Mail about the 2.3.1 changes

freekyfree · 01-06-2013, 05:05 PM

Hey there!

I wrote a mail to the Kobo customer service, telling them how I (and hopefully) most of you guys and girls feel about some changes in the new firmware.
I told them that I did not like the fact that the reading statistics are only available to "kepubs", and I also told them that they are going in the same direction that Amazon already went: Caging their customers in one ecosystem.

They told me that my feedback would be sent to their "Tier 2 department".
Maybe if enough people that feel the same way would also tell them, we could reach something!

sysKin · 01-06-2013, 08:44 PM

Hi o/

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekyfree

I told them that I did not like the fact that the reading statistics are only available to "kepubs"

Actually there is no obvious solution there. Since the statistics are on their server (those are account statistics not device statistics), the only way for them to track your epub reading would be for them to know what epubs you have.
I would not accept if my device was sending this information to them...

Not saying there is no solution, just that it's not a simple "extend current statistics to epubs".

[edit] um, wait a minute... am I wrong? if I'm wrong about the above, tell me, 'cause now I'm confused >_<

freekyfree · 01-07-2013, 12:51 PM

Actually, I was talking about the algorithm, that measures the time one needs to read one chapter/the whole book. Amazon calls it "time-to-read" I believe. This algorithm does not need internet by any means, it is stored on the device itself. And that's why I´m a bit upset.

latepaul · 01-07-2013, 02:08 PM

You can always rename your epubs to .kepub.epub - a bit of a hack but it works.

freekyfree · 01-07-2013, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by latepaul

You can always rename your epubs to .kepub.epub - a bit of a hack but it works.

Thank you very much for that tip! Although this is not exactly how I wanted to reach it, still it gets me where I wanted to end up

BobC · 01-07-2013, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekyfree

Hey there!

I wrote a mail to the Kobo customer service, telling them how I (and hopefully) most of you guys and girls feel about some changes in the new firmware.
I told them that I did not like the fact that the reading statistics are only available to "kepubs", and I also told them that they are going in the same direction that Amazon already went: Caging their customers in one ecosystem.
:

You have been fortunate getting a sensible reply from them - I wrote to them about the "flyspeck" font on chapter change and got a message which totally ignored the problem and told me to reset everything. Despite further feedback form me I seemed to get "potted" replies and my questions were never answered. Just variations on how to reset the device. The more I replied with more information the further they got from the problem.

The whole email trail would be funny if it wasn't disheartening. It reminds me of getting into the "twisty maze of passages" in the Colossal Cave Adventure game I played on a mainframe back in the 1970's - whichever way you turn you finish up going round in circles.

The replies seem to come from a "robot" operated by telusfrontline.com. They do, however fail the Turin test.

It looks like Kobo outsource their "support" to Telus Corporation of Toronto.

BobC

tshering · 01-07-2013, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekyfree

Although this is not exactly how I wanted to reach it, still it gets me where I wanted to end up

I would like to remind you that by renaming an epub to kepub.epub without making further changes in the (x)html files you lose the ability to highlight passages and add annotations. There seem also to be problems with the TOC.

robko · 01-07-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekyfree

Actually, I was talking about the algorithm, that measures the time one needs to read one chapter/the whole book. Amazon calls it "time-to-read" I believe. This algorithm does not need internet by any means, it is stored on the device itself. And that's why I´m a bit upset.

Kobo's history is that features tend to come to kepubs first, but do get rolled out to epubs in later releases. So you may have to wait a bit for it, but there is a good chance that it will come to epubs.

sento · 01-07-2013, 07:54 PM

It would be better to get rid of all these annoying bugs before implement anything new. These statistics are nice, but with the current firmware my reader is unable to remember the place were i left a book, or display the fonts properly the reader was shipped with, when i'm reading a ePub.
If they want to improve reading ePubs. The mentioned bugs should be the first targets of the kobo developers.

freekyfree · 01-08-2013, 12:22 PM

Well, right now it is a lose-lose situation for us:
-Either we give up book covers, highlights, annotations and the capability to use Calibre (rename the files with .kepub.epub)
-or we give up all the .kepub features, like the reading statistic, the chapter page numbers on the bottom and the very well working settings (changing line spacing etc. works for epubs that previously did not work) if we keep using epubs.

