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e books

RoadsterRoadster Posts: 209
edited 2013-09-05 17:10 in General Discussion
I came across this web site (www.it-ebooks.info) that has alot of computer books you can buy or download for free

Comments

  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2013-09-03 09:58
    It might be free, but I doubt it would be legal. What does the publisher/author get out of giving this stuff away for free?
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2013-09-03 10:16
    They don't even have any books on the Propeller!! :lol:
  • blittledblittled Posts: 681
    edited 2013-09-03 11:41
    I found a Copyright Infringement complaint for a book on the site at http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=951726
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-09-03 12:08
    Some of the ebook sites are legitimate resellers, but many are not. They take cracked or already-open ebooks and post them on file locker sites.

    This is why I no longer write books, and am looking to change careers. Publishers are basically required by the marketplace to provide ebook versions, but once the ebook gets out, sales of the printed drops, and the ebook sales don't nearly take their place (common is 1/10th the sales). It's hardest on the technical books, which already have a limited market. Even a "bestseller" on Amazon brings in just token royalties these days.

    I always get a chuckle out of Chilling Effects, with their insinuation that someone trying to keep their work from being pirated is the one responsible for restricting information. I have -- er, had -- a lot of ideas to impart. Why should I bother writing and publishing if I can't make even a minimum wage living? I guess I'll be keeping my ideas to myself.

    I won't bore you with the details, but soon after the ebook version of Robot Builder's Bonanza was released, three separate uploaders had it on ScribD. They took all three down after receiving a complaint from the publisher, but by then, it had spread to hundreds of other sites. It's impossible to police them all, as many of them are not in the US.

    I know folks here wouldn't willingly pirate, but the much of the world doesn't care. Oh, well.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2013-09-03 12:24
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    This is why I no longer write books, and am looking to change careers.

    I'm sorry to hear this. It's a loss for the hobby robotics community.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2013-09-03 13:59
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    ...It's impossible to police them all, as many of them are not in the US.....

    Gordon, it burns my butt when I hear about piracy. Is there any way you could temporarily shift your technical prowess toward automating ways to monitor for exactly these kinds of violations? I would imagine that something on a national scale could be organized to detect and automatically shut down incoming violations of copyright, etc. Maybe?
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2013-09-03 14:12
    Gordon,

    A sad day indeed. We will miss your wisdom.

    Jim
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2013-09-03 14:49
    Gordon,

    Self publishing might be a viable solution to this problem for you? There are several solid options for this..

    Jeff
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-09-03 17:38
    Self publishing works for things I've already written (but updated), and I'm in the process of that. The numbers just don't work for new material as it takes so long to develop. And, of course, most self-publishing depends on eBooks, so we're back to where we started.

    While it's possible to send out DMCA notices to the infringers, there's just too many, and those outside the US are under no true obligation to remove the content. It remains despite efforts to take it down. I'd spend all my day whack-a-moling rather than doing. There are several hundred ebook piracy sites, and of course, the file lockers have them too. There are a few thousand of those, and they come and go faster than Erco's eBay deals.

    I'm been fortunate in being able to pick up editorial work from Parallax and a few others for online content, and that's where I'll be spending more of my time. The problem is, Parallax only needs so many KickStarts (I owe them a couple as it is), and not many others have Parallax's wisdom in wanting to educate their user base. (I also don't want to necessarily write for the "competition." Parallax is like family to me.)

    Anyway, about the eBook site in the first post: I don't see how it can be legitimate, as the several online books I tried were the full versions. It survives with ads from places like Radio Shack. Oy!
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2013-09-03 18:42
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    I'm been fortunate in being able to pick up editorial work from Parallax and a few others for online content, and that's where I'll be spending more of my time. The problem is, Parallax only needs so many KickStarts (I owe them a couple as it is), and not many others have Parallax's wisdom in wanting to educate their user base. (I also don't want to necessarily write for the "competition." Parallax is like family to me.)!

    I've really enjoyed your books Gordon. It's a shame there may not be many more new ones coming out. What about magazine articles? Are you still going to be writing for SERVO? I hope that doesn't suffer too.

