Comments on: Kindlenomics http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:20:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Bob http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8446 Bob Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:41:11 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8446 Tom, I think it's a shame that you, being apparently a very well informed person and thoughtful of the situation around you, are releasing the book on the Kindle. There will never be a used Kindle book market, because Amazon won't allow it. You don't own the books, you license them. (You do read the reams of fine print when you buy a Kindle book, right? I didn't think so...) http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html In fact, Amazon will just reach into your device and take back your books whenever it suits them. http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/ It's a bad idea to create technologies which enable police states, regardless of their innocent-seeming initial uses. Kindle is one such technology. And I'm distressed that you are helping this unwelcome process along. Tom, I think it’s a shame that you, being apparently a very well informed person and thoughtful of the situation around you, are releasing the book on the Kindle.

There will never be a used Kindle book market, because Amazon won’t allow it. You don’t own the books, you license them. (You do read the reams of fine print when you buy a Kindle book, right? I didn’t think so…)

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html

In fact, Amazon will just reach into your device and take back your books whenever it suits them.

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/

It’s a bad idea to create technologies which enable police states, regardless of their innocent-seeming initial uses. Kindle is one such technology. And I’m distressed that you are helping this unwelcome process along.

]]> By: noah http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8356 noah Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:26:25 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8356 Kindle handles endnotes just fine if the notes have references in the text. See, e.g., "Infinite Jest." However, because "Traffic" textual references to the notes, it would be very inconvenient to go from text to endnote and back again. You would have to use the "goto" function to go to the correct endnote page, then use the "back" button to go back to the page you were reading. Then do that again every time you wanted to go to the notes. Frankly, I think this is a problem even with the hardback (and, I assume, paperback) version of "Traffic" (which i read before i got my Kindle). Either you go to the endnotes at every page, or you just do it haphazardly. But it would be a bigger problem with the Kindle, because you can't just "flip" to the back pages. (I liked the book a lot, but I found the endnote issue a pain.) Kindle handles endnotes just fine if the notes have references in the text. See, e.g., “Infinite Jest.” However, because “Traffic” textual references to the notes, it would be very inconvenient to go from text to endnote and back again. You would have to use the “goto” function to go to the correct endnote page, then use the “back” button to go back to the page you were reading. Then do that again every time you wanted to go to the notes. Frankly, I think this is a problem even with the hardback (and, I assume, paperback) version of “Traffic” (which i read before i got my Kindle). Either you go to the endnotes at every page, or you just do it haphazardly. But it would be a bigger problem with the Kindle, because you can’t just “flip” to the back pages. (I liked the book a lot, but I found the endnote issue a pain.)

]]> By: Erik http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8350 Erik Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:49:54 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8350 Also, publishers do it because they hate you (someone reading an ebook) and want you to buy real books instead. Also, publishers do it because they hate you (someone reading an ebook) and want you to buy real books instead.

]]> By: Erik http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8349 Erik Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:48:50 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8349 I've read Kindle books that had actual hyperlinked footnotes where you tap a linked footnote number in the text and it takes you to the appropriate note at the end somewhere, so it is technically possible within the ebook format amazon uses (and probably every ebook format). I imagine it depends on whether the publisher took the time to format the ebook text with all of the appropriate markup or whether they just do a plain copy & paste into a text file and call it a day. I’ve read Kindle books that had actual hyperlinked footnotes where you tap a linked footnote number in the text and it takes you to the appropriate note at the end somewhere, so it is technically possible within the ebook format amazon uses (and probably every ebook format). I imagine it depends on whether the publisher took the time to format the ebook text with all of the appropriate markup or whether they just do a plain copy & paste into a text file and call it a day.

