Comments on: Betaworks’ Findings shifts to web clipping, as Amazon bans Kindle clips

By: George Rajiv

George Rajiv — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:44:56 +0000

you can try k-highlights in iphone app store. it’s pretty new but works well for me to get up to date on books that i’ve read while ago. I highlight ALOT though, for personal reference =)

By: jdouglasj

jdouglasj — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 19:32:54 +0000

correct me if I’m wrong, but My Clippings.txt only shows you the highlights and notes you made on your actual Kindle device, such as the Kindle Touch, which is what I use. However, if I make a highlight and a note on my Kindle app on my iPad, it will never appear in the My Clippings.txt file, even after synching. Let me know if I’m wrong.

By: Kuote.us

Kuote.us — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:12:15 +0000

I love my Kindle…. is great.. but the MyClippings function was complicated. I development a Web aplication: http://www.kuote.us
a easy way to manage and share your quotes, notes, clips and bookmarks.. just import the clipping file (myClippings.txt) and the aplication import and categorize all content for your use..

By: mattmaldre

mattmaldre — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:05:58 +0000

I love what Joe Wikert has to say here. I completely agree. There’s this old school stigma where those in power want to squeeze and hold onto things tightly. Like highlights on the Kindle.

Just when I had hope that Amazon might start making note-sharing and highlight-sharing more social, they go backwards and lock it down further. That’s not the direction Amazon should be going.

Given Amazon’s perspective on this, as a book reader, I am seriously going to start considering buying my books elsewhere. Ultimately, I want a platform where I can share my notes and highlights with others.

Instead we have old-fashioned minded book readers in charge who think that the act of reading is a completely solitary one. While you might be in solitare while reading, what’s most important is what happens when you process the book in your mind. When you share what you enjoy. It seems that Amazon is prohibiting the complete sharing of what you enjoy.

This runs parallel with Twitter. Twitter is holding their API with a tighter and tighter fist. Originally Twitter was built on an open platform. It grew and grew due to people being able to share short tweets. You could have many different readers. You can analyze your tweets in all formats. You could count how many people follow you, at-reply with you, etc. It was an open system. Now Twitter is cracking down on the very developers that made them big in the first place.

Twitter wants more control over where people can see their tweets, so they close off outside parties to the ability to display and analyze tweets. Just as Amazon is closing off their system for people to be able to read highlights.

Readers want open systems. Those in power don’t want open systems.

By: Joe Wikert

Joe Wikert — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:51:44 +0000

You raise a good point, Adrienne, but I say shame on those publishers whose contracts don’t allow this sort of excerpt-sharing activity, especially when it’s in the interest of increasing visibility/marketing. I get it that there are agreements like that in place but those publishers affected should quickly address this issue on a go-forward basis or risk losing out in the future where social media becomes even more important to book discovery.

I still doubt publishers are the reason behind Amazon’s directive to Findings. I suspect the concept of fair use would apply to most of this anyway. So if I can write a review of the book and include a couple of short excerpts from it on my blog (thanks to fair use) why shouldn’t I be able to share those same excerpts thru a service like Findings?

By: Adrienne Kinney

Adrienne Kinney — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:53:10 +0000

Generally publishers love viral sharing of content because it can drive sales. But it’s possible some publishers may want Amazon to control clipping and sharing because extensive clipping (not to mention reaggregation of those clips out of context) can violate author, model and photographer contracts they hold with third parties.

Yes publishers can control it to an extent, but they do not have the time to control every aspect of the content detail. As someone who works for a publisher I know this to be very much part of the legal reality.

Adrienne Kinney, Director of Editorial Rights & Licensing, Rodale

By: David Thomas

David Thomas — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:35:07 +0000

I second Mr. Wikert here: I seriously doubt book publishers would object to e-book consumers essentially promoting their products with small portions of legitimately acquired content. The ability to share wisdom, laughs, poignancy and facts discovered in books is very best advertising that money can’t buy.

By: Joe Wikert

Joe Wikert — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:10:00 +0000

I read Lauren’s separate blog post and I find it hard to believe publishers are the reason for this change. Findings helps with the discovery process by letting readers share interesting excerpts. There’s no piracy issue here. What’s at stake is Amazon’s complete ownership of the content discovery and consumption experience. As a reader I’m disappointed and as a publisher I’m outraged by this situation.