Hiding books on your Sony reader

flyash · 06-15-2010, 10:27 PM

Are there any ways to hide books in the event you show someone your reader, but don't want them to see certain titles?

The two obvious options are:
1. store those books on an SD card (but if you normally keep the card in, it would look a little odd to be yanking it out before letting a friend check out your reader)

2. rename the titles in the metadata (if you have a more than a couple of books that you'd like hidden, you might lose track of which is which, though I suppose you could store an index as a note in one of the books or as a text memo)

Any other options?

AnemicOak · 06-15-2010, 10:32 PM

I suppose you could have the books you want to hide (if it's just some specific titles) into their own collection and just don't go into that collection when showing your reader.

flyash · 06-15-2010, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I suppose you could have the books you want to hide (if it's just some specific titles) into their own collection and just don't go into that collection when showing your reader.

Good point. I suppose that's the simplest and most convenient solution - just label the collection something boring sounding, like technical manuals. Risky if you let them handle the reader, as they might click on that collection, or just see the titles in the Books list.

JSWolf · 06-15-2010, 10:39 PM

Or don't put them in any collections when showing the collections.

flyash · 06-15-2010, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Or don't put them in any collections when showing the collections.

Yeah, but that makes accessing them yourself more of a pain.

I like the collections idea, and I can name it something boring that starts with a letter near the end of the alphabet so that it gets moved off the first page of collections (assuming you have more than 10 collections).

dorino · 06-16-2010, 09:50 PM

What are you reading that's so shameful? :P

Your first option with the SD card is the way to go.

Mike_73 · 06-17-2010, 01:17 AM

Use the SD card. So you can physically remove the books you don't want to show.

Otherwise, make a collection named "hidden books".
(sorry, couldn't resist this one

)

flyash · 06-17-2010, 02:33 AM

If I go the SD card route, will I lose my bookmarks for books on the SD card when I pull the card out?

hnoto · 06-17-2010, 03:19 AM

You shouldn't lose any bookmarks. However, from my experience, using an SD card CAN be a bit chancy. Be sure to have your reader on when you pull the card out/put it in and give the reader plenty of time to process the fact that you've moved it.

The other option is to be sure before handing your reader over that it is open to a non-controversial text/collection. Or be careful who you show off to.

Mike_73 · 06-17-2010, 03:19 AM

I'm not quite sure, but I think you don't lose anything. I had this with collections when I had books on SD-Card. Pop out the card, books don't appear in a collection, pop it back in, the collections showed the appropriate books.
Maybe the bookmarks are stored within the file(?) like the "collection tags".

Solitaire1 · 06-18-2010, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_73

I'm not quite sure, but I think you don't lose anything. I had this with collections when I had books on SD-Card. Pop out the card, books don't appear in a collection, pop it back in, the collections showed the appropriate books.
Maybe the bookmarks are stored within the file(?) like the "collection tags".

I agree that the best move is to store the ebooks you want to hide on an SD card. That way, there is no way for someone to view ebooks that you may not want them to see (such as stories that you may be writing that are not ready to be shared with others). Other methods don't actually prevent people from viewing ebooks you don't want them to see.

As far as collections go, I use collections to control where my ebooks are stored. Some collections are stored on my ereader's internal memory and others I store on my SD card. What I don't do is split collections between the two locations, each collection is either completely in my ereader's internal memory or completely on the SD card.

flyash · 06-18-2010, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

As far as collections go, I use collections to control where my ebooks are stored. Some collections are stored on my ereader's internal memory and others I store on my SD card. What I don't do is split collections between the two locations, each collection is either completely in my ereader's internal memory or completely on the SD card.

What's your rationale for this?

AgentBEATS · 06-18-2010, 12:43 AM

Another thing you could do is simply bury it in content.

If you say have one book that you do not want someone to view, simply cover it up with a thousand more.

Of course this would first mean naming it something nondescript. But if you have one file within thousands of others, the probability of someone using your reader and finding it are very low. Of course there is still a chance they will, but so goes any actually way hiding something. As long as it is there, there is probably a way to find it. Which is why storing them on a SD card and removing it whenever is probably the safest, although removing it can be somewhat of a hassle.

Although I don't think I would ever have a need to hide anything on my reader, I do get the appeal of having the option.To me it is the same as having the ability to lock the device, just with hiding a specific file.

DoctorOhh · 06-18-2010, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyash

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

As far as collections go, I use collections to control where my ebooks are stored. Some collections are stored on my ereader's internal memory and others I store on my SD card. What I don't do is split collections between the two locations, each collection is either completely in my ereader's internal memory or completely on the SD card.

What's your rationale for this?

If you put items from one collection (let's call the collection Urban Fantasy) on the SD card and in internal memory you get two identically named collections. Urban Fantasy would be listed twice under collections. One collection would have items from the SD card the other collection would have items from internal memory.

FizzyWater · 06-18-2010, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hnoto

Be sure to have your reader on when you pull the card out/put it in and give the reader plenty of time to process the fact that you've moved it.

You mean "be sure to have your reader off when you pull the card out", right?

06-15-2010, 10:27 PM	#1
flyash Groupie Posts: 196 Karma: 1003498 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: none	Hiding books on your Sony reader Are there any ways to hide books in the event you show someone your reader, but don't want them to see certain titles? The two obvious options are: 1. store those books on an SD card (but if you normally keep the card in, it would look a little odd to be yanking it out before letting a friend check out your reader) 2. rename the titles in the metadata (if you have a more than a couple of books that you'd like hidden, you might lose track of which is which, though I suppose you could store an index as a note in one of the books or as a text memo) Any other options?

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06-15-2010, 10:32 PM	#2
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	I suppose you could have the books you want to hide (if it's just some specific titles) into their own collection and just don't go into that collection when showing your reader.

06-15-2010, 10:39 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,887 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Or don't put them in any collections when showing the collections.

06-16-2010, 09:50 PM	#6
dorino I'm odd. Take note. Posts: 325 Karma: 779 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Montana Device: deceased PRS-600, Nook STR	What are you reading that's so shameful? :P Your first option with the SD card is the way to go.

06-17-2010, 01:17 AM	#7
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	Use the SD card. So you can physically remove the books you don't want to show. Otherwise, make a collection named "hidden books". (sorry, couldn't resist this one )

06-17-2010, 02:33 AM	#8
flyash Groupie Posts: 196 Karma: 1003498 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: none	If I go the SD card route, will I lose my bookmarks for books on the SD card when I pull the card out?

06-17-2010, 03:19 AM	#9
hnoto Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 177180 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Device: Sony PRS 505	You shouldn't lose any bookmarks. However, from my experience, using an SD card CAN be a bit chancy. Be sure to have your reader on when you pull the card out/put it in and give the reader plenty of time to process the fact that you've moved it. The other option is to be sure before handing your reader over that it is open to a non-controversial text/collection. Or be careful who you show off to.

06-18-2010, 12:43 AM	#13
AgentBEATS Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Canada Device: Sony PRS-505, Nintendo DS, HTC Desire	Another thing you could do is simply bury it in content. If you say have one book that you do not want someone to view, simply cover it up with a thousand more. Of course this would first mean naming it something nondescript. But if you have one file within thousands of others, the probability of someone using your reader and finding it are very low. Of course there is still a chance they will, but so goes any actually way hiding something. As long as it is there, there is probably a way to find it. Which is why storing them on a SD card and removing it whenever is probably the safest, although removing it can be somewhat of a hassle. Although I don't think I would ever have a need to hide anything on my reader, I do get the appeal of having the option.To me it is the same as having the ability to lock the device, just with hiding a specific file.

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