General Discussion

joshcryer

(62,536 posts)

74. Good stuff, and I agree.

Wed Feb 13, 2013, 06:57 PM

Feb 2013

But piracy prevention isn't that big of a concern. iTunes made $12 billion in 2012. Not including app developers. They got rid of the DRM a long time ago. The realized that if they had a good storefront (which is debatable when it comes to iTunes software, but bear with me), and they had the monopoly, they didn't have much to worry about.

I do think that you can use bitcoin style identity to assure that people aren't pirating your stuff though, but I think it's more of a cludge than anything. But surely, you'd want some open source hardware with an open standard so that we're all on the same playing field. Amazon's main draw is that it's dominated the sphere for so long (by being first) but if they had a serious competitor you could bet that they'd ramp up the restrictions (one thing that comes to mind is Amazon Prime and how they make authors exclude themselves from other self-publish houses like Smashwords, Google Books, or B&N, for an exclusionary time period).

Your point about aggregators is very good.

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Tampa Bay Times Bill Maxwell laments "slow death of bookstores." I'm with him on that. [View all] madfloridian Feb 2013 OP

There will be bookstores as long as books are published. geomon666 Feb 2013 #1

In our area that sort of leaves online ordering. madfloridian Feb 2013 #2

I order through Abe Books too. trusty elf Feb 2013 #18

that's like saying "I like buying and eating food but if grocery stores go away I'm cool with it." TeamPooka Feb 2013 #8

the end result is going to be a shakeout, with fewer corporations controlling more stuff. HiPointDem Feb 2013 #16

I never understood this argument. RudynJack Feb 2013 #23

Why does it have to be either/or? marions ghost Feb 2013 #68

Good. joshcryer Feb 2013 #25

True dat, but also some benefits to the old system napoleon_in_rags Feb 2013 #27

Go with Good Reads or other basic reviewing services. joshcryer Feb 2013 #28

LibraryThing is a good one too Viva_La_Revolution Feb 2013 #32

Thanks, I will check that out. Looks interesting. madfloridian Feb 2013 #58

Is an open source alternative to Amazon even needed? napoleon_in_rags Feb 2013 #65

Yeah, the publishing industry is getting 30% minimum. joshcryer Feb 2013 #66

I think they're exploiting a DRM monopoly. napoleon_in_rags Feb 2013 #72

Good stuff, and I agree. joshcryer Feb 2013 #74

With a little work you can load the appropriate reader on either platform. Llewlladdwr Feb 2013 #85

That bit of work can be pretty significant. napoleon_in_rags Feb 2013 #90

I'm one of those crappy self-published authors Recursion Feb 2013 #48

I dunno, Recursion. Your posts are pretty well-spoken and lucid. napoleon_in_rags Feb 2013 #64

Whatever happened to scrolls? Archae Feb 2013 #3

And buggy whips! ;) n/t X_Digger Feb 2013 #40

I prefer the chiseled stone tablets myself. Brigid Feb 2013 #67

It's very sad to see. TDale313 Feb 2013 #4

I still get hardback books but I buy them online. MrSlayer Feb 2013 #5

No choice in our area. Religious books rule the market here. madfloridian Feb 2013 #11

I'm a bookworm. Me too. nt octoberlib Feb 2013 #6

The medium is the message Leslie Valley Feb 2013 #7

Not to me. A book is a book. An e-book is not the same. madfloridian Feb 2013 #10

I want both ebooks and hard books DonCoquixote Feb 2013 #21

One note about Borders DonCoquixote Feb 2013 #22

You're mistaken RudynJack Feb 2013 #24

That's funny DonCoquixote Feb 2013 #26

A lot of independent publishers don't use DRM on Kindle. joshcryer Feb 2013 #29

They're downloaded to the kindle, as well. n/t X_Digger Feb 2013 #41

Just like the Kindle. RudynJack Feb 2013 #47

I got a textbook on Kindle (for PC) and it required an internet connection to view. joshcryer Feb 2013 #69

I was VERY skeptical about e-readers at first. Codeine Feb 2013 #36

Replace Kindle with Nook, and I could ahve written this obamanut2012 Feb 2013 #38

