Amazon has banned my account - my Kindle is now a (partial) brick.

[HarryT]

I have a collection of nice hardbacks too, astra, but I don't regard them as equivalent to paperback or eBooks. I think it's simply unrealistic to expect to be able to read digital media indefinitely. Formats come and go; media comes and goes. How many of us still have a floppy disk drive on our PC? I don't have to worry about what's going to be around in 50 years time, but I strongly suspect that none of our current eBook formats will still be "readable" then. I equally strongly suspect that my prized hardbacks will still be "readable", though. Many of them are already well over a century old, and there's no reason they can't last for another century.

[astra]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I have a collection of nice hardbacks too, astra, but I don't regard them as equivalent to paperback or eBooks. I think it's simply unrealistic to expect to be able to read digital media indefinitely. Formats come and go; media comes and goes. How many of us still have a floppy disk drive on our PC? I don't have to worry about what's going to be around in 50 years time, but I strongly suspect that none of our current eBook formats will still be "readable" then. I equally strongly suspect that my prized hardbacks will still be "readable", though. Many of them are already well over a century old, and there's no reason they can't last for another century.

Then why should we pay hardback price for something that will not last?

[HarryT]

Personally, astra, I wouldn't. If you think that an eBook is too expensive, don't buy it! As you know, the average hardback in the UK costs perhaps £15-20 (US$21-28). There are very few eBooks that I'd be willing to pay that much for; most of them that I buy are under $10, which is rather cheaper than the average UK paperback.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Realistically, how many of your paperback books do you keep for >10 years? I know that with me, I either lose them, or throw them out, or they just fall to pieces if I read them a lot.

It doesn't matter if I keep them, it matters that I have the right to keep them. If they would burn them after 10 years it would be realistically a dispossession.

I'm amazed that some of you haven't honored or forgotten about the rights the Founding Fathers gave to the American citizen. Especially for historical intersted groups burning books (or the equivalent e-book deletion) should be a great concern.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by joblack

It doesn't matter if I keep them, it matters that I have the right to keep them. If they would burn them after 10 years it would be realistically a dispossession.

I'm amazed that some of you haven't honored or forgotten about the rights the Founding Fathers gave to the American citizen. Especially for historical intersted groups burning books (or the equivalent e-book deletion) should be a great concern.

Harry's from the UK....

[HarryT]

What does Amazon actually say about how long they will keep your books available for? Fictionwise guarantee three months. Sorry, joblack, but regardless of what your "Founding Fathers" may have said, I honestly think it's unrealistic to regard an eBook as a "lifetime investment".

[Wetdogeared]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So these people would buy a book if it costs $9.99, but "boycott" it if is costs a penny more? Don't you think that's slightly ridiculous?

Originally Posted by HarryT

Personally, astra, I wouldn't. If you think that an eBook is too expensive, don't buy it! As you know, the average hardback in the UK costs perhaps £15-20 (US$21-28). There are very few eBooks that I'd be willing to pay that much for; most of them that I buy are under $10, which is rather cheaper than the average UK paperback.

I hate to cross threads with you here Harry, and I realize that a "boycott if it costs a penny more" and "Most of them that I buy are under $10.00" are not the same thing, but to me that comes very near the same thing.

How did you arrive at this arbitrary $10.00 price break and why is that so much different than a flat refusal to buy new releases or popular ebooks that are over $9.99.

WDE.

[Lanik42]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I have a collection of nice hardbacks too, astra, but I don't regard them as equivalent to paperback or eBooks. I think it's simply unrealistic to expect to be able to read digital media indefinitely. Formats come and go; media comes and goes. How many of us still have a floppy disk drive on our PC? I don't have to worry about what's going to be around in 50 years time, but I strongly suspect that none of our current eBook formats will still be "readable" then. I equally strongly suspect that my prized hardbacks will still be "readable", though. Many of them are already well over a century old, and there's no reason they can't last for another century.

