Sorry to the non HP folk reading this. These are interesting times, they'll be over soon

[ridicully]

Now that I've caught up on my flist, what confuses me the most is the insistence of some people that reading the downloads somehow lessens the experience or turns you into an disgusting, deceiving slime-creature from mars.

These photos certainly weren't easy to read in parts, but just because I read it on the screen without curling up on my couch, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading it and only did it because I wanted to be there first.
I don't intend to spoil anyone with it. I will still be giving JKR the money for the book and probably the audiobook as well [and I will be searching for a pdf of it later on too (because ctrl+f is my best friend some days)].
I don't see how this is anything but my personal decision.

Especially I don't see it as any disrespect for the author or publisher. To illustrate, selling books before the official publication date if they've already been delivered happens quite often with the less hyped English books in German bookshops (I often got my new Pratchett's one or two weeks before people in the UK). AFAIKT this isn't done out of disrespect either, but because, really, no one cares that much.
Because of the hype around HP and the spoiler-trolls I can see the need for more caution. But just because some of us want to know a few days earlier what happens, doesn't mean we want to spit on JKR, insult her publishers and refuse to talk with other fans forevermore.
For me, it's really just personal preference if you'd rather read it a bit later but at the same time as the majority of the population and be able to start debating every little thing right away, or if you want to know what happens NOW and will have to content yourself to only squee in private until the rest of the world has caught up.

Comments

[hopefulnebula]

Ooh, can you link me to one of these downloads, please?

[gameboyguy13.livejournal.com]

http://www.sendspace.com/file/w50pe8

[idonotlikepeas]

If people are complaining at you about this, I wonder what they think about advance reader copies and uncorrected proofs and things like that.

(I have a copy of Pratchett's newest, Making Money, that my brother's girlfriend picked up for me, for instance...)

[ridicully]

I don't know if they think that HP books should receive special treatment or if they just ignore the existence of any incarnation of the text before the final printed book in the shops on the release date. They certainly sound as if they think that advance reader copies are printed in the blood of the author and bound in their firstborn's skin.
I can't claim to understand it.

And now I need to go and have a look if Making Money is already available at the bookshop. And envy you very much if it isn't *g*

[idonotlikepeas]

I think it's not out until October. :)

[synergybc.livejournal.com]

OK, now I see more where you're coming from with this. Well, I'd say that people don't seem to be aware that there ARE copies before the official final print. *shrug*

HP

[synergybc.livejournal.com]

What I don't get is why people get so worked up about these books, but then I don't care for her way of writing. *shrug* We were just saying at work that we could understand kids getting crazy excited about pick-a-fad/X/whatever, but the extent to which grown people are going is just...out there.

But that's just my thoughts on the whole Potter stuff. In general I agree with what you're saying. I'm just getting a little tired of the insane number of people posting that they're staying away from the internet because they don't want to be spoiled. Oh well. More bandwidth for me! :-p