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I think there's a parallel to hacking though. On our weekend projects, our babies, our github projects we're most proud of, we like to make sure that we get it
by kleiba 15y ago
I think there's a parallel to hacking though. On our weekend projects, our babies, our github projects we're most proud of, we like to make sure that we get it right: clean code, beautiful abstractions, efficient implementation, etc -- because we, as hackers, get a kick out of that. We have a gut feeling what is the right way to write a certain program. Like a painter knows where to draw the next line.
...but does that mean that we do the same in our day to day jobs? The code that you have to fire out to meet next Friday's deadline? The program that will make it into the next product that needs to hit the market now? I'd bet almost all of us know the feeling of, "ah, if only I had a little more time, I know exactly how to code this the way it should be". But this is business so (a) the time you need just isn't there and (b) what the heck, you don't care as much about the accounting app your company sells anyway.
So, yes, I'm sure that ebook publishers aren't idiots. And they know that ebooks can be done differently from printed books. But they are businessmen, too, and so the question is always: will doing these changes give them more profit? That is, will the additional costs of e.g. moving the glossy-paper pictures from a central position directly to the parts of the books that refer to them result in more sales? Or sales at a higher price?
I figure if the answer were yes, the publishers would do it. But as long as they get away with sloppy editing and one-to-one copies of paper prints, why would they?
The additional costs are not material costs, but that people have to sit down and make these edits. And that's not just one guy spending half a day to do that.
- tutysara 15y agothis should change when many people start telling how they would have liked the ebook version more if it would have been polished a bit, most of the time business think they are doing fine unless someone complains or bring these difficulty to their attention. this will also change when more and more people are opting ebook version to the printed copy. as of now the printed copy sells more compared to ebook format AFAIK and the ebook format is catching up fast for the many convenience stated in the posts here. We can expect a change soon as many people are getting ebooks and raising their concerns. this could also change when some really nice product(device or software) to read ebooks comes to the market, I dream of a ebook reader where I can annotate, mark and make notes using a stylus like device. while many of these features are available in the ebook readers today they don't give the same feel as using a printed copy, for example (making handwritten notes)
- kleiba 15y agoVery good points! But rationally speaking, if someone who bought the ebook tells the publisher that they would have liked it better if it had feature X, the incentive for the publisher to implement that feature is still pretty low - after all, the guy complaining bought the ebook anyway. It may have a long time effect though, because the same customer might not be willing to buy the next ebook from the same publisher unless the perceived annoyances go away. And competition from other publishers might help too.
- ToastOpt 15y agoPublishers are keenly aware of these effects in print media. It's chicken and egg. Until there's a large enough market, they won't care. Low quality negatively influences market growth.