Comments on: Report from protest for blind rights at Authors Guild yesterday http://boingboing.net/2009/04/08/report-from-protest.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 17:20:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Uncle_Max http://boingboing.net/2009/04/08/report-from-protest.html#comment-460144 Uncle_Max Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-460144 I still don't get how publishers think this will decrease the audience for audiobooks. Audiobooks have dramatic readings by (generally) excellent speakers. The Kindle just uses a robo-voice to read things. There is the whole "future technology will replicate human speech" argument, but I really don't see that as a major concern. What they're doing now by trying to eliminate this feature is just cutting down on the potential market for their books. I still don’t get how publishers think this will decrease the audience for audiobooks. Audiobooks have dramatic readings by (generally) excellent speakers. The Kindle just uses a robo-voice to read things. There is the whole “future technology will replicate human speech” argument, but I really don’t see that as a major concern.

What they’re doing now by trying to eliminate this feature is just cutting down on the potential market for their books.

]]> By: legotech http://boingboing.net/2009/04/08/report-from-protest.html#comment-460172 legotech Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-460172 Do we know the authors that support this idiocy? I for one would like to know which books not to buy. (print or electronic) Do we know the authors that support this idiocy? I for one would like to know which books not to buy. (print or electronic)

]]> By: Waterlilygirl http://boingboing.net/2009/04/08/report-from-protest.html#comment-460209 Waterlilygirl Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-460209 I have a Kindle 2... The text to speech is not pleasant to listen to (although the female voice seems to be a bit better than the male). The computer voice doesn't always pronounce words correctly which can be a little distracting. It's an absurd fight over nothing. Audio Book listeners will continue to listen to Audio Books. I doubt they'd cough up the $359.00 to listen to a generic, synthetic voice when they can do what my mother does and check them out of the library for free. I have a Kindle 2… The text to speech is not pleasant to listen to (although the female voice seems to be a bit better than the male). The computer voice doesn’t always pronounce words correctly which can be a little distracting. It’s an absurd fight over nothing. Audio Book listeners will continue to listen to Audio Books. I doubt they’d cough up the $359.00 to listen to a generic, synthetic voice when they can do what my mother does and check them out of the library for free.

]]> By: Gilbert Wham http://boingboing.net/2009/04/08/report-from-protest.html#comment-460520 Gilbert Wham Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-460520 I'm still unsure as to how people capable of enough structured thought to write, presumably, at least one book thought it would be a good idea to publicly be jerks to blind people. I mean, how does that idea even fly? I’m still unsure as to how people capable of enough structured thought to write, presumably, at least one book thought it would be a good idea to publicly be jerks to blind people. I mean, how does that idea even fly?

]]> By: Kathy L http://boingboing.net/2009/04/08/report-from-protest.html#comment-460015 Kathy L Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-460015 The key here, I think, is to vote with our feet. Find out before you buy a Kindle version of a book if it has text-to-speech enabled or disabled. If it's disabled, don't buy it. Buy ONLY Kindle books that haven't insisted on gimping the reasonable capabilities of the device you purchased. If the text-to-speech enabled books far outsell the gimped ones, that hits them in the only place that matters. The bottom line. The key here, I think, is to vote with our feet. Find out before you buy a Kindle version of a book if it has text-to-speech enabled or disabled. If it’s disabled, don’t buy it. Buy ONLY Kindle books that haven’t insisted on gimping the reasonable capabilities of the device you purchased. If the text-to-speech enabled books far outsell the gimped ones, that hits them in the only place that matters. The bottom line.

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