Well, that's fair.  As a library-student-soon-to-be-a-librarian, I have mixed feelings about Google Books, but there's no question that the project in its original form flouted copyright law -- and I'm not crazy about the deals Google is trying to reach with publishers, which would give Google Books what would nearly amount to a legal monopoly on mass digitization projects.  Fortunately, it seems like they've got a smart judge who's sensitive to monopoly concerns and knows that any agreement can't bind people who aren't parties to it.  The original Google Books is a good example of a project that might have been good for humanity, but would have been bad for some individual humans, and I'm sorry you felt ill used by it.

With all that said, Google Books is different from Google+.  Google Books' involuntary "contributors" are contributors in a very different sense than they are users.  By contrast, Google+'s users are only users to the extent that they contribute.  For Google+, abusing users' reasonable expectations about what Google would do with their content would cause a massive and service-destroying backlash in a way that Google Books frankly did not have to deal with.  It made a warped business sense for Google to plunge on with Google Books expecting to reach a settlement, but it makes no business sense for them to sabotage their users' hard-earned trust by misusing Google+ data.  Still, I see where you're coming from, and I hope that Google+ revises its terms.

Add me if you like. My address is jiotienlong@gmail.com

Well, you must have done an okay job, wink, because I can't find you on there


Figured this was topical:

Nice post, Yasha.

And, I guess Google is actually making an effort to clarify, with additional "don't pimp mah stuff for your ads" options and so. Talked to some agents who are talking directly to Google and feeling better about it. However, the point-by-point is wrong in that "copyright" is the right to make copies, not the right to sell or license for other media - as anime/manga fans we know that well - so the first point is less than solid. They do seem to be approaching this in a good spirit and amending the letter of the contract, so.

satyreyes wrote:

Nope, copyright also includes the right to sell or license.

Badly phrased, I meant it doesn't stop there. It's primary concern is the right to reproduce.

I am sated, though, and taking on good faith, I joined up. Plus, I'm weak.

Katzenklavier wrote:

While I understand that this whole Google+ is accessible only through invites in order to make people feel compelled to test their own popularity through joining and allows them to feel special exclusive snowflakes...

It bloody works. atroposlachesis@gmail.com

Just added you!

Katzenklavier wrote:

Sweeeeet Hiraku and thanks dood! But...what do I do now?

I added you too; you didn't get an invite?  Let me try sharing an update with you, and with any luck you'll get an email. 

bella wrote:

Katz, I'm trying to add you and I'm having some difficulty in doing so! I searched for you via your email, but my results came up as "sharing via email only"; I'm not quite sure what that means. Brian and Hiraku, could you please offer any help?

Mmmmm.... I just added Katz, but there's an email icon at the corner...
@Katz, Just wondering... have you joined Google+ yet with your email account: atroposlachesis@gmail.com?
Usually, I thought the appearance of an email icon at the corner means that the user has not joined googleplus yet, I could be wrong.

If you haven't joined, I can send you an invite to that email and you can join, and then you can find us and add.

EDIT: Just sent an invite to that gmail account, Katz, check your inbox when you can. Or your spam if you gmail filtered it there.

Last edited by Hiraku (07-20-2011 12:50:32 PM)

Katzenklavier wrote:

I'm on now! I guess Google+ didn't think I was cool enough at first, but I won them over with my dapper suit and bowler hat. Thanks lovelies!

I'm quite pleased that you've won google+ over (especially if you've done so with a dapper suit and bowler hat), but I still can't seem to find you. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind posting a link to your google+ profile?

I'm sticking in a toe, but not liking that links and contact info is sort of all or nothing.  I can't say "IRGers can see my email, but only Family can see that and my mobile."  Or more importantly narrow down individually who can see which link. I'd like to be able to put in my anime/manga blog, but I only want that seen by IRGers and Friends.  My librarianship blog I'd probably only want linked for just my coworkers.  Now granted, any of these could be found by using a search engine, but it wouldn't be immediately clear upon visiting them that I'm the author.  I do like that it allows you to pick your privacy preferences as you go though.

Invite me at calla_anthiena @ yahoo ~

I'd be very happy if someone invited me! I'd really like to check it out. Mine is girardin.rosalie@ gmail

It's okay, I got an invite! This will take some getting used to...  Here's me!