Ebooks can tell which novels you didn't finish

[eschwartz]

You have lost track of the point, I believe.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

And how do you suspect it does that? Check with the server first for each ASIN whether it is in the cloud? The Kindle has to log each book since it can't know what is in the cloud if sideloaded with wifi off. Do you suspect the Kindle downloads a list of all books in cloud and then filter through which data to send?

Like I said, regardless of your current connectivity status (but duh dependent on your previous connectivity status) the Kindle knows what books you own.
The fact that it doesn't know with completion until it connects, somehow doesn't bother me, considering that it cannot send the info until it connects either...

I stand by my claim. The Kindle has no need to send extraneous detail on books it doesn't track (and we have no reaon to think they collect it) since the device already knows which books you own in the cloud anyway.

[linereader]

There really should be more outrage that a reader can track your reading behaviour. We live in a world of profiling & data collection with all modern devices & it's sad to see so many asleep at what's going on & why.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I stand by my claim. The Kindle has no need to send extraneous detail on books it doesn't track (and we have no reaon to think they collect it) since the device already knows which books you own in the cloud anyway.

When I was testing the Kindle App from Google Play on my tablet, it looked like it was sending data about all the books it found home. It did display statistics about them, regardless of the presence or absence of an ASIN.

[Quexos]

I finish every and any books I start reading so whatever the purpose of this feature, I have no use for it.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by linereader

There really should be more outrage that a reader can track your reading behaviour. We live in a world of profiling & data collection with all modern devices & it's sad to see so many asleep at what's going on & why.

Outrage why? If you want to protect your privacy you could start by not going online as most everything you do there is tracked and logged.

I have nothing to hide about what I read, so personally I could care less how much of my reading habits gets logged and send back.

[Lin2412]

I really love seeing my own statistics and don't mind other people seeing it, so I'm leaning more on approval for statistics like these. I find them very interesting and it keeps me up with the current trends and see what books people won't give up on (Sorry, Goldfinch)

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I have nothing to hide about what I read.

The issue is that even if something you read today is legal to read, and own, doing so can put you on one of the assorted "enemies of the state" lists, or, be enough to charge you with a crime, either today, or several decades out.

• Read too many books on the same theme as The Turner Diaries and A Mighty Fortress, and you will be on a watchlist becuase of your racist attitudes. Possession of this material may subject you to criminal prosecution in Germany.;
• Read too many books that claim that Jews were not slaughtered by the Nazis, and you will be branded a Nazi. In France, Germany, and Canada, you are subject to criminal prosecution, merely for possession of the material;
• Read too many books that denounce Islam, and you will be branded as anti-Muslim. In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, mere possession may result in an automatic death penalty;
• Study too many books on Wicca, or any of the other neo-pagan religions, and courts will brand you "an unfit parent";

Finally, is there a legitimate reason to collect the information in the first place? Neither ethics, nor security provide any justification for collecting the data. Financial gain is only for the what Wall Street calls the long term, but the financially prudent call the short term, and the Japanese consider as the day after tomorrow --- three to five years out.

[Lin2412]

Wow, that's serious, Fiat_Lux. I only like to get to know the statistics from each genre or from each books (I've always been curious on some other people's tastes and I want to explore more genres that other people are fascinated with), not necessarily divulge the reader's identities.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

When I was testing the Kindle App from Google Play on my tablet, it looked like it was sending data about all the books it found home.

How did you determine this?

It did display statistics about them, regardless of the presence or absence of an ASIN.

What statistics are we talking about here? I have only used the hardware Kindles.
Also, how do you know that information is uploaded? I can take notes on a sideloaded bookn but those don't get uploaded as far as anyone knows...

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by linereader

There really should be more outrage that a reader can track your reading behaviour. We live in a world of profiling & data collection with all modern devices & it's sad to see so many asleep at what's going on & why.

We should eally see more outrage at websites doing the same thing. Then we can worry about ereaders specifically.

[hardcastle]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

The issue is that even if something you read today is legal to read, and own, doing so can put you on one of the assorted "enemies of the state" lists, or, be enough to charge you with a crime, either today, or several decades out.

