Amazon removed books from my Kindle

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jlinear

FYI - I just realized my ASUS WiFi router has a Wireless MAC filter that allows you to reject a connection based on your device's MAC address (found in Setting, Device Info). I rejected at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz and my Paperwhite cannot connect to WiFi. With Airplane mode turned off I get just a "_" instead of the usual WiFi connect symbol. Seems to work.

Or you can change the SSID or Password of the WiFi point.
Or is there a way to tell the Kindle to "forget" a WiFi password?

[jlinear]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Or is there a way to tell the Kindle to "forget" a WiFi password?

Yes. On my PW5 there is an option to "Delete Wi-Fi Passwords" to "Permanently delete all Wi-Fi passwords saved to Amazon from this device." Haven't tested this option.

Edit: I just successfully jailbroke my PW5 using Languagebreak so preventing updates to the Kindle now has added importance.

[haertig]

Deleting the passwords "saved to Amazon" is different than deleting the passwords saved to the local device. In this specific case, who knows, Amazon MAY delete them from both places. Or they may not. IIRC (and it's been years since I turned on WiFi on my Kindle), I'm thinking I remember that in order to access any of the WiFi settings (to delete a password for example) you first have to turn on WiFi. Which would be bad for a Kindle, since that's what you're trying to avoid. But I can't remember if this "must turn on WiFi first" was on my Kindle or on some other device. So either remove the WAN cable from the router that the Kindle may try to connect to, or walk down the street out of WiFi range before you turn on WiFi (if indeed turning on WiFi is required to change the settings).

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by haertig

I'm thinking I remember that in order to access any of the WiFi settings (to delete a password for example) you first have to turn on WiFi. Which would be bad for a Kindle, since that's what you're trying to avoid.

I think that may be the case. One could temporally turn off Wifi or unplug cable (if not a Mobile/Cell Wifi point) while the operation is done.

Or do it somewhere well away from your house. Of course none of this works for a Kindle with Mobile/Cell modem built in.

[Fbone]

I found my Kindle Oasis and turned it on. It's been a long time since I last used it. Wifi off.

Time was off by 98 minutes. I have 19 books in its library.

After turning wifi on, it removed 15 of them.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I found my Kindle Oasis and turned it on. It's been a long time since I last used it. Wifi off.

Time was off by 98 minutes. I have 19 books in its library.

After turning wifi on, it removed 15 of them.

Seems like the only valid conclusion that we can draw from this report, and others like it, is "Amazon officially sucks". If they are doing it intentionally, they suck. If they are doing it unintentionally, they suck. If it is happening because of a bug in their software, they suck.

Things are not looking good for replacing my Kindle with another Kindle once this current one dies. That depends on how Amazon responds to these reports (I'm sure many people have reported this behavior, I can't imagine how anybody would consider it acceptable).

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by haertig

Things are not looking good for replacing my Kindle with another Kindle once this current one dies. That depends on how Amazon responds to these reports (I'm sure many people have reported this behavior, I can't imagine how anybody would consider it acceptable).

Fortunately, as you sideload everything, you have a wide selection of brands to choose your future ereader from. Kobo, Pocketbook, various Android eink devices and so on... even Nook, which IMO is worse than Kindle as far as software goes, but you're probably less fussy than I am. At least I haven't heard about B&N deleting sideloaded books from a Nook.

[dedeca]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I found my Kindle Oasis and turned it on. It's been a long time since I last used it. Wifi off.

Time was off by 98 minutes. I have 19 books in its library.

After turning wifi on, it removed 15 of them.

Wow, that's disappointing! From now on, I'll keep my Wi-Fi on all the time, or at least turn it on more often. If it is a bug, I hope Amazon fixes it soon, because I transfer some books using Calibre and I wouldn't want that to happen to me. Unfortunately, buying another ereader is out of the question because the Kindle is the only ereader sold where I live.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by dedeca

Unfortunately, buying another ereader is out of the question because the Kindle is the only ereader sold where I live.

Do you live in the Amazon rainforest ? 😅

Sorry, when I saw you were living in Brazil, I couldn't resist.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Do you live in the Amazon rainforest ? 😅

Sorry, when I saw you were living in Brazil, I couldn't resist.

