looking for privacy friendly quality ereader

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Breaks between paragraphs also pull me right out of a book. My most recent example of this was because, IMO, the writer/publisher wanted to double the page count of the book. When I read for 15 minutes and was at the 40% mark, I realized what was going on, and I stopped reading. It was like mentally hitting a brick wall after every 2 sentences.

It looks strange.
That's the way I like it

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It could be that some of these people who do not want to have any usage sent back is afraid that they will get in trouble for reading stolen eBooks. It could be this is all a ruse for stealing eBooks.

I guess it could be, but mostly I think it's people wanting to hang on to a shred of privacy.

Having said that, I will admit I grow weary of any post here from a new user that starts out with mentioning they want some sort of absolute privacy.

I do often think those users likely do swipe their ebooks.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Breaks between paragraphs also pull me right out of a book. My most recent example of this was because, IMO, the writer/publisher wanted to double the page count of the book. When I read for 15 minutes and was at the 40% mark, I realized what was going on, and I stopped reading. It was like mentally hitting a brick wall after every 2 sentences.

A "river" running through the page barely registers with me, but those large gaps appearing 2-3 times on one page just ruins the book for me. Sometimes, if it's a book I really want to read, I'll try to fix it in Calibre. But my editing skills aren't great, and for the book in question it wasn't worth the bother.

I don't mind a small gap between paragraphs if indentation is not used to indicate a new paragraph but your sample has gone well past small. Looking at that sample, I would pull out an editor and start modifying the paragraph styles. On the bright side, they didn't compound their formatting sins by indenting as well.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I guess it could be, but mostly I think it's people wanting to hang on to a shred of privacy.

Having said that, I will admit I grow weary of any post here from a new user that starts out with mentioning they want some sort of absolute privacy.

One acquaintance has caused me quite a few chuckles with her contradictory attitudes on privacy. She is active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. (she's never met a social network she didn't love ). Yet she also gets very upset over her lack of privacy using her tablet and phone to read books purchased from either Amazon or Kobo or borrowed from the local library. What she wants is to be able to sync reading position, bookmarks, etc. without the possibility of Amazon or Kobo or the local library knowing what she is reading, when she is reading, etc.

This from someone who once publicly posted on Facebook that she and her hubby were going to Hawaii for a second honeymoon before their first child arrived. And then posted pictures while they were gone. And yes, they got a visit from someone looking for a 10 finger discount. As my wife put it, all they were missing was the big sign on the front lawn saying "Please Rob Us, Our house is empty now ".

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

It looks strange.
That's the way I like it

The font is too light and the font is a sans-serif font. Also, the paragraph spaces are too large plus, left justified.And finally, no indents of not too large a size. All of that makes it unreadable to me.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

One acquaintance has caused me quite a few chuckles with her contradictory attitudes on privacy. She is active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. (she's never met a social network she didn't love ). Yet she also gets very upset over her lack of privacy using her tablet and phone to read books purchased from either Amazon or Kobo or borrowed from the local library. What she wants is to be able to sync reading position, bookmarks, etc. without the possibility of Amazon or Kobo or the local library knowing what she is reading, when she is reading, etc.

This from someone who once publicly posted on Facebook that she and her hubby were going to Hawaii for a second honeymoon before their first child arrived. And then posted pictures while they were gone. And yes, they got a visit from someone looking for a 10 finger discount. As my wife put it, all they were missing was the big sign on the front lawn saying "Please Rob Us, Our house is empty now ".

If you post online that you are not at home and you get robbed, your insurance will not pay out. That's a very stupid thing to do. There is no way I would post to say that nobody is at home.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I guess it could be, but mostly I think it's people wanting to hang on to a shred of privacy.

Having said that, I will admit I grow weary of any post here from a new user that starts out with mentioning they want some sort of absolute privacy.

I do often think those users likely do swipe their ebooks.

I'm of the mind that most are looking for privacy in order not to be caught reading eBooks that they didn't buy. And from here on out, whenever someone says they want privacy, I'm going to flat out ask why and mention stealing eBooks.

[Marinolino]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Honestly man, I think you just need to read around these forums. You have maybe too many wants that are very particular and sometimes contradictory.

...
*Basic PDF support is big plus. Got some journals to read. No need for anything special in this regard. - I'm glad you say basic, because if you really wanna read PDFs, get a tablet. All readers claim PDF support, but basic is a fair description.

...

