Survey saaaaays....

[elf]

A poll! Because we all need more polls! Or rather, because I looked at the membership list and said, mygods, who ARE all these people, and also, I bet they'd like more ... posts about ... something ebookish.. In order to figure out what kinds of posts those should be, I bring you ... TICKY BOXES! Confirm your ebookish identity, knowledge, and DRM skills!

Poll #5653 Who are you people?

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 86

View Respondents

What kind of ebook person are you?

View Answers

I read ebooks
67 (77.9%)

I buy and read ebooks
58 (67.4%)

I write ebooks
6 (7.0%)

I write and sell ebooks
1 (1.2%)

I convert/reformat ebooks
49 (57.0%)

I don't write or read ebooks (yet?), but I'm interested in them
6 (7.0%)

Your ticky boxes cannot contain my ebookery
20 (23.3%)

Ticky box, ticky boox, e-tickery abounds
30 (34.9%)

If you read ebooks, what do you read them on?

View Answers

I don't read ebooks.
2 (2.4%)

Desktop computer
26 (30.6%)

Laptop or netbook.
40 (47.1%)

E-ink dedicated reader.
56 (65.9%)

LCD screen dedicated reader
1 (1.2%)

Phone or PDA
25 (29.4%)

Tablet computer
6 (7.1%)

Something else, which you have failed to describe
3 (3.5%)

TICKY OF DOOM!
21 (24.7%)

Do you have a device/ereader preference? (Or: what do you think you'd prefer, if you don't have one yet.)

View Answers

I don't read ebooks.
2 (2.3%)

I don't have a preference.
1 (1.2%)

I prefer to read on a computer
0 (0.0%)

I prefer to read on a dedicated ebook reader.
49 (57.0%)

I prefer a multifunction device (iPad, phone, etc.)
17 (19.8%)

I have different preferences in different circumstances.
16 (18.6%)

I prefer something else.
1 (1.2%)

What do you know about ebook formats?

View Answers

Ebook for mats? No, ebooks for bed, chairs, couches ...
5 (5.8%)

There's a lot of them. They're a confusing mess.
32 (37.2%)

One is better than the rest, and it's my preference.
14 (16.3%)

One is better than the rest, and I prefer something else anyway.
1 (1.2%)

They all have different pros & cons; I don't think any is best.
25 (29.1%)

I know which ones work on my ereader.
61 (70.9%)

I know which ones work on most ereaders.
36 (41.9%)

My knowledge of ebook formats exceeds your ticky-talents.
8 (9.3%)

What do you know about DRM?

View Answers

What does Dating Republican Men have to do with ebooks?
4 (4.7%)

It's evil.
42 (49.4%)

It's a way for authors to avoid getting ripped off.
12 (14.1%)

I know what kind works on my ereader.
25 (29.4%)

I know what kinds work on most ereaders.
14 (16.5%)

I know how to remove it from ebooks I buy.
14 (16.5%)

I could figure out how to remove it if I wanted/needed to.
43 (50.6%)

I have many thinky thoughts about DRM and can expound on them at length.
22 (25.9%)

It's a damned nuisance. I dunno about "evil," though.
42 (49.4%)

Tickety-tickety-tick tick tick.
29 (34.1%)

Comments

[abbylee]

I don't buy ebooks, I mostly:
(*) Download them from free (legal) sources
(*) Convert long fanfic into a ebook format
(*) Take them out from the library

[isis]

This is me, too.

My thinky thought about DRM is that I'm glad there is a "timed-expire" DRM so that libraries can offer ebooks as loans. If it didn't exist I imagine libraries wouldn't be able to loan ebooks. I would say that 75% of my ebook reading are library books, with the other 25% split between downloaded fic and legal free books.

My thinky thought about formats is that I'm glad my library primarily offers .epub which coincidentally is what my ereader likes best. I hate .pdf.

[abbylee]

Yes, I was just having that conversation this afternoon, that I'm glad that DRM makes the library lending feasable, I'm just sad that it goes hand-in-hand with practices that make me unwilling to buy an electronic copy for personal use. It's why I'm unhappy with DRM but don't think that it, itself, is evil. I LOVE being able to choose library books from home and get them onto my ereader in just a few moments; no extra bus trips in -40 weather, no trying to carry the weight, and no late fees!

My library seems to be weighted so that most of their electronic offerings are pdfs and audiobooks, but it seems like it's mostly the older purchases. I definitely prefer epubs; not only is that the format that my ereader displays the best, but too many pdf have headers and footers on each page so that every few paragraphs there's a random break to tell me the author's name and the book title.