    Robert
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-09-04 10:55
    I'm sure I'll continue with SERVO and Nuts & Volts. Larry and Robin are great folks. There aren't too many roll-up-the-shirtsleeves kind of magazines these days, and I like supporting them. I have a couple of pieces waiting in queue at Make Magazine, as well, but they aren't on robots.

    The answer to all this, I'm sure, is to figure out how to give away the information and sell some sort of widget to go along with it. That and I could go on tour. I have a call in to Lady Gaga with an offer to be the opening act for her next concert.
  • DaveJensonDaveJenson Posts: 375
    edited 2013-09-04 11:01
    [QUOTE=..... I have a call in to Lady Gaga with an offer to be the opening act for her next concert.[/QUOTE]

    I would pay to see that!
  • ctwardellctwardell Posts: 1,716
    edited 2013-09-04 11:20
    DaveJenson wrote: »
    I would pay to see that!

    I would pay to NOT see that...

    C.W.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-09-04 13:54
    ctwardell wrote: »
    I would pay to NOT see that....

    I'm hurt! And to think I just went out and bought the same kind of outfit Miley Cyrus wore at the MTV music awards.
  • ctwardellctwardell Posts: 1,716
    edited 2013-09-04 14:13
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    I'm hurt! And to think I just went out and bought the same kind of outfit Miley Cyrus wore at the MTV music awards.

    Well that might make all the difference, you'll have to post some pics and give us a preview!

    C.W.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2013-09-04 15:22
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    I'm hurt! And to think I just went out and bought the same kind of outfit Miley Cyrus wore at the MTV music awards.

    Gordon, I think a meat dress would be more appropriate to open for Lady Gaga.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-09-04 20:49
    Or the meat bike at 0:14 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L5C8I9BJjSg#t=14
  • CircuitsoftCircuitsoft Posts: 1,166
    edited 2013-09-05 10:19
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    Some of the ebook sites are legitimate resellers, but many are not. They take cracked or already-open ebooks and post them on file locker sites.

    This is why I no longer write books, and am looking to change careers. Publishers are basically required by the marketplace to provide ebook versions, but once the ebook gets out, sales of the printed drops, and the ebook sales don't nearly take their place (common is 1/10th the sales). It's hardest on the technical books, which already have a limited market. Even a "bestseller" on Amazon brings in just token royalties these days.
    That's too bad. You really can make a decent living on eBooks. Honestly, a good price for an eBook, even a technical one is $0.99. Since it's not printed, you don't have to pay for the paper, ink, or press time to get it printed. On the other hand, at that price point, it makes a lot of people go from "Hmm. Might be interesting. I'll look later." to "Hmm. Might be interesting. May as well buy it so I can glance at it later." If the book costs less than a cup of coffee, then the market opens up for casual buyers, and the mental cost of pirating (Cool, got it for free, but now I need to inspect it to make sure it's safe) is greater than buying the real thing.

    Edit:

    Case in point. I got a Parallax Stocking this most recent christmas and it had your "Microcontroller KickStarts" book. I had little use for it because I'm beyond its level of introduction, but the style of explanation was interesting, it it could be a handy reference that makes me not have to think about a particular type of sensor if I use one. Would I pay the list price for it? No, because it's not worth that to me, but for $0.99 it would be a handy reference to maybe glance at someday. Now, while I realize I'm not the target audience of that book, that price point would open up a market for it (including me) that it normally wouldn't open for.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-09-05 15:07
    Good ideas to think about.

    The KickStart book was and is wholly a Parallax product, and maybe they'd want to turn it into a free or low-cost eBook on Amazon and elsewhere. I might bring that up with them the next time we chat. I was paid for the original writing which is on the Learn site, and signed over all interest to them for any other use. You probably know the material is already open source (Creative Commons) anyway, so theoretically, as long as the credit is retained anyone could put this up as an eBook. Hmmm... CC licenses don't restrict the scope of publishing.
  • CircuitsoftCircuitsoft Posts: 1,166
    edited 2013-09-05 17:10
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    The KickStart book was and is wholly a Parallax product, and maybe they'd want to turn it into a free or low-cost eBook on Amazon and elsewhere.
    Good to know, but I don't think that fact is relevant to the discussion, apart from the fact that Parallax selling it as an eBook for $0.99 would be their risk instead of yours, and since it's out of print, it's not really a risk anyway.
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