Comments on: Privacy and reading in the cloud: the EFF checklist for Ibis Reader http://blog.threepress.org/2010/03/18/privacy-and-reading-in-the-cloud-the-eff-checklist-for-ibis-reader/ Threepress creates software for publishers, educators and authors. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:57:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Giles Lean http://blog.threepress.org/2010/03/18/privacy-and-reading-in-the-cloud-the-eff-checklist-for-ibis-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-3381 Giles Lean Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:05:34 +0000 http://blog.threepress.org/?p=1307#comment-3381 I am uneasy about placing my content in "the cloud" at all. There have already been examples of web hosting providers closing down and at least one "cloud" based backup provider has gone under (sorry, I forget the name, or I'd note it). Plus, I have ebooks in multiple formats and (sigh) some with DRM (yeah, blech), so as a practical matter, it's plain simpler to keep everything on a local disk and backed up with all my other data. The idea of having all my books, music, and video accessible wherever I am is attractive: I just don't think we're there yet, and won't be for a while, both due to the multiplicity of formats, DRM, and (for music and video) data bandwidth as well. When all _that_ is sorted out, _then_ I'd start thinking about privacy issues, which in practice are probably no worse than library lending records, credit card records, and the omnipresent video "security" cameras we deal with in relation to physical reading material. ("No worse" is not exactly endorsement, please note.) Giles I am uneasy about placing my content in “the cloud” at all. There have already been examples of web hosting providers closing down and at least one “cloud” based backup provider has gone under (sorry, I forget the name, or I’d note it).

Plus, I have ebooks in multiple formats and (sigh) some with DRM (yeah, blech), so as a practical matter, it’s plain simpler to keep everything on a local disk and backed up with all my other data.

The idea of having all my books, music, and video accessible wherever I am is attractive: I just don’t think we’re there yet, and won’t be for a while, both due to the multiplicity of formats, DRM, and (for music and video) data bandwidth as well.

When all _that_ is sorted out, _then_ I’d start thinking about privacy issues, which in practice are probably no worse than library lending records, credit card records, and the omnipresent video “security” cameras we deal with in relation to physical reading material. (“No worse” is not exactly endorsement, please note.)

Giles

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