I actually disagree about ebooks lasting. Comparing a media format (floppy disks) with digital formats is a poor comparison - one comes and goes, but (except for DRM) there is no reason to think that systems won't be backward compatible when it comes to support for old filetypes. We do that now for old formats, at least any format that was widespread (as ebooks are). Even following your floppy example, sure we don't normally use floppies nowadays, but you could if you wanted to - drives still exist, disks still exist. Some systems are still shipped with built-in floppy drives.
IMO, though better formats may arrive, our current formats will last as long as we backup our data.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

I hate to cross threads with you here Harry, and I realize that a "boycott if it costs a penny more" and "Most of them that I buy are under $10.00" are not the same thing, but to me that comes very near the same thing.

How did you arrive at this arbitrary $10.00 price break and why is that so much different than a flat refusal to buy new releases or popular ebooks that are over $9.99.

WDE.

Sorry, I'm not with you - I didn't arrive at any "price point". Just commenting that most of the eBooks that interest me are less than $10 in price (eg Baen's offerings). I have bought the occasional eBook which was more than $10, of course. I consider each on its merits; I don't have a rigid "I'm not going to buy a book that cost more than $x" rule. Do you?

[grisjuan]

Originally Posted by thibaulthalpern

Did you read through 627k to see how the phrases were used? Impressive.

Despite your sarcasm, "loyal customer" as it is commonly used, still does not mean what you think it means.

[grisjuan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think it's simply unrealistic to expect to be able to read digital media indefinitely. Formats come and go; media comes and goes. How many of us still have a floppy disk drive on our PC?

I don't think this comparison is perfect: you are talking format and my guess is that others here are thinking about content.

For example, I have most of my digital photos in .jpg format and I hope to be able to view them in 30 years. I've also saved tax records etc as .pdf and likewise would hope to be able to read these for quite a while.

If .jpg or .pdf start to fall out of favor, I bet there will be a conversion program available to change them to whatever format comes next (just like you can read the contents off of your old floppies now and transfer them to a dvd).

[Wetdogeared]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, I'm not with you - I didn't arrive at any "price point". Just commenting that most of the eBooks that interest me are less than $10 in price (eg Baen's offerings). I have bought the occasional eBook which was more than $10, of course. I consider each on its merits; I don't have a rigid "I'm not going to buy a book that cost more than $x" rule. Do you?

No, I don't have a rigid rule and am more flexible than the "nothing over $9.99". But there comes a point, I'm not sure where it is, where the eBook is priced much too close to the hard cover and I will simply wait for the price to drop to some arbitrary level that I think is reasonable. There are many more books to read while waiting for that price to drop. There are some serial books that I would like to buy as new releases but just can't afford, which at times can be frustrating.

I have to feel that I am getting value for my purchase, and paying anywhere near the hardback price for an eBook I don't believe that I'm getting that value.

This arbitrary level of value for money may be fixed for some and a bit more variable for others is all I'm saying, and to me that is somewhat similar.

WDE.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

No, I don't have a rigid rule and am more flexible than the "nothing over $9.99". But there comes a point, I'm not sure where it is, where the eBook is priced much too close to the hard cover and I will simply wait for the price to drop to some arbitrary level that I think is reasonable.

Totally agree. That's exactly what I do. I have bought some very expensive books (eg my Chambers Dictionary, which was around $70), because I've felt them to be worth the money, but there are very few books I'd buy at that price.

[CCDMan]

Apparently, the Consumerist has already done a little piece on this. It sounds as if Amazon did a mass banning of pretty much everyone at one particular forum .... makes me hope they don't decide to ban all MR members for no reason other than they are MR members.

Just how would they know who is who? Unless one is really dumb, one would not use the same username with Amazon (or any site that you do "real business" with) and a forum. I use the same username and avatar on a number of forums but for everything else I use different usernames, passwords, avatars, etc. Not just different from the forums but different from each other. I have a seldom used but still accessible Gmail account for forums and other casual things and my regular email for "real business" like Amazon.

This is a minor hassle but is just good privacy and security policy, if nothing else. Given the number of scammers and crazies out there, many on forums, I really do not think it is a good idea to be posting ANY information that allows folks to identify and locate you. This is why I hate the idea of standards like "Open ID". Although I am sure that with enough effort, anyone can be found and identified, there is no reason to make it something that is so easy an Amazonian caveman can do it. <G>

[TheJohnNewton]

I haven't read all posts here but wouldn't the simple thing be to simply forget about shopping at Amazon? If they don't want you as a customer anymore so be it.