chooses to make page syncing and sharing content mutually exclusive he doesn't need to track it down. He just doesn't feel the need to put in the time required to make page syncing between books optional.



I too have limited skills. It will take someone with the skills and the desire to enable content sharing, knowing it will override page syncing. Someone may come by and do this but it is really a very small subset of users.

In the mean time use Mobipocket Creator to create your personal documents. You can add these mobi books to calibre just don't do any conversion with them in calibre and you'll be fine.

Walt, thanks. That makes a lot of sense. I almost never use the synch feature because I've only got one device. I can see where that would be a must for people with multiple devices.

[Ronin47]

Hi,
First of i love Calibre , and i signed up to this forum specifically for this thread.

I only have one device as most of us do so sharing between kindles is not a problem for me.
So if we had the option to have either device sharing OR social network sharing turned on in calibre that would be totally amazing.

Hope you might have a wee think about this.

Cheers

Originally Posted by
Once again, you can have either automatic syncing or content sharing, [b

not both[/b]. And that limitation comes from Amazon.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ronin47

Hi,
First of i love Calibre , and i signed up to this forum specifically for this thread.

I only have one device as most of us do so sharing between kindles is not a problem for me.
So if we had the option to have either device sharing OR social network sharing turned on in calibre that would be totally amazing.

Hope you might have a wee think about this.

Cheers

You are being dense on purpose

It is Amazon that made the restriction. Tell them to have a "wee think"

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by theducks

You are being dense on purpose

It is Amazon that made the restriction. Tell them to have a "wee think"

No he is not if calibre does not put a ASIN number in the mobi it creates content sharing will work so he is asking for an option that disable ASIN in calibre.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

No he is not if calibre does not put a ASIN number in the mobi it creates content sharing will work so he is asking for an option that disable ASIN in calibre.

OK
I am glad I use a reader that just uses a standard, garden variety EPUB
I get to see the cover if it is there. No hoops or tricks.
Start at the beginning of the file (No "Start here" needed). Finish when I reach the last screen

[Ronin47]

That's charming theducks jump right in with an insult even without fully understanding the question.

Exactly Dopedangel mate , an option to have one or the other was what i was referring to.

Originally Posted by theducks

You are being dense on purpose

It is Amazon that made the restriction. Tell them to have a "wee think"

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by theducks

OK
I am glad I use a reader that just uses a standard, garden variety EPUB
I get to see the cover if it is there. No hoops or tricks.
Start at the beginning of the file (No "Start here" needed). Finish when I reach the last screen

Actually I don't either never have and don't expect to ever get one. Same reason I don't buy Apple too closed a system as I feel it takes away choices.

[camahueto]

Two notes:

1) About the walled garden I think It's Amazon which provides the server where you store the notes and, in some cases, the 3G bandwidth to transfer that information from your device to the server, so If It's their money, their servers they can decide what and what not to do with them.

2) One slightly related question:

Does the ASIN makes the Calibre created .mobi books works on Kindle software on mobile devices?

I have never installed the Kindle software on my android, mainly because the android market says that software is not available in my country and because I can't read non-Amazon provided books (again, is their software). So I currently use FBReader. The downside of this is that a) I need to convert from .epub to .mobi and vice versa, depending from which device to which. b) I need to manually go to the place where I was reading in the other device.

But if someone tells me I can read .mobi files created with Calibre and I can sync where I was reading, I would gladly go through the process of installing the Kindle software on my phone.

So, Is it possible to read files created with Calibre in the Kindle software on mobile phones?

Is there any US user which could answer me that?

I will be very thankful.

[DanielS]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

As you have discovered the down side to adding this feature is since your kindle now thinks the book is purchased it also assumes it is copyrighted and you can't share content like you did before. This is not a bug but how Amazon chose to implement its sharing of content restriction.

Hi, I'm new here. Sorry for butting in...

I just did a test, and I have NO problem sharing purchased DRM-protected material purchased from Amazon from my Kindle.

I am, however, suddenly no longer able to share material from Read It Later, which gets sent to my Kindle from Calibre. This change happened when I upgraded Calibre from 0.8.10 to 0.8.18. Moreover: I cannot even annotate it now: the error message is 'Annotating is disabled for blogs'.

Before the Calibre upgrade, Read It Label was not considered a blog. FWIW, I have no such problems with the other news feeds I subscribe to through Calibre.

[gothmom1313]

Thanks so much for the update with the option to choose between sharing or syncing! I am having trouble, though- I checked the sharing box so that I can make posts to Facebook and re-converted all my mobi files to new ones with the ASIN removed (verified on mobiperl) But, after replacing all the files on the Kindle and rebooting for good measure, I am still getting the unable to share content message. Any ideas? Did I go about it wrong? Or maybe Amazon has disabled posts from personal docs?

[kovidgoyal]

It's a bug. Apparently the MOBI files also need to have cdetype unset in the EXTH header. I'll have the option do that as well in the next release.