Interesting Links for 01-11-2017

[andrewducker]

We’re surprisingly unaware of when our own beliefs change

(tags: belief psychology memory )

Why isn’t the media publishing the full list of allegations against Tory MPs?

(tags: media libel Conservatives )

On compromise and the American Civil War

(tags: usa slavery history war civilwar )

Philip Pullman's swearwords are a useful lesson for children

(tags: swearing children language )

The effect of piracy on book sales

(tags: sales publishing books piracy )

Why putting the clocks back is bonkers

(tags: time sun UK )

Comments

[movingfinger]

On DRM, I wouldn't mind if ebook prices were lower so that if I changed platforms or something and "lost" a book I could replace it. That assumes that everything I buy continues to be available and experience shows (Netflix streaming vs Netflix DVD rental vs older VHS) that this does not happen.

The key point in the remark about Doctorow is addressed in Stiefvater's essay (by the way, her own Tumblr is http://maggie-stiefvater.tumblr.com/ and she has a couple of posts about piracy up there). ...[T]his is no longer 2004. Piracy is having a real effect on sales of some books and --- the other side of the problem --- publishers are not adjusting their accounting and decision-making practices for this, preferring to blame the author. Piracy effects on sales could be an argument in favor of treating ebooks like the old paperback and delaying release.

Stiefvater has lost income and suffered career harm through piracy (that cancelled boxed set would have been a fine gift seller). It's particularly nasty because I would bet some of my own money that most of the pirates live in places where their public library lends ebooks (and, of course, paper books). They don't even have to steal to read the book for free.

[theandrewhickey]

"Piracy effects on sales could be an argument in favor of treating ebooks like the old paperback and delaying release."

I'd argue the reverse. If a book isn't made available legally in the format people want it, they will obtain it illegally in that format. What stops piracy is cheap, convenient, access to the material, so it actually becomes more faff to pirate something than to pay for it legitimately. Music piracy was contained -- not stopped, but reduced considerably -- by iTunes and later Spotify. Comics piracy has decreased dramatically since the introduction of Comixology. And video piracy still happens, but Netflix and so on mean it happens less (and I suspect that to the extent it does happen, it's because there's no handy place that has *everything* easily available to stream or download cheaply).

Leaving the ebook release until later would only encourage those who have to have it *now* to obtain it illegally (and would also put off another chunk of people who would have bought it on the day but forget about it). I don't know what the solution to the problem is, or even if such a solution exists, but delaying the release of the ebook isn't it...