Why 2024 Will Be Like Nineteen Eighty-Four:
The power to delete your books, movies, and music remotely is a power no one should have. Here's one way around this: Don't buy a Kindle until Amazon updates its terms of service to prohibit remote deletions. Even better, the company ought to remove the technical capability to do so, making such a mass evisceration impossible in the event that a government compels it. (Sony and Interead--makers of rival e-book readers--didn't immediately respond to my inquiries about whether their devices allow the same functions. As far as I can tell, their terms of service don't give the companies the same blanket right to modify their services at will, though.)
Robert Heinlein's Friday wasn't one of his better works, but, I still remember the argument that one of the protagonists made in favor of a library of paper books: roughly, they're off the grid and robust enough to survive a collapse of technological civilization. I have nothing against e-books, and plan to invest in an e-book reader when the technology gets its kinks worked out. But various information technologies do have trade offs. I recall that a shift in the type of paper used for books means that works published today are going to disintegrate much faster that those published hundreds of years in the past. But, it also means that books are very cheap and widely available. The column above takes a glass half-empty worst-case scenario attitude, but it's worth examining.
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Actually, we should be happy Amazon deleted 1984 when they did. It might have raised awareness early enough to put protection in place against this happening again.
(Emphasis mine.)
I think anyone who thinks a license will really prevent remote deletion of e-books, if the technical means are available, is being foolish.[1] A superstition belief in the "rule of law" as being sacrosanct does not give laws the ability to transform reality[2]... any more than believing that, between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, would make it so.[3]
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[1] Note though that I do believe that in certain environments, a legal license can make make remote deletion of books, less likely. But it still will not prevent it.
[2] Note that I am not talking about the enforcement of laws here. Only that the creation of law does suddenly and "magically" change reality.
[3] I have a feeling that at some time in the future, out of spite or for the sake of humor, someone might actually put such a teapot into orbit.
I'm a dead tree guy myself. They can still outlaw and burn books but it is a significantly more involved logistical undertaking than the central deletion of Kindle books.
I agree that the delete capability should be removed from readers. Perhaps one of the many enterprising and capable hackers will hack the Kindle code, or hardware, and nerf the remote delete function.
I have the 1950s-60s era complete "Library of Man" set on the old style rag paper and leather binding. They outlasted my Great-uncle and I have a feeling they'll outlast me. Also, I have no idea where you could find illustrated volumes of someone like Faraday in this day and age.
I'm keeping 'em, that's for sure. I just hope I have someone to pass them onto.
Hi Razib
I can assure you that Interead have neither the desire or the ability to delete books downloaded to either individual or all our customers COOL-ER ereaders.