Gutenberg.org : "Read this book online" feature broken?

swamp thing · 06-03-2014, 02:09 AM

There used to be a feature at www.gutenberg.org, where you could read a book page by page within your browser. There were controls for page navigation and bookmarking.

This feature seems to be broken... for example:-

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24895

The link that says "Read this book online" is now merged with the one for downloading the entire HTML document.

Any idea what happened? Is there still a way to get to the in-browser reading interface?

Thanks,
S.T.

Froide · 06-03-2014, 03:07 AM

Selecting "Read This Book Online" allows one to read in-browser. I just did so, for the book whose link you provided and for another I randomly chose, linked here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/45813...-h/45813-h.htm.

cromag · 06-03-2014, 03:56 AM

Hovering your mouse pointer over "Read this book online: HTML" shows the "Download" label, but clicking it opens it (as HTML, I suspect) in your browser. Or, at least, it should.

If that's not working for you, what browser are you using?

rcentros · 06-03-2014, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Froide

Selecting "Read This Book Online" allows one to read in-browser. I just did so, for the book whose link you provided and for another I randomly chose, linked here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/45813...-h/45813-h.htm.

I can just say that, for me also, it is still working properly. (?) Have you (the OP) somehow set up your browser to "Save Link As ..." instead of opening the file when clicked?

swamp thing · 06-04-2014, 11:35 PM

Hi..

Froide and rcentros --- when you click on the link, do you see the entire book as a single HTML file (couple of hundred kb worth of text) in your browser?

Or... do you get a few paragraphs (a "page") with navigation buttons and page number selector?

In the past (more than a few months ago) I used to get a pagified version with nav buttons etc.

Today, I get the whole book in a single view in the browser.

One more point that should help resolve the issue :
In the current version of the book's web page, the links saying "Read this book online" is located in the table of different formats that are available.

In the old version, the same link was located above the table and presumably pointed somewhere else. See this blog for a description and screenshot of the "read online" feature as it is supposed to work (scroll down to item-1):
http://ebookfriendly.com/project-gutenberg-tips-tricks/

===============
Screenshot of the old version:

Thanks and Regards,
S.T.

swamp thing · 06-04-2014, 11:47 PM

I found some bookmarks that I had saved a long while back. Although they don't work any more, I could build working ones by trial and error that give you "online" views of arbitrary books.

For example:

http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/wor...5812&pageno=20

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 02 by Kerr
(bookmark to page 20 of this book)

cromag · 06-04-2014, 11:48 PM

I've been using Project Gutenberg for many years. When I click on HTML the entire book appears in my browser and I can scroll down through it. I can't remember it ever working differently, BUT the arrangement you describe, a page at a time with navigation buttons, is how the "read online" function works at Archive.org, and Archive does have a separate collection of Project Gutenberg books.

swamp thing · 06-04-2014, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

When I click on HTML the entire book appears in my browser and I can scroll down through it.

That's just it.. the "Read online" hyperlink used to be different from the "HTML" link, but now it has moved down into the table and become part of the HTML link.

See my previous post for a URL that still works, that I have constructed by trial and error. The problem is that it takes you to an arbitrary text file.. I don't know how to make this URL work for a given book, because the serial number is not the same as the book ID that is used in the main page for the document that we are interested in.

S.T.

Froide · 06-05-2014, 08:31 AM

+1 to what cromag and swamp thing described. I've cut and pasted the following content from the download tab:

The Call Of The South by Louis Becke

No cover available

DownloadBibrec
Download This eBook

Format Size
Read this book online: HTML 541 kB
EPUB (no images) 202 kB
Kindle (no images) 819 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 475 kB
More Files…

JohnRR · 06-05-2014, 10:03 PM

Maybe you can use the Firefox browser and the EPUBReader addon. It allows you to navigate and bookmark.

06-03-2014, 02:09 AM	#1
swamp thing Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2013 Device: Kobo Touch	Gutenberg.org : "Read this book online" feature broken? There used to be a feature at www.gutenberg.org, where you could read a book page by page within your browser. There were controls for page navigation and bookmarking. This feature seems to be broken... for example:- http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24895 The link that says "Read this book online" is now merged with the one for downloading the entire HTML document. Any idea what happened? Is there still a way to get to the in-browser reading interface? Thanks, S.T.

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06-03-2014, 03:07 AM	#2
Froide Wizard Posts: 1,898 Karma: 9851695 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Noo Yawk Device: Samsung Galaxy and Windows devices. RIP: Palm & Nook devices.	Selecting "Read This Book Online" allows one to read in-browser. I just did so, for the book whose link you provided and for another I randomly chose, linked here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/45813...-h/45813-h.htm.

06-03-2014, 03:56 AM	#3
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,018 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Hovering your mouse pointer over "Read this book online: HTML" shows the "Download" label, but clicking it opens it (as HTML, I suspect) in your browser. Or, at least, it should. If that's not working for you, what browser are you using?

06-04-2014, 11:35 PM	#5
swamp thing Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2013 Device: Kobo Touch	Hi.. Froide and rcentros --- when you click on the link, do you see the entire book as a single HTML file (couple of hundred kb worth of text) in your browser? Or... do you get a few paragraphs (a "page") with navigation buttons and page number selector? In the past (more than a few months ago) I used to get a pagified version with nav buttons etc. Today, I get the whole book in a single view in the browser. One more point that should help resolve the issue : In the current version of the book's web page, the links saying "Read this book online" is located in the table of different formats that are available. In the old version, the same link was located above the table and presumably pointed somewhere else. See this blog for a description and screenshot of the "read online" feature as it is supposed to work (scroll down to item-1): http://ebookfriendly.com/project-gutenberg-tips-tricks/ =============== Screenshot of the old version: Thanks and Regards, S.T.

06-04-2014, 11:47 PM	#6
swamp thing Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2013 Device: Kobo Touch	I found some bookmarks that I had saved a long while back. Although they don't work any more, I could build working ones by trial and error that give you "online" views of arbitrary books. For example: http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/wor...5812&pageno=20 A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 02 by Kerr (bookmark to page 20 of this book)

06-04-2014, 11:48 PM	#7
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,018 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I've been using Project Gutenberg for many years. When I click on HTML the entire book appears in my browser and I can scroll down through it. I can't remember it ever working differently, BUT the arrangement you describe, a page at a time with navigation buttons, is how the "read online" function works at Archive.org, and Archive does have a separate collection of Project Gutenberg books.

06-05-2014, 08:31 AM	#9
Froide Wizard Posts: 1,898 Karma: 9851695 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Noo Yawk Device: Samsung Galaxy and Windows devices. RIP: Palm & Nook devices.	+1 to what cromag and swamp thing described. I've cut and pasted the following content from the download tab: The Call Of The South by Louis Becke No cover available DownloadBibrec Download This eBook Format Size Read this book online: HTML 541 kB EPUB (no images) 202 kB Kindle (no images) 819 kB Plain Text UTF-8 475 kB More Files…

06-05-2014, 10:03 PM	#10
JohnRR Connoisseur Posts: 61 Karma: 642334 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Earth Device: None	Maybe you can use the Firefox browser and the EPUBReader addon. It allows you to navigate and bookmark.