Amazon is nobody's friend

[kjk]

Originally Posted by DMB

I don't expect any company to maintain an obsolete technology for ever, but Amazon would have to be a lot stupider than I think they are to spring a scenario like the one you suggest on millions of customers. I imagine they would keep parallel systems going for quite a few years.

I agree-but it will always be an issue with DRM systems. And larger, and I'd argue just as smart companies as Amazon have tried to spring similar scenarios on their millions of customers.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by kjk

I agree-but it will always be an issue with DRM systems. And larger, and I'd argue just as smart companies as Amazon have tried to spring similar scenarios on their millions of customers.

Oh my...and people wonder why we deep 6 DRM.

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by kjk

I agree-but it will always be an issue with DRM systems. And larger, and I'd argue just as smart companies as Amazon have tried to spring similar scenarios on their millions of customers.

Amazon is not insisting on DRM-AUTHORS are insisting on DRM. IN any case, that somewhat radioactive issue is seperate from Amazon continuing with MOBI instead of EPUB.
My understanding-which may be wrong-is that Amazon shifted to Mobi format when it launched the Kindle in 2007 . The Kindle and Kindle store was well established when epub came along in 2008. Since then, Amazon continued in the mobi format while everyone else took up the epub format.
People have been calling for Amazon to switch formats, but unfortunately those folks have never offered a good BUSINESS reason ( rather than technical or aesthetic reasons) why Amazon should switch. Not surprisingly, it hasn't switched.
I expect it will switch when someone can justify to Amazon investors why it should spend the money and resources needed to switch. About the only the reason I can think of is if its necessary for the display of ebook, comic and magazine content on its upcoming tablets. `

[Sil_liS]

While most of the article seemed more subjective than objective, this was intriguing:

In March 2008, Amazon informed many small and medium sized presses using POD that, if they wanted their books listed and sold through Amazon, they would have to use a company called BookSurge for their printing. It’s probably no surprise that BookSurge had been purchased by Amazon in 2005. The initial communication from Amazon was though highly deniable channels, phone calls, mostly, and some carefully phrased emails. When word of it got out, there was a huge outcry on the part of publishers and authors. Federal anti-trust agencies got involved and there was a major lawsuit that dragged on for years. The end result was that Amazon backed off (though they continued to hold people to contracts that had been signed because of their threats), the suit was settled out of court, and things were back to normal. Oh, and Amazon changed the name from BookSurge to CreateSpace to get away from the bad publicity.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by avantman42

I think her point is that Amazon will do whatever they think is going to maximise their profits, which may or may not be what consumers want them to do.

As an example, Amazon may decide to release the next Kindle with support for ePub but not Mobi, and to stop selling ebooks in Mobi format. If they did that, then everyone that currently owns a Kindle would be unable to buy more ebooks from Amazon unless they bought a new e-reader*. That wouldn't be good for those consumers.

*Technically, those people could strip the DRM from ePubs and convert them to Mobi, or install Duokan, but it still wouldn't be a friendly thing for Amazon to do.

That is senseless and contrived conjecture avantman42.
Sure it is possible however unlikely that Amazon might do any number of things, like one day filling every box that goes out that day, with a dead rat (that the exterminators killed) and sending it on out to their customers along with their orders so that Amazon doesn't don't have to dispose of the dead rats properly.

I think that you should stick to actions that have occurred rather than making up far fetched silly scenarios.

This is a serious thread.

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by stonetools

My understanding-which may be wrong-is that Amazon shifted to Mobi format when it launched the Kindle in 2007 . The Kindle and Kindle store was well established when epub came along in 2008. Since then, Amazon continued in the mobi format while everyone else took up the epub format.
People have been calling for Amazon to switch formats, but unfortunately those folks have never offered a good BUSINESS reason ( rather than technical or aesthetic reasons) why Amazon should switch. Not surprisingly, it hasn't switched.

A good business reason? Serve up ePub in addition to MOBI (cost and effort would be minimal) to widen your pool of customers.

Frankly, the original article sounds like the exact same kind of whining we constantly hear from Wal-Mart foes. Like the Wal-Mart foes, everything they cite as evil about Amazon is standard practice for pretty much every business of its type and size...

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by dallas

I welcome our Amazon Overlords.

Free 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime.

Yes, that 2-day shipping is the best! We spend 3 weeks a year up on a mountain in northwestern Idaho, and just getting free shipment there (although it is 4 days, but I don't complain) is the best! We bought a grill - the minimum shipping anywhere else was $150 - more than the price of the grill!

Before Amazon prime, I went with $25 free shipping. Since AP, I have ordered an ice cube tray (for the pomigranite ice cubes for my margarita!)

[frahse]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

^ This.

