Comments on: No Party Line Department: For me, it’s ePub, darn it, and it’s the IDPF that needs to change http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:28:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Greg Schofield http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1057498 Greg Schofield Fri, 15 May 2009 01:58:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1057498 My apologies to Travis, to Australian ears it sounds like a classic male name, but now I see my error. In the future I will try and stick to the cambridge rule and use a plural pronoun, unless I definately know someone's sex. Problem is, of course, based on nothing but a name, I thought I did, so my vow will probably be inneffective. Mark Twain (paraphrased) "It ain't what we don't know that is a problem, but what we do know, but ain't so." My apologies to Travis, to Australian ears it sounds like a classic male name, but now I see my error.

In the future I will try and stick to the cambridge rule and use a plural pronoun, unless I definately know someone’s sex.

Problem is, of course, based on nothing but a name, I thought I did, so my vow will probably be inneffective.

Mark Twain (paraphrased)
“It ain’t what we don’t know that is a problem, but what we do know, but ain’t so.”

]]> By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1057276 Steve Jordan Thu, 14 May 2009 15:11:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1057276 I agree with Rob and Greg: Let's get an ePub logo first, then worry about how to designate it as DRM-free (a potential logo you can use with anything). @Mike: So, okay, I wasn't being totally serious with my prospective names. But the point still stands: Most electronic documents are known by a proper name, or the name of the primary app that creates them. Proper names can also have the benefit of achieving universal use status (An Ethiopian, say, may or may not know what an acrobat is, but he knows what an Acrobat file does). E-mail is a name for a generic electronic mail document that is handled by many different applications. It is closer to "e-book" than to "ePub," which is a specific format of the generic "e-book." Harry ... EpuB That leaves Kestral... :) I agree with Rob and Greg: Let’s get an ePub logo first, then worry about how to designate it as DRM-free (a potential logo you can use with anything).

@Mike: So, okay, I wasn’t being totally serious with my prospective names. But the point still stands: Most electronic documents are known by a proper name, or the name of the primary app that creates them. Proper names can also have the benefit of achieving universal use status (An Ethiopian, say, may or may not know what an acrobat is, but he knows what an Acrobat file does).

E-mail is a name for a generic electronic mail document that is handled by many different applications. It is closer to “e-book” than to “ePub,” which is a specific format of the generic “e-book.”

Harry … EpuB

That leaves Kestral… :)

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1057111 David Rothman Thu, 14 May 2009 10:01:42 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1057111 Greg and Mike... G: Just to note that Travis is very much a she--and a valued TeleBlog contributor, not just a cofounder of BookGlutton. M: In strictly technical writing, I can understand. Thanks, David Greg and Mike…

G: Just to note that Travis is very much a she–and a valued TeleBlog contributor, not just a cofounder of BookGlutton.

M: In strictly technical writing, I can understand.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Henrique Catarrunas http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1057098 Henrique Catarrunas Thu, 14 May 2009 08:55:45 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1057098 I was hoping for a simple approach like: open ePUB: http://quizzzz.com.sapo.pt/epub_open.png closed ePUB: http://quizzzz.com.sapo.pt/epub_closed.png Would loose strength if used in Black and white, but the color difference should make them obvious to purchasers after a while. I was hoping for a simple approach like:

open ePUB: http://quizzzz.com.sapo.pt/epub_open.png
closed ePUB: http://quizzzz.com.sapo.pt/epub_closed.png

Would loose strength if used in Black and white, but the color difference should make them obvious to purchasers after a while.

]]> By: Mike Cook http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1057070 Mike Cook Thu, 14 May 2009 07:43:27 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1057070 @Steve, Errr. Let me see now; Tom ... ePub Dick ... EPUB Fozzy ... epub Cow Seeds ... ePUB Now let's see; Email Okay, so both email and epub are made up words nobody worries about using email to describe...well, emails. PDF Hmmm, isn't PDF one of the most found document types on the web? And where's the "name" for that - Portable Document Format..!?! @David I am tending toward using EPUB when using it in a technical sense, ePub when perhaps writing an more generic article about this particular eBook format, and epub (sometimes ".epub") when talking about the files themselves. @Steve,

Errr. Let me see now;

Tom … ePub
Dick … EPUB
Fozzy … epub
Cow Seeds … ePUB

Now let’s see;

Email

Okay, so both email and epub are made up words nobody worries about using email to describe…well, emails.

