Is it possible to start again with Reading Life awards?

[Cameronpaterson]

Strange question perhaps, but is there any way to reset reading life awards - i.e. wiping the ones already earned and starting all over again? Or if not awards specifically, reading life data in general? I know it is possible to deactivate one's account but I would imagine this would lead to losing ebooks already purchased.
The reason I ask is I recently switched my main Kobo device (from a Touch to a Vox) but I have also used my Kobo account on both Android and iOS, so I have ended up with something of a reading life jumble, and I quite like the idea of a clean start.

[Sharkus]

There is certainly no way that I know of, on the end user side of things, to reset Reading Life.

You could try submitting a customer care ticket requesting that your Reading Life is reset to a clean state.

[Cameronpaterson]

Originally Posted by Sharkus

There is certainly no way that I know of, on the end user side of things, to reset Reading Life.

You could try submitting a customer care ticket requesting that your Reading Life is reset to a clean state.

That's a shame, but I guess there's no particular reason I couldn't try contacting CS. As I see it, there's one big problem with RL awards: they're finite. If you have the kind of personality that enjoys unlocking these things (and yes, I do), then what happens when you've worked your way through the relatively modest list? You might as well pick up your Kindle again, that's what. I didn't matter so much when awards were specific to individual reading devices, but now they're synched across all of them there's no escape. I think Kobo should seriously think about creating new awards on a regular basis - maybe even book-specific ones. I know that might sound impractical, but Getglue manage fine, releasing specific unlockable stickers for lots of new films and TV shows...

[plib]

I'm afraid I really don't see the point in the Reading Life system. I turned it off on day one.

I'd rather Kobo spent their time on improving the firmware - such as fixing the double tap problem in v.1.9.16 and, in particular, developing a proper series/author/collection management system for it.

[JedV]

Reading Life on the Kobo Touch has proven to be lame. There are broken awards, and ones that simply don't work on the Kobo Touch. It's a busted version compared to the smartphone/tablet apps. Moreover the semi-transparent crossover between the two systems is a fail in my opinion. I had the 20 badge award before I had 20 awards on the KT, later I realized it was because I dabbled on the Android app for 5 minutes and got myself 3 awards on my account.

[Cameronpaterson]

Originally Posted by plib

I'm afraid I really don't see the point in the Reading Life system. I turned it off on day one.

I'd rather Kobo spent their time on improving the firmware - such as fixing the double tap problem in v.1.9.16 and, in particular, developing a proper series/author/collection management system for it.

Well, personally I like Reading Life, but each to his own. To me it's always a been the major USP of Kobo. If you switch it off, what are you left with? A Kindle clone with a poorer selection of titles.

[Cameronpaterson]

Originally Posted by JedV

Reading Life on the Kobo Touch has proven to be lame. There are broken awards, and ones that simply don't work on the Kobo Touch. It's a busted version compared to the smartphone/tablet apps. Moreover the semi-transparent crossover between the two systems is a fail in my opinion. I had the 20 badge award before I had 20 awards on the KT, later I realized it was because I dabbled on the Android app for 5 minutes and got myself 3 awards on my account.

It's certainly not bug free and it's pretty clear to me that iOS is the lead development platform for Kobo - all the new features appear there first and then limp through to the other platforms later. They even use iPhones and iPads in advertising images more often than their own readers! I also agree that the award system crossover doesn't really work. Not that long ago, awards were specific to each device, and that gave you the option to start over relatively easily. Now they're awkwardly synched across - although, oddly, the responses I am getting from customer services in response to my original question suggest they aren't aware of this! I am being told that all I need to do is factory reset my Vox to reset the awards! But of course, they'll just come trundling back in as soon as I reenter my account details....
There is even a feature on the Vox which supposedly allows you to clear your Reading Life awards - as detailed here:
http://kobo.intelliresponse.com/inde...on+my+Kobo+Vox
...but logically, this can only affect awards which have not been synchronised! (I should add that I haven't actually tried it yet....)

[Cameronpaterson]

Well, if anyone is interested, clearing "local data", as described in the link above, works - but only for a few moments, until the Vox's next automatic sync with the Kobo servers. Then all your existing RL awards are restored.
Creating another account also - as you might expect - clears RL data, but is pointless, because of course, you lose access to all the store-bought books you've downloaded on your earlier account, in spite of a vague suggestion to the contrary here:

http://kobo.intelliresponse.com/inde...%20Kobo%20Vox?

(Notice this refers only to the deletion of side-loaded titles).
I did email customer services as an earlier poster suggested, but this has resulted only in a bizarre, robotic, we-can't-be-bothered-to-actually-read-your-message insistence that I restore my Vox to factory settings. Of course, this doesn't work, as all your awards are restored at the first sync with the Kobo servers. When I responded to their suggestion that I do a factory reset by pointing this out, they replied by...suggesting I do a factory reset. Arrgggh! If it's not possible to reset the RL awards, why not just say so?? I suspect I've gotten stuck in an automatic email loop or the responses come from some poorly trained tech support apparatchik in India who barely speaks English and doesn't understand my question.
Anywayz, I'll bounce it back to CS one more but I'm not optimistic. It does look as though this simply isn't possible without rebuying my library. I'm sure Kobo would love it if I did that but it's not going to happen...
Comments welcome!

[paulsalter]

Not an ideal way, but depending on how many kobo books you have bought so far

place original books into Calibre (removing the DRM)
create a new Kobo account
import previous purchases as sideloaded books then buy new ones with this new account

or if you are getting nowhere with this question at Kobo, tell them you had to create a new account and can they transfer your purchases to the new account

[Cameronpaterson]

Thank you Paul! The latter in particular is an interesting idea. I'm going to try the Getsatisfaction page for Kobo and see what happens....

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by Cameronpaterson

Thank you Paul! The latter in particular is an interesting idea. I'm going to try the Getsatisfaction page for Kobo and see what happens....

Good Luck

[The Terminator]

Originally Posted by Cameronpaterson

That's a shame, but I guess there's no particular reason I couldn't try contacting CS. As I see it, there's one big problem with RL awards: they're finite. If you have the kind of personality that enjoys unlocking these things (and yes, I do), then what happens when you've worked your way through the relatively modest list? You might as well pick up your Kindle again, that's what. I didn't matter so much when awards were specific to individual reading devices, but now they're synched across all of them there's no escape. I think Kobo should seriously think about creating new awards on a regular basis - maybe even book-specific ones. I know that might sound impractical, but Getglue manage fine, releasing specific unlockable stickers for lots of new films and TV shows...

Yeah, I really like the awards while reading. I hope they make a few more, I almost have juggurnaut (Lost it twice, once at 96% during a reset) I don't think I'll get Breakfast of Champions anytime soon though, next is Graveyard.