So, as a conclusion to this, right now I´m not happy with their firmware. But if you guys say that they patched .kepub features to epub features in later versions I have faith left they will someday do it again.

Simba51 · 01-08-2013, 02:52 PM

What I do not understand is that it is so buggy firmware 2.3.1 that Kobo tasks, he continues to leave it on the server. New undefined users who just bought their new reading light, ends up with a device that does not work correctly. And those who do not know the hacked electronic devices are obviously disappointed with their purchase. And what a bad experience in this wonderful field of digital reading for those people who thought discover a new pleasure!
Gentlemen at Kobo, be more responsive and do not delay in correcting the wrong firmware very quickly, especially the latest firmware replace functional while waiting, as soon as you are reports from users that are full of problems with the present, since there is no other way to experience the update of the liseurs that we connect via WiFi or Kobo Desktop via USB without the choice to accept or not.
I am techie, I'm getting very good. but everyone is not like me. And that frustration that two weeks after the launch and mandatory update this firmware 2.3.1, there is still no new firmware correcting the moin these BIG BUG unacceptable.

01-06-2013, 05:05 PM	#1
freekyfree Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 4264 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Germany Device: Kobo Glo	Mail about the 2.3.1 changes Hey there! I wrote a mail to the Kobo customer service, telling them how I (and hopefully) most of you guys and girls feel about some changes in the new firmware. I told them that I did not like the fact that the reading statistics are only available to "kepubs", and I also told them that they are going in the same direction that Amazon already went: Caging their customers in one ecosystem. They told me that my feedback would be sent to their "Tier 2 department". Maybe if enough people that feel the same way would also tell them, we could reach something!

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01-07-2013, 12:51 PM	#3
freekyfree Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 4264 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Germany Device: Kobo Glo	Actually, I was talking about the algorithm, that measures the time one needs to read one chapter/the whole book. Amazon calls it "time-to-read" I believe. This algorithm does not need internet by any means, it is stored on the device itself. And that's why I´m a bit upset.

01-07-2013, 02:08 PM	#4
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,265 Karma: 10203040 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	You can always rename your epubs to .kepub.epub - a bit of a hack but it works.

01-07-2013, 07:54 PM	#9
sento Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 1001130 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Germany Device: Pocketbook Touch 622	It would be better to get rid of all these annoying bugs before implement anything new. These statistics are nice, but with the current firmware my reader is unable to remember the place were i left a book, or display the fonts properly the reader was shipped with, when i'm reading a ePub. If they want to improve reading ePubs. The mentioned bugs should be the first targets of the kobo developers.

01-08-2013, 12:22 PM	#10
freekyfree Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 4264 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Germany Device: Kobo Glo	Well, right now it is a lose-lose situation for us: -Either we give up book covers, highlights, annotations and the capability to use Calibre (rename the files with .kepub.epub) -or we give up all the .kepub features, like the reading statistic, the chapter page numbers on the bottom and the very well working settings (changing line spacing etc. works for epubs that previously did not work) if we keep using epubs. So, as a conclusion to this, right now I´m not happy with their firmware. But if you guys say that they patched .kepub features to epub features in later versions I have faith left they will someday do it again.

01-08-2013, 02:52 PM	#11
Simba51 Member Posts: 16 Karma: 4264 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo Glo & Kobo Mini	What I do not understand is that it is so buggy firmware 2.3.1 that Kobo tasks, he continues to leave it on the server. New undefined users who just bought their new reading light, ends up with a device that does not work correctly. And those who do not know the hacked electronic devices are obviously disappointed with their purchase. And what a bad experience in this wonderful field of digital reading for those people who thought discover a new pleasure! Gentlemen at Kobo, be more responsive and do not delay in correcting the wrong firmware very quickly, especially the latest firmware replace functional while waiting, as soon as you are reports from users that are full of problems with the present, since there is no other way to experience the update of the liseurs that we connect via WiFi or Kobo Desktop via USB without the choice to accept or not. I am techie, I'm getting very good. but everyone is not like me. And that frustration that two weeks after the launch and mandatory update this firmware 2.3.1, there is still no new firmware correcting the moin these BIG BUG unacceptable.