What are you reading right now? (possible RotE spoilers)

[Farseer]

I do apologise to you all. I did respond to this as soon as I saw it but then my #@*&%^$ computer froze just as I was about to post my reply (and when I was looking forward to sharing some other RotE things that I thought were exciting!) and it took so much more time to get back up than I had available to wait around for it to restart, let alone rewrite my post. By the time it did come back up, I was in the car and have been driving almost non-stop to various locations around the state ever since. So, so tired... .

Actually, if we recall correctly, the post spoke especially of linking to such files and of directing people to places where they can download such things (aside from the odd and occasional free download campaigns by publishers)

Now, let me try posting this for the second time. Yes, you beings are quite correct, we have actually had a number of posts placed throughout the forums relating to the linking of such files, and an outline regarding these is also included in the Forum rulesthread:

4. No uploading of illegal copies of books/short stories or links to them.
Robin's publishers sometimes give away free samples or even whole books to download for a limited time, and linking to these is very much okay as long as the offer stands. Some short stories, such as Cut, have been published online and are free to read. If you're not sure whether an online copy is legal, ask the moderators before posting a link. Please support your favourite author and don't steal. (Try searching your local library for the book instead. If they don't have it, ask if it's available as an interlibrary loan or if they would consider buying a copy. Also, a lot of the older titles are still available in used books stores, both online and in real shops.)

As far as I can tell, Mervi doesn't only include files that may be considered 'illegal' here in this missive but she also adds those 'legal' ones that may have expired or run their course but are still able to be viewed via the link. Despite the fact that it is not so clear, I also believe that she also includes in this the forwarding of any files that have been/haven't been purchased on to others. From memory, this rule #4 was amended/placed there earlier last year after I had directed a new member, Lady Laura, to a link available right here within thePlenty. The link was to a free download of Assassin's Apprentice that had been on offer from Robin's publishers.

I posted it in the introductions thread as Lady Laura had mentioned there that she'd been able to source the second and third Farseer trilogy books but not the first, and so wouldn’t be able to begin reading it anytime soon. As the link to the free download had been placed here within the site for some time, I had simply assumed it was okay to direct Lady Laura to it but Mervi felt that we could be seen to be taking advantage of the publisher’s offer which had apparently kind of run its course. Following this, I deleted the link in my post and Mervi then disabled the link in the original post. These actions were taken despite the fact that Lady Laura would have no doubt later purchased the book also, if only to complete the trilogy for her bookshelf. Hence, I believe that in this rule, Mervi does not only include files that are 'illegal' in the true sense but any files that are not part of a direct publisher offer or that are passed on to someone who hasn't purchased them themselves.

However...

but it is indeed a gray area. The sole reason we even mentioned that we had such file as the one previously mentioned, is so that Albertosaurus might be able to read the book he was missing.

...it actually isn't those posts, or even the ‘rule’ that I quoted above, that I was referring to so much in my earlier post but another post that Mervi had made after someone had very kindly and well-intentionally made me an offer to send pdf files of a series that they had (or so I assume) purchased and I had not yet read. I have a feeling it was also last year sometime and I also had a thought that it may have been the Pern books that were offered to me but no search for 'pdf' or 'Pern' has brought up the post so possibly it was another series altogether.

Either way, I am certain that Mervi stressed very firmly at the time that such offers should not be made here on thePlenty, even if the files have first been purchased by the person making the offer (and are thus considered ‘legal’, if they have come from a legal source), particularly as it placed the person on the receiving end of the offer in an awkward position.

In this, it really is a case of not only should the buyer beware when purchasing or downloading pdf files but so too should the recipient of them as gifts. Though I did not want the files, neither did I want to offend the person who made the offer so I know that I had absolutely no idea what to do about rejecting it without bringing my concerns for the legaltiies of it all to light, and neither did I want to do something that Mervi considered inappropriate for this site...and so I was more than a little relieved when she stepped in and let me know her position on it.

We would not encourage him or anyone else, to download books from the non-store sites out there.

I know...

...but I still had to raise the issue of ‘borrowing’ or ‘offering’ (or whatever I should call it...ah, ‘re-distributing’ is what I was groping for, thanks ‘thul!) pdf files as it has been raised before, and I am quite sure that Mervi was specific on the matter. At the time, as it is now, it was a reminder not only for the benefit of we regulars but for lurkers or new/future members as well...and that’s why I responded, as she had done, within the thread and not just in a PM or something.

If I still can’t find the conversation anytime in the next day or so, I will certainly ask for Mervi to consider adding something to the rules to clearly state it, if she feels it’s warranted. Ah, I also do want to double-check with her on all of this as I’d hate to be placing words in her mouth. I say that realising that I should possibly have checked with her first before jumping in but she is busy and I'd be happier stopping something now rather than later, and then I can apologise/beg forgiveness/give the green light if I have made an error.

I don’t frequent too many other sites so am not sure of ‘the standard’ of such rules regarding pdf files out there in the wider community (maybe it is widely acceptable?) but if Mervi says that we can’t offer them here for whatever reason, I would want to ensure that we refrain from it...it’s much nicer here with all of you than within Lady Patience’s chamber (where I honestly thought Mervi had sent me after my little offer of AA last year, when I suddenly found that I couldn’t log on to thePlenty for many, many weeks...I was horrified...and very glad to discover it was just a glitch with my computer! ).

Feel free to keep chatting about it in the meantime but, to make me feel a little better for having hijacked the thread , I will get back on topic now by announcing that I am still stuck in 'The Secret River' and imagine that I will remain so until the school holidays at the end of next week. Looking forward to those!

I also never really considered the fact that GRRR may actually have non-ASOIAF works out there. I will have to look into some of those.