There is a lot more to understanding digital texts than at first meets the eye.
you may feel pleased with your technology skills when you can copy texts from one place to another, moving info around to various gadgets. After all the gadgets are made that way and digitality cries out for copying, manipulation and tweaking.
In fact it is all about sharing.
however you may be breaking laws without knowing and the French are getting mad about this, or so reports the New York Times.
the fact of the matter is that if for example, you download music onto your itunes software on your pc, and then transfer it to a machine made by anyone apart from APPLE, you will be in trouble. (and itunes is always invasively asking to be downloaded onto your computer…)
Those meanies have written stuff into the small print of the agreements you unwittingly ignore, which says that you promise not to download the music onto anything but an i pod. At any moment now, Apple can prosecute anyone not obeying the copyright legislation and they may also release mean things onto your MP3 layer or computer next time you link them together to download itunes.
They have done this already many times to unsuspecting people who attempt to use their software on more than one computer.
I fell foul of this when I tried to download Keynote onto my new Powerbook. I had bought the software for one Powerbook; when I upgraded that one for a newer model I could use none of the software again so had to buy all new. It basically just all refused to be uploaded onto my new machine.
Digital texts are great in one way; but they have a way of reminding us that we are dealing with businesses every now and again.
I bought & downloaded an e-book last year onto my work computer and then couldn’t do anything else with it (couldn’t print it, or transfer it to my home (un-internet-connected) laptop. Most annoying.
BTW (local interest only) - is the “Travel notes” book in your photo on order for the library at Sheffield - in doesn’t seem to be in stock at the moment!
Comment by Sheila Webber — October 11, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
Ah yes that IS annoying. It is very didgy buying software andI am always nervous. At one time my kids were always wanting pc games that were whizzier and whizzier. I kept having to upgrade my computer to use them. That was another big swizz.
I will check we have ordered Travel Notes, I am sure someone will have. Thanks for looking it up - DrKate will be pleased!
Comment by DrJoolz — October 11, 2006 @ 7:52 pm
if you want a better priced (and quicker shipping) alternative to moo, you should check out , they let you upload your own photos as well, and the cards look better IMO
Comment by Mike — November 12, 2008 @ 10:03 pm