fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2650 ]

[ SECRET POST #2650 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2650 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 062 secrets from Secret Submission Post #379.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You know, I think it's funny (or interesting) that no-one has any issue with me lending a (paid for) book to friends, family, neighbours, colleagues and so on. But sharing an e-book is OMG!BAD...

Because a digital file you share out isn't a loan, it's a copy (usually an illegal copy) that you are giving away.

Though I do get the difference and I actually did think about that when I first posed the question, I think the lines are slightly more blurred for me because an e-book isn't as physical to me as an actual book and seeing as most of the time I only read a book once, I very rarely keep them and pass most of them on, it just feels like I'm passing an e-book on? IDK

Anyway, I very rarely illegally download books, but let's say we would start reading a quite recent (expensive) book that I wasn't sure I was going to like or not, I would have to think twice about spending (lots of) money on it.

(If I could rephrase my original comment, what if I pass on a book to my sister, she reads it and then passes it on to my mother, she then gives it to her neighbour and so on. Then we're kind of moving into that grey area of us basically taking away money from the publishers.)

Aren't you allowed to share 5 e-book copies or something like that? Being able to download it on 5 devices? Doesn't Amazon have some sort of arrangement for book clubs? Is anon too tired to type and should go to bed...

I don't think it would be a good idea to read new/expensive books in the book club if we're going to do it. We should focus on books that are easy to access and have been out for a while.

Why do you have a problem specifically with giving away digital copies? I could see feeling wary about an illegal digital copy, but...well, there are hard copies of books that have been obtained illegally, as well.

Do you think that people shouldn't give away books at all? In other words, is it wrong for me to buy a hard copy of a book, and then give it away, for free, to someone else when I'm done with it? Does that count as piracy?

Or is it the fact that digital copies can be, well...copied that bothers you?

And what of people who borrow a book from a friend and scan it/take photos of the text/photocopy it*?

Ans what about public libraries with only donated books? And what about second hand shops (that are "legal"** but don't give a cent to the authors)?

*I did all with ALL my text books, because I couldn't afford them, I needed them to study and had friends willing to lend them to me.
**In my country they already tried to make selling 2nd hand books/cds/dvds illegal.

Y'know, you'd think this was obvious.

Borrowing a book from a library = someone had to buy it initially, and a limited number of people can borrow it during its lifetime.

Downloading an ebook for free = someone probably bought it first, but an unlimited number of people can take it an unlimited amount of times.

If you want to get right down to it, libraries are a necessary evil for an author's pocketbook. But at least the damage is minimal. The damage for downloaded books/movies/music/tv shows/LUXURY ITEMS is potentially vast and crushing.

And no, you don't deserve books even if you can't afford them. What the everloving fuck. When did this "but I waaaaaant it" mentality get so prevalent in fandom? Pisses me off.

Here's some options if your money is so tight that you can't afford a book to participate in a completely optional and totally not necessary online book club:
- Loan the book from the library
- Check out half price book stores
- Ask your friends if they have a copy
- Stay on the lookout for library sales because they're always ridiculous
- Don't participate that month

Sorry if I'm being callous, but frankly, this mentality sets me off more than anything in fandom. I have to consciously ignore its existence or I can't enjoy talking with fans about the things that I like, because I know most of them are stealing it.

And no, I'm not freaking rich. I just do things smart. Or I go without.

PS - Call me a hypocrite if you want, but I find it hard to justify being mad about sharing textbooks. Textbooks are a racket and I know the pain of having to cough up hundreds of dollars for those things. Not being able to afford a $130 science book is one thing, but $6 for a paperback? C'mon now.

(Before people come in here and tell me how I'm an entitled jackass for my sentiment because of reasons like "you don't think the poor should have anything nice" or something, I feel for you, I do. And you shouldn't be barred from entertainment because of your paycheck. But the author also doesn't deserve to have a dent in their royalty check because your life isn't the best right now.)

$6 for a paperback? I presume we're talking second-hand here; otherwise, I want to hop into your time machine and head back to 1985 when, yes, paperback books were cheap. I don't think I've seen one under $12 for a while. Maybe I live in the land of expensive. (Actually, I do - there's significant markup on books here, dammit - which is why I stopped buying them.)

AYRT

Woaw. I think you're reading way too much into my comment...

But in reply to your options:
- Loan the book from the library
(I don't live in an English speaking country. My library doesn't have very many English books.)
- Check out half price book stores
(See above.)
- Ask your friends if they have a copy
(See above. But I could ask an online friend if I could 'borrow' an e-book...)
- Stay on the lookout for library sales because they're always ridiculous
(See above.)
- Don't participate that month
(Ah. The only option really left for me...)

Seriously though, depending on the book and its cost, I will see if I'm interested enough. I don't like pirating books, most of the time I get e-books through http://onehundredfreebooks.com/ or I wait for offers and the like.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #2650 ]

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