Re: slightly-OT: Adobe records your every move!

[Alan BRASLAU <alan.braslau@cea.fr>]

Of course, Big Brother is watching us all.
(and the NSA has long identified the present mailing list as carrying
subversive information...)

Yes, we (in Europe, perhaps elsewhere?) get to pay a tax for copying
our own data on CDs/DVDs, just like most pay a tax to Bill when buying
hardware, even if we intend on installing *powerful antivirus software*
(rather than your favorite OS;-).

I started this thread as ConTeXt is quite capable of producing e-book
texts; We discussed this at the recent ConTeXt meeting and spoke some
on the future of publishing. So we need to be aware of these issues and
how e-books are being used and where they are going. (I am sure that
Apple has recorded now what I have read on my iPad:
mkiv-publications.epub!) Maybe the next step for Sanjoy to think about
is recording what pages (or indeed what words) his students linger-over
or re-read several times as another way of identifying difficult
passages in a text. (One then will not even have to actively ask
questions...)

Alan

P.S. I attended a presentation on computer security given at my company
by a speaker from the French intelligence agency. Amongst other things,
he demonstrated using a special little standard-looking USB key how one
can easily scan EVERYTHING on your computer without you noticing
anything: just plugging it into your computer was sufficient. He even
showed that plugging in his cell-phone for a little bit "just to
recharge it" did the job too. Just as plugging an audience member's
cell phone into his little USB charger was also able to record all of
its contents. Fast too! Quite interesting. Then there is also wifi...

Furthermore, his message is that we now voluntarily reveal much more
information about ourselves then even the police are allowed to obtain.
In the "wrong hands" this information can eventually go a long way...





On Fri, 17 Oct 2014 10:07:59 +0200
Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl> wrote:

> On 10/16/2014 8:04 PM, Alan BRASLAU wrote:
> > E-book specialists, beware:
> >
> > http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/10/adobes-e-book-reader-sends-your-reading-logs-back-to-adobe-in-plain-text/
> 
> I think that in the end self-publishing will take over most of the 
> market. Of course we will then have a decaded of mess due to also 
> licencing issues but in the end authors will figure out that getting
> rid of distribution pays off in revenues. (I just in the paper read
> about a band that made more of 20K self sold copies of a cd then 200K
> via a company).
> 
> Anyway:
> 
> * User ID: this is the user's Adobe ID or an anonymous ID for an 
> unactivated version of DE.
> 
> I assume one can change the anonymous ID with some help
> 
> * Device ID: a unique identifier for the computer running DE,
> "collected for digital right management (DRM) purposes since
> publishers typically restrict the number of devices an eBook or
> digital publication can be read on," Adobe's spokesperson said.
> 
> So what if a machine breaks down (these devices are made to break
> down ... much faster than paper)
> 
> * Certified App ID: a key that allows DE to open documents protected
> by DRM from being opened with unauthorized software.
> 
> It's like enforcing a special kind of reading glasses.
> 
> * Device IP address: for geo-location, "since publishers have
> different pricing models in place depending on the location of the
> reader purchasing a given eBook or digital publication," Adobe's
> spokesperson said.
> 
> Ha, so best not travel around i.e. the biggest argument for ebooks is 
> that you can take them in the plane. So better not do that.
> 
> * Duration for Which the Book was Read: "This information is
> collected to facilitate limited or metered pricing models where
> publishers or distributors charge readers based on the duration a
> book is read," said Adobe's spokesperson.
> 
> Pure crap ... how about disabilities? Reading speed? Next comes the 
> demand for a camera so that they can see who's reading over your
> shoulder.
> 
> * Percentage of the Book Read: Believe it or not, some publishers
> charge based on how much you read of a book—you may be only charged a 
> percentage of the total if you don't finish it.
> 
> Who believes this indeed. They should add "if you didn't like it or 
> didn't understand the content".
> 
> Nothing about giving away such a book, a second hand market, etc ...
> It all sounds more like panic reactions than real concepts to me.
> 
> Last week we got the yearly invoice for 'copying stuff' because we
> have a copier. The proudly announced new thing is that we now also
> can scan, email and look at files on our intranet ... funny because I
> never copy something except our own produced crap. (Like paying extra
> on blank dvd's that i only occasionally use to copy a free OS on for
> installing on some old machine.)
> 
> The main question is: What do users expect? As we can produce (kind
> of) ebooks, do we need to adapt output to this? Of can we disguise it?
> 
> Bah,
> 
> Hans
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki     : http://contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________