]]> By: townmouse http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8325 townmouse Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:49:25 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8325 I can't remember if Traffic was this way, but more and more non-fiction books seem to have what I call 'stealth notes' where there's no indication in the main text that there's a note attached to a particular fact or statement, but when you get to the end of the book, you find a whole wodge of notes which you have to reunite with the text by looking up the page number and finding the matching sentence. As someone who loves footnotes, I really dislike this and I can't for the life of me see why publishers do it. But it may explain Erik's experience with the iPhone I can’t remember if Traffic was this way, but more and more non-fiction books seem to have what I call ’stealth notes’ where there’s no indication in the main text that there’s a note attached to a particular fact or statement, but when you get to the end of the book, you find a whole wodge of notes which you have to reunite with the text by looking up the page number and finding the matching sentence. As someone who loves footnotes, I really dislike this and I can’t for the life of me see why publishers do it. But it may explain Erik’s experience with the iPhone

]]> By: Erik http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8319 Erik Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:45:43 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8319 Rob: Generally I would think any premium for convenience would be small compared to the discount for not having to print, bind, and ship a pound or two of dead tree. Also, this is probably the first time I've heard someone compare something to ticketmaster without intending the comparison to be derogatory. :-) And ticketmaster usually charges their "convenience" fee for paperless and will-call tickets. Rob: Generally I would think any premium for convenience would be small compared to the discount for not having to print, bind, and ship a pound or two of dead tree. Also, this is probably the first time I’ve heard someone compare something to ticketmaster without intending the comparison to be derogatory. :-) And ticketmaster usually charges their “convenience” fee for paperless and will-call tickets.

]]> By: John http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8318 John Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:55:33 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8318 This is unrelated to kindle pricing, but I just noticed that at audible.com, the abridged version of your book costs more than the unabridged one: the 346-minute abridged version costs $20.97 ($0.061/min) and the 816-minute unabridged version costs $15.75 ($0.019/min). I have no idea if this is typical of books offered in both abridged and unabridged versions or not, but thought it was interesting. This is unrelated to kindle pricing, but I just noticed that at audible.com, the abridged version of your book costs more than the unabridged one: the 346-minute abridged version costs $20.97 ($0.061/min) and the 816-minute unabridged version costs $15.75 ($0.019/min).

I have no idea if this is typical of books offered in both abridged and unabridged versions or not, but thought it was interesting.

]]> By: Rob http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8316 Rob Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:20:44 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8316 Looking from a marketing perspective, there may be additional value in the offering of a Kindle book. I look at this from the perspective of ticketmaster. They have a convienience fee associated with purchasing online and printing your own tickets. Now this is a cheaper and easier method of distribution for them, however it is also added value for the consumer as it eliminates the travel to a ticket window to pick them up. I dont know 100% how the technology works, but I am sure more than a few people live no where near a bookstore and it is way more convenient just to download it onto their device, and they would pay more for the easy access. Hell paying the same price as a hardcover at all proves that point, when you download the thing you get nothing tangible, yet pay the price. Personally I like having books on my bookshelf. Looking from a marketing perspective, there may be additional value in the offering of a Kindle book.

I look at this from the perspective of ticketmaster. They have a convienience fee associated with purchasing online and printing your own tickets.

Now this is a cheaper and easier method of distribution for them, however it is also added value for the consumer as it eliminates the travel to a ticket window to pick them up.

I dont know 100% how the technology works, but I am sure more than a few people live no where near a bookstore and it is way more convenient just to download it onto their device, and they would pay more for the easy access. Hell paying the same price as a hardcover at all proves that point, when you download the thing you get nothing tangible, yet pay the price.

Personally I like having books on my bookshelf.

]]> By: Erik http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8313 Erik Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:23:09 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8313 FWIW clickable linked footnotes are definitely possible. FWIW clickable linked footnotes are definitely possible.

]]> By: Erik http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/07/30/kindlenomics/#comment-8312 Erik Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:22:15 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1069#comment-8312 I'm looking at it on an iPhone and there is a "notes" section at the end that looks like footnotes, but there is nothing to link the notes to the text. If they are supposed to be footnotes then see my link above for the part about publishers frequently providing text with typos and formatting errors to vendors for ebook conversion. I’m looking at it on an iPhone and there is a “notes” section at the end that looks like footnotes, but there is nothing to link the notes to the text.

If they are supposed to be footnotes then see my link above for the part about publishers frequently providing text with typos and formatting errors to vendors for ebook conversion.

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