• Read too many books on the same theme as The Turner Diaries and A Mighty Fortress, and you will be on a watchlist becuase of your racist attitudes. Possession of this material may subject you to criminal prosecution in Germany.;
• Read too many books that claim that Jews were not slaughtered by the Nazis, and you will be branded a Nazi. In France, Germany, and Canada, you are subject to criminal prosecution, merely for possession of the material;
• Read too many books that denounce Islam, and you will be branded as anti-Muslim. In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, mere possession may result in an automatic death penalty;
• Study too many books on Wicca, or any of the other neo-pagan religions, and courts will brand you "an unfit parent";

Finally, is there a legitimate reason to collect the information in the first place? Neither ethics, nor security provide any justification for collecting the data. Financial gain is only for the what Wall Street calls the long term, but the financially prudent call the short term, and the Japanese consider as the day after tomorrow --- three to five years out.

How's that slippery slope working out for you? It looks incredibly fun to zoom down way too quickly, but there's a few things stopping me:

-That data is not publicly available to anyone, aside from broad statistics.
-Even if the government has the data, there's no precedence for chasing after people for what they've purchased. Crime procedurals use library card information sometimes to find a murderer (see Se7en), but fiction can be a bit stretchy.
-Who even knows if the government cares. Oh boy, you went and read the Anarchists Cookbook. You and every other 13 year old on the internet. Congrats.
-We don't even know for certain what data is being sent by the eReader.
-It's easy to get around it by renaming the book file and title of any custom eBooks.
-It's also easy to get around it by simply not connecting your device to the internet.

Could it happen? Yes. It's all a very slippery slope, yes, I know. But in the totalitarian future you describe, I think we'll have more problems on our hands than this.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by hardcastle;

Even if the government has the data, there's no precedence for chasing after people for what they've purchased.

Claiming that there is no precedent, is to ignore the years when J Edgar Hoover more or less ran the United States.
His thugs literally spared no expense, in finding people who possesed what he called "Un-American" material, getting them fired, and unemployable. Other thugs on his payroll fabricated evidence and bribed judges, so that their special targets would either be executed, or sentenced to jail.

If you'd prefer a more recent example, there was this woman whose first name was Monica. She gave this chap named Bill a blow job. During the subsequent inquiry, Walden Books turned over a list of every item she had purchased to the FBI, without a court order.

Reading through the Snowden Papers, it is obvious that the various three letter agencies are still creating profiles based upon what individuals read, and watch. Data that supplements their social network analysis.

DHS statements have implied that social network affiliations attract their attention, but what the individual reads, and watches, determines which of the lists the individual ends up on.

But in the totalitarian future you describe, I think we'll have more problems on our hands than this.

That future is today.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

How did you determine this?

Comparing the content, and statistics between the app on two different devices, and also after doing a system wipe then installing apps as if it was a new device.

Data that appears in both devices is data that is sent home.
Data that persists over time, is data that is sent home.

[eschwartz]

Interesting. That is the first I have heard about anyone confirming this kind of behavior.

Please pander to my lack of knowledge -- what statistics are we talking about here?

[hardcastle]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

Claiming that there is no precedent, is to ignore the years when J Edgar Hoover more or less ran the United States.
His thugs literally spared no expense, in finding people who possesed what he called "Un-American" material, getting them fired, and unemployable. Other thugs on his payroll fabricated evidence and bribed judges, so that their special targets would either be executed, or sentenced to jail.

If you'd prefer a more recent example, there was this woman whose first name was Monica. She gave this chap named Bill a blow job. During the subsequent inquiry, Walden Books turned over a list of every item she had purchased to the FBI, without a court order.

Reading through the Snowden Papers, it is obvious that the various three letter agencies are still creating profiles based upon what individuals read, and watch. Data that supplements their social network analysis.

DHS statements have implied that social network affiliations attract their attention, but what the individual reads, and watches, determines which of the lists the individual ends up on.

McCarthy and Hoover did it! Of course, we do everything that McCarthy ever did, still to this day.

There's still a big leap between your public Facebook and library records being monitored and Amazon turning over every book file you ever touched. A large one that I'm not following you across.

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

That future is today.

Remind me again when Amazon has ever turned over their customer's orders? Remind me again when Amazon has ever obtained any information about a book that wasn't in their system? Remind me again how Amazon can subvert the trivially easy workarounds I listed in my post if what you say is true?