We've also pared down our physical inventory of books. X_Digger Feb 2013 #42

Me too! obamanut2012 Feb 2013 #62

I've been watching the transition with ambivalence. LWolf Feb 2013 #91

Thanks for that post. You are definitely a fellow book lover. madfloridian Feb 2013 #92

Just some round number figuring here... ret5hd Feb 2013 #55

I remember when every town had a bookstore ..... daleanime Feb 2013 #9

I Was Raised in a Family of Readers Too. Still Love Having a Real Book to Read From dballance Feb 2013 #12

Saturday was library day growing up. We checked out as many as we could. madfloridian Feb 2013 #59

I feel the same. and i also feel uneasy because once most information is digital, it HiPointDem Feb 2013 #13

agree backtoblue Feb 2013 #43

Yes, I share that uneasiness. Digital info can be changed too easily. madfloridian Feb 2013 #54

I hear you Skittles Feb 2013 #14

When I was a kid back in the late 60's... WCGreen Feb 2013 #15

small low-end businesses in general are dying. which means that that old low-end individuality HiPointDem Feb 2013 #17

Thanks for the nostalgia.... llmart Feb 2013 #83

I'm conflicted on one hand I can grab my nook and my ADHD brain doesn't have to remember or forgot trublu992 Feb 2013 #19

I'm a big "tech" person, but e-books have not won me over. NYC Liberal Feb 2013 #20

k&r for the codex, and for the local merchants who sell them. n/t Laelth Feb 2013 #30

i have semi rare books that are over 100 yrs old... madrchsod Feb 2013 #31

We're going to lose a lot with the digitalization of books, MadHound Feb 2013 #33

Maybe the "music industry" isn't republishing old music, kentauros Feb 2013 #60

I don't believe print is dead. intheflow Feb 2013 #34

Elevators are way cool though. Skink Feb 2013 #52

Unless you lose power. intheflow Feb 2013 #53

Everything sucks when you lose power! kentauros Feb 2013 #61

The vast, vast majority of books are read once, maybe pipoman Feb 2013 #35

That's the other side of this... pipi_k Feb 2013 #49

AND the publishers may never get around to those books, or unknown millions of others. madfloridian Feb 2013 #56

The thing is, paper and ink(at least soy based ink) are renewable resources, MadHound Feb 2013 #50

I love ereaders. Support your local Public Library! You can physically borrow dead tree books or retread Feb 2013 #37

+1 obamanut2012 Feb 2013 #39

Books and Music stores Puzzledtraveller Feb 2013 #44

I never really like the book or record store clerk AngryAmish Feb 2013 #57

I am a... pipi_k Feb 2013 #45

The shock of being told by a used book seller that they did not want hardback books... madfloridian Feb 2013 #71

Still a place for paper books, but new bookstores will continue to dwindle Lurks Often Feb 2013 #46

B&N online prices are often the same as Amazon obamanut2012 Feb 2013 #63

I think they'll become a niche like record stores. joshcryer Feb 2013 #70

+ 1000 clarice Feb 2013 #51

i Loved Bookstar and Crown Books JI7 Feb 2013 #73

"maybe a new trend back to smaller indie book stores" That would be good. madfloridian Feb 2013 #75

Similarly, I used to love "record stores" like Tower Record and specialty shops. Hoyt Feb 2013 #76

I know what you mean. HooptieWagon Feb 2013 #81

Yes! I'd browse the vinyl bins 'til my fingers were gray from dust. VOX Feb 2013 #86

Here's one reason I'm sticking to paper books instead of switching to digital: Louisiana1976 Feb 2013 #77

Bill Maxwell is a gem. HooptieWagon Feb 2013 #78

Abe Books is great for that kind of thing. madfloridian Feb 2013 #79

Thanks, I'll check them out. HooptieWagon Feb 2013 #80

So much of that in Central Florida. madfloridian Feb 2013 #84

I only buy hardcopies of books bigwillq Feb 2013 #82

Precisely. The content is the main course, but as objects, books achieve perfection. VOX Feb 2013 #87

You mean 'cause of e-readers or people not reading any more? Honeycombe8 Feb 2013 #88

I still have most of my college literature textbooks. I keep the older stuff... madfloridian Feb 2013 #89