• @_number8_
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    8710 months ago

    i really hate how they call it a ‘library’, very disingenuous if it’s all on their servers and predicated on their fucking license agreements

    what if real libraries had to throw away books because harpercollins got pissy. would anyone stand for it? (probably yes)

    • @Jesusaurus
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      4010 months ago

      You mean like southern states banning books because they are “offensive”?

    • @linearchaos
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      810 months ago

      I’m more worried about their definition of buy ;)

    • @[email protected]
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      510 months ago

      I actually love imagining ways in which one can build a digital library in its core meaning.

      A system reliable enough to survive centuries and maybe millennia, many times redundant and verifiable and self-repairing, allowing exhaustive search.

      This fascination is maybe the reason I love systems intended for “piracy”. Because frankly paying for media is not such a big deal - I download things not too often and most of the time download things I’ve downloaded before. I even have a few bought games in Steam which I haven’t played.

      But I love to feel that there’s no company, no organization behind that exchange.

      Getting back to libraries - in early 00s people would think of the Web like of a layer upon which such a thing can be built. It turns out that this didn’t work, but let’s please don’t stop with the optimism, and let’s please discard the approach which hasn’t worked instead of clinging to it.

    • @linearchaos
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      310 months ago

      They do actually have to re-license their online audio books every so many listens. They have to pay for the same audiobook over and over.

      That’s why it’s a lot better for them to lend out the CDs, a few people are coming in for that.

      • @Jesusaurus
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        310 months ago

        Would you suggest that a location that houses thousands of books that are available to borrow and/or use for research is not a library?

        • @linearchaos
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          210 months ago

          It does seem to be some differentiation, I can’t walk into my child’s school and check out a book. At least I don’t think that would fly. It would definitely not be the norm.