I don't quite concur there, many 300 dpi 8" eink readers are already good pdf reading devices, even Kobos, e.g. Kobo Aura One after installation of Koreader app becomes a very good pdf (djvu) reader for b/w A5 (paperback/hardcover) books & comics, and even for quite a few b/w A4 documents as well, e.g. for those A4 documents with two columns we can use two-column mode, for those with a single column and the text width at about 16 cm we can simply use fit-to-width (without empty margins) in landscape mode, and for those with the text width at about 17-19 cm we can either use standard reflow mode, k2pdfopt reflow mode for the scans without ocr layer or even better 10" eink screen.

KOReader on Kobo Aura One review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2oSOeAnD10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDQk1kuNMdI

Those are three years old kobo-firmware and Koreader app versions from 2017, and there are even better 2019/2020 versions now; also, "scroll-mode" shown from 2:25 min. in the first video, is not really a scroll mode (although we can use it for some scrolling too) but continuous-view mode (I personally use a lot) flipped by normal tapping, not by scrolling as attempted therein, and at 4:45 we can not only adjust the warmth of orange(yellow/red) color now, but also set up any possible warm-color hue (e.g. green) by adjusting red, green, blue colors separately.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm of the mind that most are looking for privacy in order not to be caught reading eBooks that they didn't buy. And from here on out, whenever someone says they want privacy, I'm going to flat out ask why and mention stealing eBooks.

Some people live in countries where getting caught reading certain books will get you thrown in prison, or worse. There are plenty of reasons for privacy besides hiding piracy.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I guess it could be, but mostly I think it's people wanting to hang on to a shred of privacy.

Having said that, I will admit I grow weary of any post here from a new user that starts out with mentioning they want some sort of absolute privacy.

I do often think those users likely do swipe their ebooks.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm of the mind that most are looking for privacy in order not to be caught reading eBooks that they didn't buy. And from here on out, whenever someone says they want privacy, I'm going to flat out ask why and mention stealing eBooks.

Please don’t. This doesn’t go just for the two posts I quoted (I just pulled up two and am not targeting anyone specifically) but as a general caution to others who also engage in the game. We are not the internet police and entrapment serves no purpose. So long as a poster, noob or old hand, doesn’t state of their own accord that they’re pirating books, let it go - even if you’re 100% positive that’s what’s happening. Report it, if it’s close to the line and let a mod snuff it, rather than escalate the situation.

If you don’t want to help them in their (suspected) nefarious practices, don’t. Silence can be the best policy. But incipient flame wars with pirates which are waiting on a mod to put out the fires are really not the best look for the forum.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm of the mind that most are looking for privacy in order not to be caught reading eBooks that they didn't buy. And from here on out, whenever someone says they want privacy, I'm going to flat out ask why and mention stealing eBooks.

Why would you assume that? I, personally, don't understand why one-time registering with Kobo or Amazon is a big deal, but I respect and understand the desire for privacy. Corporations and the government are encroaching on our private lives more and more – not a good thing. I really don't think this has anything to do with pirated books. It's a matter of principle. Erosion of personal rights (one of which is the right to privacy) is a slippery slope.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rkomar

Some people live in countries where getting caught reading certain books will get you thrown in prison, or worse. There are plenty of reasons for privacy besides hiding piracy.

But if you live in such a country, isn't it stealing to read any of them? I would think so.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Why would you assume that? I, personally, don't understand why one-time registering with Kobo or Amazon is a big deal, but I respect and understand the desire for privacy. Corporations and the government are encroaching on our private lives more and more – not a good thing. I really don't think this has anything to do with pirated books. It's a matter of principle. Erosion of personal rights (one of which is the right to privacy) is a slippery slope.

How would you buy eBooks if you are that paranoid?

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm of the mind that most are looking for privacy in order not to be caught reading eBooks that they didn't buy. And from here on out, whenever someone says they want privacy, I'm going to flat out ask why and mention stealing eBooks.

Will it be OK if every time you do this, if someone asks you why you want them to share there information and accuse you of being an Identity thief?

MR has really become an unwelcoming place.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rkomar

Some people live in countries where getting caught reading certain books will get you thrown in prison, or worse. There are plenty of reasons for privacy besides hiding piracy.

As has been mentioned—all too often—for sideloaded books, Kobo receives time spent reading and page flips. You need to purchase the books from Kobo for progress syncing, etc. If you live in a country where certain books are banned and you are lackwitted enough to buy those books online without taking precautions, the Darwin awards are always looking for good candidates.

And, IMNSHO, the "people may live in countries" card has been played far too often.