NSL Blog

Why we ask for social login for Open Access ebrowser book

February 28, 2012

Since launching No Straight Lines – I have been getting some great feedback on the material the content that has taken some 7 years of hard work to get to.

And we have made the entire book available online as an Open Access Participatory experience. You can ask questions of the author which is me, and you can also leave comments in the social tab (shown below). I will respond and engage in conversation and debate.

However some readers have expressed an unease in logging in via their twitter, Facebook Linkedin accounts worried that we are doing other things with their data / information.

So it seemed to make sense  to explain the reason why we have decided to do this.

You can buy the book as a paperback or as a Kindle and soon as an audio-book. However, No Straight Lines argues for Open and Participatory cultures, for us to embrace the ‘sharing economy’ and I wanted to live by those principles. Via the ebrowser format we offer global access of the entire work to everyone.

What publisher does that?

Anonymous: who are you? Being asked to log on via a social account is NOT because we want to use your data in any other way than to verify that you are a real person, not a spammer or some deranged individual. We will not share that data, or sell that data. Because I make myself available to all readers that come onto the platform we have to be sure they are there for the right reasons. Identity as a qualification seems common sense to me.

But I understand on reflection why some people would feel uncomfortable.

Is it fair requesting that you let your network know you are reading No Straight Lines? I do request permission as a means of entry to reading an entire work which took 7 years to produce, without you dipping into your jeans, trouser pockets/wallet or purse to let your friends know that you are now reading No Straight Lines.

I thought that was fair. But If you disagree then let us know.