12-17-2023, 02:31 PM | #46 |
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In Canada, your local library has a privacy officer though that position is often filled by someone who has other duties. The only way to get information on books and ebooks borrowed by a patron is to show up with a court order. Anonymized data could be sold though no one seems to be lining up to pay for that type of information, the sort of information that says 39% of library loans are physical books, 44% are ebooks and the remaining 17% is CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, etc.
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12-17-2023, 02:59 PM | #47 | |
the rook, bossing Never.
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So almost everything about every version of KU is hearsay or propaganda. Amazon decides the rules, the money etc. This A History of Kindle Unlimited is interesting, but a lot is speculative in terms of the percentage of authors that benefit significantly. Each change was because the model was fundamentally broken and none would have been needed if it had worked like UK or Ireland library in the first place. Also the people that benefited at each stage (apart from when subscriber number were too low) were not the authors giving a good deal to readers, but Amazon and scammers. Of course Amazon wants to make a profit and in the UK & Ireland Libraries make no profit. They are loss making by design. Amazon with KU has a broken version of late 18th C / early 19th C British Subscription libraries, so stupidly designed that it can only work by invasion of the privacy of the reader. My local library, apart from not using the info commercially, has no idea if I read any of the paper books or ebooks or audio books I borrow, without me taking any mitigating steps. If you do implement privacy with Amazon, no-one gets paid. That's the Emperor with no clothes, the elephant in the room. KU is inherently broken and wrong. The model of tracking is fundamentally wrong, even if it achieves Amazon's aims (which are not fairness for consumers or authors/publishers) but boosting Amazon. The exclusive nature is also wrong. I know there are "libertarian capitalists" here, but their views on not regulating corporate entities only benefit the rich and powerful. Eventually the EU will ban the KU system (no upfront payment, tracking of people and exclusivity) because it's exploitive, monopolistic and dishonest marketing. Last edited by Quoth; 12-17-2023 at 03:21 PM. |
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12-17-2023, 03:11 PM | #48 | |
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Possible reasons for the dropping payments has been discussed to death but one popular theory is the mix of AI written content and AI driven clickfarms taking a larger chunk of the KU pie. Sadly, since Amazon does not release that data, those theories are not testable. As for the local library being free? Last time I looked, the taxpayers pay for the majority of the local library expenses out of their tax payments in addition to donations and other income sources. TANSTAAFL. |
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12-17-2023, 03:40 PM | #49 | |
the rook, bossing Never.
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But taxes pay also for the public parks, which are also free to use. Taxes pay for the pavements and street lights, which are free to use. There are maybe four or five tolls (a couple of bridges, a tunnel, a road or two). The rest of the roads free and paid for by taxes. Bus & train (and some other services) are free for over 65 and some other people, and often a companion. The TV licence is free for age 70 and up and some other people, otherwise €160 p.a. Only people above a certain income pay income tax. Certain incomes can be tax free. Companies d other business also pay tax. Food and children's clothes/footwear have no VAT. Dental, hospital, doctors and prescriptions can be free and are also subsidised for those that pay. So in the normal sense of the word Irish Libraries are free, but don't advertise free books, they are loans (even the ebooks & audio books not monitored like KU), yet KU advertises free titles and it's a subscription service and loans with pervasive tracking. |
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12-17-2023, 04:31 PM | #50 |
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Sadly since I am one of the people who is paying taxes, I am paying for the local library, the roads and other infrastructure. They are not "free" since free implies that no one is paying anything for them given the definition of free that would apply is "without cost or payment" or "given or available without charge". That I am not charged a direct fee to use a local park does not make it free when part of my property taxes goes to the costs involved with that park.
No TV license here though the CBC does get government support. Income tax is much the same as in Ireland. Below a certain income, the basic deductable makes the total payable zero. Dental I pay for though Canada is introducing a new dental plan starting next year with seniors 87 years or older thought that age limit will be dropping. Prescriptions I also pay for a private plan since the provincial Pharmacare program has, for me, a deductible of $3,750 annually (income dependent so having saved for my retirement is costing me). Hospitals are covered by a provincial plan so "free" though going by my tax bill breakdown, that "free" is costing me. |
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12-17-2023, 04:35 PM | #51 |
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12-17-2023, 05:03 PM | #52 | |
the rook, bossing Never.
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I don't know if you can move here. Have you at least one Irish grandparent (can be born in NI UK if it was before 1922), or a citizen of any EU country, or yourself born in the NI part of the UK. Or married to someone that qualifies on any of those? Or you can be an asylum seeker / refugee, or Ukrainian. Or get visa / job permit and apply for naturalisation eventually. |
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12-18-2023, 04:25 AM | #53 |
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I am both old and decrepit, but I have no direct connection to Ireland.
I did vacation there once with my guitar on my back and enjoyed it greatly. We'll have to see what 2024 brings in the States to consider emmigration. |
12-18-2023, 05:19 AM | #54 |
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12-18-2023, 06:16 AM | #55 |
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12-18-2023, 10:46 AM | #56 | |
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Honestly I'm glad Amazon is not calling it a subscription library as I don't think that an uncurated, poorly organized collection of books deserves to be called a library. |
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12-18-2023, 12:10 PM | #57 | |
the rook, bossing Never.
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It is a subscription library, so time they curated the content. Greed that they don't. |
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12-18-2023, 12:13 PM | #58 |
the rook, bossing Never.
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12-19-2023, 07:29 AM | #59 | |
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For KU. the time reading is important. It helps Amazon make sure you are not just flipping pages to help get the author money. |
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12-19-2023, 07:33 AM | #60 | |
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