(Don’t give the “The Book of A Thousand Nights and a Night” to your kids. It’s NOT the Disney version.)

“This is DRM software that is designed to detect when it’s running in environments that give users more control that rightsholders have been promised, and fail to perform when that happens.” That is to say, crashware.

Call it shackleware or lockware or jailware if you like. If it is running as designed, then it is not crashware.

more control that rightsholders have been promised

From the support page:

“The copyright holders decide whether they will allow their audiobook to be:

• freely distributed (meaning anyone can copy it and listen to it) or
• encrypted for only one person to listen to (sometimes referred to as Digital Rights Management or DRM)

  Ingram’s digital audiobooks are sold for use by one consumer on a variety of devices. Titles can be downloaded multiple times, and transferred to multiple devices owned by the consumer.

  In some cases, the publisher has DRM-free content. In this case, the audiobook can be converted into MP3 files for use on any device.”

  [Emphasis mine.]

  WINE: “Wine is Not an Emulator”

  It’s also not Windows XP or MacOS, which are the minimum requirements for running the software.

Although the word ‘kid’s’ should have been a big clue. I live in such an adult world. I’m not claiming to be an adult, just the context around me.

they appear to be poisoned with some species of DRM requiring you to use “Ingram Audio Manager,” a bit of proprietary crashware

Proprietary? Yes.
DRM? Yeah.

Crashware?

I did a bit of contract work with Ingram — unrelated to the Media Manager — about a year ago that involved me working with the team that built this.

These guys are professionals who don’t often have the luxury of choosing projects, because they’re in Tennessee, which is not exactly silicon valley.

Look, Cory, I get what you’re saying and I wouldn’t use this app either. But by calling it “crashware” you’re disrespecting the work and effort of one of the finest development and QA teams I’ve ever worked with.

1) Check to make sure you’re not in a Cronenberg movie.

2) See a doctor immediately.

coop

If ear canals were really that wide we’d likely have a whole new genre of pornography and another leading cause of hearing loss.

I just tried to run it under WINE and bang, crashola. I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.

Or, in this case, perhaps you called it before you saw it?

OK, it crashes on a platform that it wasn’t designed to run on. WINE users probably represent such a small segment of the user base that it simply wasn’t practical or cost-effective to develop for it.

Still, the “crashware” comment stings, coming from you, because you’ve worked in those kinds of organizations. I know you weren’t being deliberately disrespectful. These guys (and gals) are talented and smart (and probably fans of your books).

Thank you.

In the best case, this software hurts the user. In any other case, it hurts the user more, quite possibly denying them access to media they purchased legitimately.

I think crashware is a legitimate label.

Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you
Talk like you, too
You’ll see it’s true
An ape like me
Can learn to be human too

Gee, cousin Louie
You’re doin’ real good

Now here’s your part of the deal, cuz
Lay the secret on me of man’s red fire

But I don’t know how to make fire

Now don’t try to kid me, mancub
I made a deal with you
What I desire is man’s red fire
To make my dream come true
Give me the secret, mancub
Clue me what to do
Give me the power of man’s red flower
So I can be like you

You!
I wanna be like you
I wanna talk like you
Walk like you, too
You’ll see it’s true
Someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone like you
Can learn to be
Like someone like me!