My main concern is avoiding DRM and proprietary book stores

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Overdrive epub library books can be sideloaded to a Kobo via Adobe Digital Editions.

And if you are in the USA, Overdrive eBooks for Kindle rely on Amazon as they are served by Amazon. So Amazon does know what you borrow from the library. It's similar to used Overdrive on newer Kobos where the Overdrive eBooks are served from Kobo. But as 4691mls said above, you can side load using ADE.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This rash of privacy concerns are rubbish (IMHO). If you don't want anyone to know anything about you, get off the Internet and give up reading eBooks.

I agree with you there.

I understand privacy concerns. I closed my Facebook account last month. But if you're gonna read ebooks, you have to purchase them online and to do that, you have to give some limited amount of personal info.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

And if you are in the USA, Overdrive eBooks for Kindle rely on Amazon as they are served by Amazon. So Amazon does know what you borrow from the library. It's similar to used Overdrive on newer Kobos where the Overdrive eBooks are served from Kobo. But as 4691mls said above, you can side load using ADE.

Of course, Rakutan owns Overdrive and Kobo, so sideloading or no, Kobo also knows what you borrow from the library.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This rash of privacy concerns are rubbish (IMHO). If you don't want anyone to know anything about you, get off the Internet and give up reading eBooks.

Personally I agree with you.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This rash of privacy concerns are rubbish (IMHO). If you don't want anyone to know anything about you, get off the Internet and give up reading eBooks.

Just what are peeps who ask similar questions concerned about? Identity fraud? Or do they have other secrets they are afraid will be discovered from their choice of books? Maybe the reading material is not 'nice'?

Puzzles me.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Just what are peeps who ask similar questions concerned about? Identity fraud? Or do they have other secrets they are afraid will be discovered from their choice of books? Maybe the reading material is not 'nice'?

I wouldn't go assigning nefarious reasons to their concerns. They just don't want nosy corporations snooping into their business, compiling secret profiles and selling their personal information.

It is perfectly understandable. I've watched enough of The Prisoner to empathize with it.

It's just that those sentiments don't mesh with the reality of buying ebooks.

[ps67]

Obviously it is impossible to buy eBooks and give no information to anyone. At least at the store where you buy them You will have to give Your details, first name, last name, email and credit card number. And again: if the book has ADE DRM then You must give some information to Adobe when You create Your account.

[JSWolf]

I want to know why there is this privacy concern. What is it that's an issue?

You cannot buy anything online without giving some info. And even when you "buy" a free eBook, you still have to give some information. And that information is not a big deal at all. I've given some info for Kobo. I've registered my H2O. I've bought eBooks from Kobo. I've never once had a problem. I've never had a problem with overdrive or Amazon or B&N or any other eBook shop or library I've used.

This to me makes no sense. If you have a bank account, credit card, Internet,TV provider, etc, you have given your info to a big corporation already. So why is this an issue?

[Lparsons21]

Good points. If you are on the internet the chances that all sorts of information about you is already there for those that want to harvest it. There is only one way to prevent it and that is to not be on the internet ever.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Lparsons21

Good points. If you are on the internet the chances that all sorts of information about you is already there for those that want to harvest it. There is only one way to prevent it and that is to not be on the internet ever.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

And not have a bank account, credit card, cable TV etc. etc.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Lparsons21

Good points. If you are on the internet the chances that all sorts of information about you is already there for those that want to harvest it. There is only one way to prevent it and that is to not be on the internet ever.

Even if you are not on the Internet, you're information can still be on a server that's connected to a machine that's on the Internet. There's nothing you can do. You will always have your info on machines connected to the Internet.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

And not have a bank account, credit card, cable TV etc. etc.

There is no way to be 100% offline.

[binaryhermit]

Or state ID or a car, or really any property at all.

While you're at it, might as well never leave the house at all, ever, for any reason.

[j.p.s]

You might as well be saying there is no point in locking anything because if someone relly wants something you have they can get past the lock.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

You might as well be saying there is no point in locking anything because if someone really wants something you have they can get past the lock.

I just want to make it difficult enough that the person trying to break into my home will look for lower hanging fruit. Reminds me of one point in the past where I rented an apartment in which the previous resident had installed a very nice alarm system. Sadly, I soon realized that the most valuable item it was protecting was the alarm system.

As for internet privacy, compared to some of the total disregard for privacy involved in the data mining going on now, Big Brother looks more like sweet little sister.