PDF

Hmmm, isn’t PDF one of the most found document types on the web? And where’s the “name” for that – Portable Document Format..!?!

@David

I am tending toward using EPUB when using it in a technical sense, ePub when perhaps writing an more generic article about this particular eBook format, and epub (sometimes “.epub”) when talking about the files themselves.

]]> By: Greg Schofield http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1056961 Greg Schofield Thu, 14 May 2009 05:07:35 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1056961 Rob Preece is right, I put my hand to trying to design a DRM-free logo without the word "free", I didn't succeed in a pleasing result. The other thing is it needs to be international, I tried a variety of simple open-lock logo and a crossed out DMR (which does not work - but perhaps DMR and an open-lock logo would work, I should try again). I should mention that Travis Alber's Epub logo is wonderful. The best I have seen, and so good that when I tried my hand at designing another, it kept moving towards what he had already done -- a sure sign that it is a great design. Alber's Epub logo should become official (if he will allow it -- it is great both in colour and b&w). Rob Preece is right, I put my hand to trying to design a DRM-free logo without the word “free”, I didn’t succeed in a pleasing result.

The other thing is it needs to be international, I tried a variety of simple open-lock logo and a crossed out DMR (which does not work – but perhaps DMR and an open-lock logo would work, I should try again).

I should mention that Travis Alber’s Epub logo is wonderful. The best I have seen, and so good that when I tried my hand at designing another, it kept moving towards what he had already done — a sure sign that it is a great design.

Alber’s Epub logo should become official (if he will allow it — it is great both in colour and b&w).

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1056797 Rob Preece Wed, 13 May 2009 21:39:33 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1056797 I'm a little concerned about a logo with the word Free as a key part of it. Sure, if you look closely you'll see the DRM-Free, but at a glance, I think many will focus on the 'free' part and be disappointed when they're asked to pay. Just because we don't think DRM is an attractive solution to the problem of piracy doesn't mean we think authors and publishers don't deserve a chance to make a living. Rob Preece Publisher I’m a little concerned about a logo with the word Free as a key part of it. Sure, if you look closely you’ll see the DRM-Free, but at a glance, I think many will focus on the ‘free’ part and be disappointed when they’re asked to pay. Just because we don’t think DRM is an attractive solution to the problem of piracy doesn’t mean we think authors and publishers don’t deserve a chance to make a living.

Rob Preece
Publisher

]]> By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/comment-page-1/#comment-1056600 Steve Jordan Wed, 13 May 2009 15:48:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/no-party-line-department-for-me-its-epub-darn-it-and-its-the-idpf-that-needs-to-change/#comment-1056600 Heck, if you want aesthetics, you want better PR, you should be pressuring IDPF to give the standard a NAME! Other e-book formats, and for that matter, most other electronic document formats, are known by a name rather than an extension... Word... Acrobat... Mobipocket... Kindle... Sony... Palm... Photoshop... Excel... Why, oh, why, are we sticking with "ePub"? Even "Open Book" is a better label than that! So is: Open Doc Open Text Universal Doc Free Doc Tom Dick Harry Kestral Fozzy Gonzo Horseradish Cow Seeds... Heck, if you want aesthetics, you want better PR, you should be pressuring IDPF to give the standard a NAME! Other e-book formats, and for that matter, most other electronic document formats, are known by a name rather than an extension… Word… Acrobat… Mobipocket… Kindle… Sony… Palm… Photoshop… Excel…

Why, oh, why, are we sticking with “ePub”? Even “Open Book” is a better label than that! So is:

Open Doc
Open Text
Universal Doc
Free Doc
Tom
Dick
Harry
Kestral
Fozzy
Gonzo
Horseradish
Cow Seeds…

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