Makes sense that Amazon would not allow any competitors to play on its home turf.

[arturg]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I found my Kindle Oasis and turned it on. It's been a long time since I last used it. Wifi off.

Time was off by 98 minutes. I have 19 books in its library.

After turning wifi on, it removed 15 of them.

Did you provide the Kindle logs to someone mentioned here earlier? The logs don't go very far back and it would be very useful data for the people who are investigating this issue.

[arturg]

Originally Posted by haertig

Seems like the only valid conclusion that we can draw from this report, and others like it, is "Amazon officially sucks". If they are doing it intentionally, they suck. If they are doing it unintentionally, they suck. If it is happening because of a bug in their software, they suck.

Makes me wonder why are you using a Kindle then? I came to terms with how Kindle works best and gave up on side loading because send-to-kindle works just fine. You might enjoy Kobo or Boox much better.

I just happen to enjoy my PW11 features such as:

- animated page turn
- 6.8" screen which is more similar to real book
- no led flooding from sides
- snappy processor and page turns
- no refresh every five pages and still no ghosting
- flush screen (I hate bezels because they cast shadow)
- good user interface
- feels like well made when holding
- option to get books on device without computer

[haertig]

Originally Posted by arturg

Makes me wonder why are you using a Kindle then?

Simple. And it should have been obvious from my previous posts. I bought my Kindle quite a few years ago, before Amazon started doing these book deletions (either on purpose or because of buggy software). And it worked fine. Then as Amazon got more intrusive - reports of them uploading data from your Kindle regarding what you were reading, how you were reading, how fast you were reading, etc. - I thought "that doesn't sound so good". Additionally, they would update your Kindle's software when they wanted to, you had no choice in the matter.

So my Kindle was put into airplane mode permanently. And I changed/removed passwords so the Kindle cannot connect anywhere, even if I were to accidentally take it out of airplane mode. So I don't get automatic updates, and I don't have my books deleted. And my battery lasts longer. As a side benefit, my Kindle is now "ad free" without me having to pay for that. It ran out of ads to display long ago and can't get any more without a network connection.

I am not happy hearing what Amazon is doing now (or if indeed it is a bug, what they are NOT doing by not fixing the bug). But despite that, my Kindle still works fine for my uses while in permanent airplane mode. No need to run out and replace it as a protest against Amazon. Replacing it would not be a very useful protest because Amazon wouldn't even know they were being protested. I would just be spending money that I don't need to spend. Which is stupid. This is the main reason why I am still using a Kindle, since you asked about that.

[TheSmitty]

Originally Posted by haertig

Then as Amazon got more intrusive - reports of them uploading data from your Kindle regarding what you were reading, how you were reading, how fast you were reading, etc. - I thought "that doesn't sound so good". Additionally, they would update your Kindle's software when they wanted to, you had no choice in the matter.

It would be interesting to know if the data collected is anonymous. I could see the case that it is not so that they present purchasing decisions that would be relevant to you. Regardless, what Amazon or Kobo etc can learn about me on my ereader pales in comparison what Apple, Google, Samsung, Netflix, Mozilla, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, etc routinely can learn. A fun thing to do is read the EULA and terms of service of just about anything.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by TheSmitty

It would be interesting to know if the data collected is anonymous. I could see the case that it is not so that they present purchasing decisions that would be relevant to you. Regardless, what Amazon or Kobo etc can learn about me on my ereader pales in comparison what Apple, Google, Samsung, Netflix, Mozilla, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, etc routinely can learn. A fun thing to do is read the EULA and terms of service of just about anything.

The collected data can't be anonymous for Kindle Unlimited system loans because Amazon designed the payment system wrong, so that now it can only work (to pay author) if the way the user reads is monitored. So don't sign up to KU if that might be injurious to your safety. We don't know how secure that data is.
If you live in a really dangerous place get a friend in another country to use secure means to deliver you an ebook (pigeon with encrypted SD card? Encrypted one-time pad file over secure VPN with no 3rd party serrver?) or muffle up for CCTV and buy paper copy with cash.