If you, Frahse, believe that Amazon is your friend...I have a couple of bridges that I can sell you. The prices will be very reasonable and the insurance is cheap!

Ahh, my dear Mrs Joseph.

I am always in the market for bridges to somewhere.

Perhaps you should try selling them on Amazon. (Just a thought.)

But seriously, I am interested in hearing of actual real cases of Amazon's treacherous misdeeds if any exist.

Not hints at things unspoken. I haven't the time for that.

Amazon is my friend, and I think Amazon could be your friend as well.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by frahse

But seriously, I am interested in hearing of actual real cases of Amazon's treacherous misdeeds if any exist.

From Wikipedia: In August 2006, Amazon stopped selling DRMed PDF and .LIT format ebooks. Customers were unable to download purchased ebooks 30 days after that date, losing access to their purchased content on new devices.

Also removing box related to specific subjects from the rating system.

[karunaji]

I have nothing to complain about Amazon personally but there are certain aspects of this big company that is worrying me. They already have done discriminating activities towards others that I don't agree with. Such big companies already have more money and have bigger impact on our lives than the governments in the past. Such power should be kept in check otherwise it will become corrupt.

If the phone or internet provider due to mistaken identity with some spammer would discontinue my service, I would be worse off than if the government cancelled my driver's license by mistake. Amazon provides good service but it is dangerous if we become too dependent on their platform. Hypothetically, if some day they decide to take away my Kindle privileges due to breaking some obscure TOS, I could be left without books to read, including access to library books in the future. That's more power than any government had every been able to have over their citizens.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by frahse

But seriously, I am interested in hearing of actual real cases of Amazon's treacherous misdeeds if any exist.

You mean like the one from the article that I quoted in post #80? Or the widely known 1984 thing?

[DiapDealer]

Hypothetically, if some day they decide to take away my Kindle privileges due to breaking some obscure TOS, I could be left without books to read, including access to library books in the future. That's more power than any government had every been able to have over their citizens.

I'm pretty sure they could only take away your access to e books... and only ebooks you purchased from them, at that. Even if you don't remove DRM, suggesting that Amazon could take away your ability to ever read a book again is being a little melodramatic don't you think?

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by frahse

That is senseless and contrived conjecture avantman42.
Sure it is possible however unlikely that Amazon might do any number of things, like one day filling every box that goes out that day, with a dead rat (that the exterminators killed) and sending it on out to their customers along with their orders so that Amazon doesn't don't have to dispose of the dead rats properly.

I think that you should stick to actions that have occurred rather than making up far fetched silly scenarios.

This is a serious thread.

And you've been here how long to get that 'tude?

Originally Posted by frahse

Ahh, my dear Mrs Joseph.

I am always in the market for bridges to somewhere.

Perhaps you should try selling them on Amazon. (Just a thought.)

But seriously, I am interested in hearing of actual real cases of Amazon's treacherous misdeeds if any exist.

Not hints at things unspoken. I haven't the time for that.

Amazon is my friend, and I think Amazon could be your friend as well.

Well, let's see...Amazon is a company who wants my money. It is not a person so how can it have emotions? You want to assume that Amazon cares for you, go right ahead. Me? I like to base my reality in facts and actions. So, NO. Amazon is NOT my friend. It is a vendor that I use occasionally if I can't find what I want elsewhere.

Originally Posted by tompe

From Wikipedia: In August 2006, Amazon stopped selling DRMed PDF and .LIT format ebooks. Customers were unable to download purchased ebooks 30 days after that date, losing access to their purchased content on new devices.

Also removing box related to specific subjects from the rating system.

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

You mean like the one from the article that I quoted in post #80? Or the widely known 1984 thing?

No, Sil_liS & Tompe. I think that frahse is only interested in his own opinion. His mind is already made up and he only wants to be argue with others who do not share his opinion. Any uncomfortable facts that may pop up here and there will be dismissed, I'm sure.

[karunaji]

I already mostly read only e-books. In 10 or 20 years paper books will be a rare thing. I can download and remove DRM from the books I have bought from Amazon. But what if Amazon storage space for digital files becomes too popular that I store all my files with them? One day Amazon catches me having illegal de-DRMed files and punishes me by canceling my account? I would have lost everything.

Similarly, currently Google is discontinuing their services to many users who have tried to register on Google+ with a pseudonym instead of a real name. While there are many alternatives, it was practical for them to use gmail and other Google services in the past. They didn't expect that one day they would have to reveal their real names. Or in case if it cannot be avoided with Google+, they could continue as before without having Google+. But no, once they tried using Google+, they cannot go back. But they trusted that Google is their friend.

[markdek]

I thought Amazon was a nonprofit?