4 ms·

The skeuomorphic pretence of "checking out" a book cannot succeed, especially as users discover how easy Library Genesis is.

copperx 7y ago
The problem with Library Genesis is that it suffers from the single point of failure problem, even though it does have mirrors. One cannot be sure whether libgen is going to exist next year.
- leotaku 7y ago
  To that I would like to add that there are numerous alternatives (although not as convenient as said site) to libgen. They are not as prominent, but they definitely exist.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
ForHackernews 7y ago
...isn't that just piracy? I'd much rather have public libraries come to a reasonable agreement with publishers.
- einpoklum 7y ago
  Arrr! Surreder yer eBooks, ye landlubber, or ya throat 'l taste the blade o'me cutlass!
- zozbot234 7y ago
  It's not "just" piracy, it also makes DRM-free versions of the content available. Which is something that libraries should be insisting on as well in any "reasonable" agreement, given their archival function. If they can't achieve that, I'd rather they not "buy" any eBooks at all, and just stick to paper.
- ImaCake 7y ago
  Yes. I tend to avoid it with ebooks. But textbooks are fair game because of how predatory the buisness model is. Piracy gives people a choice where there would otherwise be a monopoly.
- Asooka 7y ago
  Publishers will never give up on DRM, so I don't see a point in involving them. A modern day electronic library would look something like Bandcamp - pay what you want for DRM free copy of the book. The whole raison d'etre of libraries is to keep physical books, but once you go digital, there's no point to making a difference between a shop and a library. Perhaps the one concession I could make is to have the library provide a remote access system where you can log in and view books, but anything that manufactures digital scarcity is repugnant.
  - zozbot234 7y ago
    > Publishers will never give up on DRM Says who? There are markets today where DRM-free content is widely available, such as recorded music. DRM-free ebooks are an interesting possibility especially for the "long tail" of content that normally would see very few sales or even go out of print entirely. We just have to make it clear that DRM-unencumbered content is valuable to us, and we expect it.
    - acomjean 7y ago
      Looking at tech publisher: Oreilly tried selling drm free books. They gave up, and went subscription only (you can buy drm books of theirs through other services). Manning still has drm free books (though they insert your name into each page, which is a neat trick)
rootsofallevil 7y ago
I know it would be relatively trivial to circumvent, but it seems to be blocked for me (UK with Virgin Media). Interestingly, it fails to load at all using the domain name and when I tried the IP address, I got this message: Sorry, this page is not available through Virgin Media Virgin Media has received an order from the High Court requiring us to prevent access to this site. For more information about the order and your rights, please click the relevant link below. That would be enough to deter a lot of people. As it happens I find it extremely irritating that they've ported the real world model into the digital world. edit: Actually, just tried another domain name and that wasn't blocked

copperx 7y ago

The problem with Library Genesis is that it suffers from the single point of failure problem, even though it does have mirrors. One cannot be sure whether libgen is going to exist next year.

leotaku 7y ago
To that I would like to add that there are numerous alternatives (although not as convenient as said site) to libgen. They are not as prominent, but they definitely exist.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

ForHackernews 7y ago

...isn't that just piracy? I'd much rather have public libraries come to a reasonable agreement with publishers.

einpoklum 7y ago
Arrr! Surreder yer eBooks, ye landlubber, or ya throat 'l taste the blade o'me cutlass!
zozbot234 7y ago
It's not "just" piracy, it also makes DRM-free versions of the content available. Which is something that libraries should be insisting on as well in any "reasonable" agreement, given their archival function. If they can't achieve that, I'd rather they not "buy" any eBooks at all, and just stick to paper.
ImaCake 7y ago
Yes. I tend to avoid it with ebooks. But textbooks are fair game because of how predatory the buisness model is. Piracy gives people a choice where there would otherwise be a monopoly.
Asooka 7y ago
Publishers will never give up on DRM, so I don't see a point in involving them. A modern day electronic library would look something like Bandcamp - pay what you want for DRM free copy of the book. The whole raison d'etre of libraries is to keep physical books, but once you go digital, there's no point to making a difference between a shop and a library. Perhaps the one concession I could make is to have the library provide a remote access system where you can log in and view books, but anything that manufactures digital scarcity is repugnant.
- zozbot234 7y ago
  > Publishers will never give up on DRM Says who? There are markets today where DRM-free content is widely available, such as recorded music. DRM-free ebooks are an interesting possibility especially for the "long tail" of content that normally would see very few sales or even go out of print entirely. We just have to make it clear that DRM-unencumbered content is valuable to us, and we expect it.
  - acomjean 7y ago
    Looking at tech publisher: Oreilly tried selling drm free books. They gave up, and went subscription only (you can buy drm books of theirs through other services). Manning still has drm free books (though they insert your name into each page, which is a neat trick)

rootsofallevil 7y ago

I know it would be relatively trivial to circumvent, but it seems to be blocked for me (UK with Virgin Media). Interestingly, it fails to load at all using the domain name and when I tried the IP address, I got this message: Sorry, this page is not available through Virgin Media Virgin Media has received an order from the High Court requiring us to prevent access to this site. For more information about the order and your rights, please click the relevant link below. That would be enough to deter a lot of people. As it happens I find it extremely irritating that they've ported the real world model into the digital world. edit: Actually, just tried another domain name and that wasn't blocked