Amazon and DRM changes

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by jhlovestoread

This is very interesting. What is it about an ebook and the way it's been formatted that you do not like that you need to reformat all ebooks before reading them? I'm genuinely curious since I mostly just read via the Kindle app and I get what I get.

For me, it's things like having a paragraph indent on all paragraphs other than the first in the chapter and the first after a scene/section break, having paragraphs that do not use excessive line spacing, not having forced full justification since I prefer to read left justified (aka ragged right), not having forced large margins. Other pet peeves are inconsistent base font sizes, chapter headings that take half the screen, blank lines at the end of a chapter that can force a blank page and multiple pages of advertising.

Oddly, much of what I prefer can be achieved simply by removing the settings in the CSS so I can control the line spacing, margins, justification and font size from the menu on my ereader. Others seem to be from people who feel that an eink screen must have the page displayed as similar as possible to the physical book. Or the idiots who still use absolute measurements for margins, font sizes, line spacing, etc.

It doesn't take me that long and it adds to my reading enjoyment so, to me, it's worth the few minutes.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

Why do you feel bound to specific streaming sites?

I don't. And that's why I don't subscribe to any of them currently. I "abandoned them", as I mentioned.

There are enough tracking sites that allow you to see what services which show is on so you can subscribe to just one service at a time. That's what I usually do. Strange New Worlds on Paramount+? Wait until it's finished and subscribe for a month. Want to watch His Dark Materials and TLoU? Wait until the season is finished and subscribe to a month of WOW. Want to watch another season of Shadow and Bones? Subscribe for a month to Netflix.

Do you have an analyst staff that tracks what you want to see, what service is currently running it, when the series will be completed, when it expires from the streaming site, .... so they can advise you on the optimal times to subscribe to, or switch to, or quit, a particular streaming service? Then a logistics staff that handles all the payments and service disconnects and re-connects?

It's not that hard.

Not with a large enough staff, I'm sure.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

There's another obvious choice you overlooked.

There are other choices such as not reading the book which I've done on several occasions but not a choice I prefer since I was looking at the choices for obtaining the book. The DRM changes have not really affected me yet since I use download and transfer via USB for my purchases.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Labors of love (even though I rarely use them--the plugins--myself any more).

And much appreciated by myself and likely quite a few others.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DNSB

It doesn't take me that long and it adds to my reading enjoyment so, to me, it's worth the few minutes.

Yeah, honestly I enjoy dinking around with the books. Checking the formatting and finding a good cover if it has been republished with a crappy new one.

No, everyone doesn't need to do that. Hell, I would probably be fine if I couldn't do it. But hey, it's a hobby. It costs me nil (the books I woulda bought anyway) and it gives me something to do while the better half is watching RuPaul's Drag Race.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by haertig

Do you have an analyst staff that tracks what you want to see, what service is currently running it, when the series will be completed, when it expires from the streaming site, .... so they can advise you on the optimal times to subscribe to, or switch to, or quit, a particular streaming service? Then a logistics staff that handles all the payments and service disconnects and re-connects?

There's probably something like this in every country: https://www.werstreamt.es/

This tracks all shows and the services they're on and sends out notifications if availabilities change. As for the rest of your hyperbole - are you intentionally playing dumb? If you only subscribe to 1-2 services at a time, there's almost no logistics in handling your subscriptions. This only becomes a nightmare if you don't have any self-constraint and subscribe to ALL of them.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

As for the rest of your hyperbole - are you intentionally playing dumb?

Actually, I was making a joke. But it went over your head.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For me, it's things like having a paragraph indent on all paragraphs other than the first in the chapter and the first after a scene/section break, having paragraphs that do not use excessive line spacing, not having forced full justification since I prefer to read left justified (aka ragged right), not having forced large margins. Other pet peeves are inconsistent base font sizes, chapter headings that take half the screen, blank lines at the end of a chapter that can force a blank page and multiple pages of advertising.

Oddly, much of what I prefer can be achieved simply by removing the settings in the CSS so I can control the line spacing, margins, justification and font size from the menu on my ereader. Others seem to be from people who feel that an eink screen must have the page displayed as similar as possible to the physical book. Or the idiots who still use absolute measurements for margins, font sizes, line spacing, etc.

It doesn't take me that long and it adds to my reading enjoyment so, to me, it's worth the few minutes.

I agree 100%. All of this can be a mess and would need cleaning up to look good. I don't get why most publishers feel the need to make their eBooks look like their pBooks when that doesn't work for eBooks. eBooks should be formatted to look good on the devices we use to read them.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't get why most publishers feel the need to make their eBooks look like their pBooks when that doesn't work for eBooks. eBooks should be formatted to look good on the devices we use to read them.

Because publishers don't read ebooks. So they have no idea what looks good on electronic devices.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by haertig

Do you have an analyst staff that tracks what you want to see, what service is currently running it, when the series will be completed, when it expires from the streaming site, .... so they can advise you on the optimal times to subscribe to, or switch to, or quit, a particular streaming service? Then a logistics staff that handles all the payments and service disconnects and re-connects?

It's actually very easy to see where the programs/movies you want ot watch may be streaming. I use the JustWatch app on my phone. It works very well. I just select what services I want to be able to see what's new or to search and I'm able to search for what I want.

Doing a regular web search will find how many episodes there are for a give season of a show.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yeah, honestly I enjoy dinking around with the books. Checking the formatting and finding a good cover if it has been republished with a crappy new one.

No, everyone doesn't need to do that. Hell, I would probably be fine if I couldn't do it. But hey, it's a hobby. It costs me nil (the books I woulda bought anyway) and it gives me something to do while the better half is watching RuPaul's Drag Race.

If my wife watched RuPaul, I'd have more time ti read.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

There's probably something like this in every country: https://www.werstreamt.es/

This tracks all shows and the services they're on and sends out notifications if availabilities change. As for the rest of your hyperbole - are you intentionally playing dumb? If you only subscribe to 1-2 services at a time, there's almost no logistics in handling your subscriptions. This only becomes a nightmare if you don't have any self-constraint and subscribe to ALL of them.

https://www.justwatch.com (supports many different countries)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Because publishers don't read ebooks. So they have no idea what looks good on electronic devices.

Well, then they should at least have a look to see how they look so they'd have a clue how to do it correctly.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Because publishers don't read ebooks. So they have no idea what looks good on electronic devices.

I suspect also interns or work experience kids format using a giant template and a stupidly expensive application intended for making glossy magazines and coffee table colour illustrated large format books.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If my wife watched RuPaul, I'd have more time ti read.

Dude, I have seen every episode of the US edition of Drag Race and the companion series Untucked and gone to numerous live shows. RuPaul is a big deal at my house.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Well, then they should at least have a look to see how they look so they'd have a clue how to do it correctly.

Why would they bother? They'll make lots of money anyways.

I've seen plenty of eBooks where they don't even bother removing the "this book has been printed on recycled paper" message.