This looks bad: Amazon being Amazon?

[Cody]

Looks like a big tax bill will be headed over to Amazon HQ in the very near future. Hope the government uses the money for a new hospital called Kindle Memorial

Unfortunately, I very much doubt whether either will happen.

[CommRLock78]

The next government or alliance of governments who go down the path germany did in the 30's and 40's will simply burn the books by pushing a button. Do all of yourselves a favor: buy real books with pages from a local seller. Supports your local economy and prevents others from obtaining your credit card or account information when you purchase online. The writing is on the wall...

God, I hope no one goes down that path again (although back in the Bush years I felt the US was headed that way).

[Commander McLane]

The next government or alliance of governments who go down the path germany did in the 30's and 40's will simply burn the books by pushing a button. Do all of yourselves a favor: buy real books with pages from a local seller. Supports your local economy and prevents others from obtaining your credit card or account information when you purchase online. The writing is on the wall...

God, I hope no one goes down that path again (although back in the Bush years I felt the US was headed that way).

Just wait for the Romney years…

[DaddyHoggy]

The next government or alliance of governments who go down the path germany did in the 30's and 40's will simply burn the books by pushing a button. Do all of yourselves a favor: buy real books with pages from a local seller. Supports your local economy and prevents others from obtaining your credit card or account information when you purchase online. The writing is on the wall...

Given someone went to town with my Debit Card in Milwaukee last weekend - this has suddenly become sound advice! (Still haven't got that money back yet - even though I can prove I was in the UK at the time of the transactions - enough to satisfy the Fraud people to stop my card - but not yet (much form filling) enough to satisfy Barclays Dispute Office)

[CommRLock78]

Just wait for the Romney years…

If there are Romney years - it's still too close to call though .

Given someone went to town with my Debit Card in Milwaukee last weekend - this has suddenly become sound advice! (Still haven't got that money back yet - even though I can prove I was in the UK at the time of the transactions - enough to satisfy the Fraud people to stop my card - but not yet (much form filling) enough to satisfy Barclays Dispute Office)

What a cluster $#!@&. Hopefully that gets resolved soon.

[Disembodied]

Two very well-informed and well-argued articles (one follows on from the other) about Amazon, ebooks and DRM, from SF author and erstwhile computer journalist Charles Stross:

http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-st ... ategy.html

http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-st ... books.html

[DaddyHoggy]

I like Stross - he's a good writer and an excellent blogger - we also have the same first degrees (albeit mine was acquired a few years later)

[NigelJK]

Some good comments there after also.

[DaddyHoggy]

Some good comments there after also.

Indeed there was.

[Commander McLane]

Some good comments there after also.

Indeed there was.

Although it's proving all but impossible to read all comments. For the first blog post I gave up around #500. Especially notable that the debate had not degraded at all by this point, it just was too much. How is anyone following Stross' blog including its comments supposed to find the time for reading any books—on paper or as ebook—anyway?

[NigelJK]

I have to confess I also gave up reading the comments after a while suffering from brain fade.

[CommRLock78]

The next government or alliance of governments who go down the path germany did in the 30's and 40's will simply burn the books by pushing a button. Do all of yourselves a favor: buy real books with pages from a local seller. Supports your local economy and prevents others from obtaining your credit card or account information when you purchase online. The writing is on the wall...

God, I hope no one goes down that path again (although back in the Bush years I felt the US was headed that way).

Just wait for the Romney years…

Hurray! What a relief - there will be no Mitten years ! Hurray, hurrary, hurray!!!

Edit: I truly am relieved - I still have a couple more years of school, and I'm sure ol' Mitt would have made big cuts in education funding .

[DaddyHoggy]

I tried to say nothing about (US) Politics in general - it's too easy for people to become polarised and fall out, but yes, I'm glad glad Obama has four more years to continue to dig the US (and therefore the rest of the world (still)) out of two unfunded/unbudgeted wars.

[CommRLock78]

I tried to say nothing about (US) Politics in general - it's too easy for people to become polarised and fall out, but yes, I'm glad glad Obama has four more years to continue to dig the US (and therefore the rest of the world (still)) out of two unfunded/unbudgeted wars.

I don't like to get in too much to politics either - mostly just calling out the obvious when I have (by obvious, that is, things that are obviously the opinion of the vast majority of people, like my Bush bashing )

[ClymAngus]

Looks like Linn has been visited by an apology ninja;

http://boingboing.net/2012/10/22/kindle ... -dele.html

"We don't know who they are, or where they come from.
What we do know is they are swift, silent and very very sorry.
but they don't have the nuts to say it to your face."