Baen Books is now making available — for free — a number of its titles in electronic format. They’re calling it the Baen Free Library. Anyone who wishes can read these titles online — no conditions, no strings attached. (Later they may ask for an extremely simple, name & email only, registration. ) Or, if you prefer, you can download the books in one of several formats. Again, with no conditions or strings attached. (URLs to sites which offer the readers for these format are also listed. )
Why are they doing this? Well, for two reasons.
The first is what you might call a “matter of principle.” This all started as a byproduct of an online “virtual brawl” Eric Flint, one of Baen’s authors, got into with a number of people, some of them professional SF authors, over the issue of online piracy of copyrighted works and what to do about it.
There was a school of thought, which seemed to be picking up steam, that the way to handle the problem was with handcuffs and brass knucks. Enforcement! Regulation! New regulations! Tighter regulations! All out for the campaign against piracy! No quarter! Build more prisons! Harsher sentences!
Alles in ordnung!
Eric, ah, disagreed. Rather vociferously and belligerently, in fact. And he can be a vociferous and belligerent fellow. His own opinion, summarized briefly, can be found at http://www.baen.com/library/.
In addition to making a selection of their books available online, they have compiled various CDs that are bundled with hard cover releases of their physical paper based books and they grant permission for these Discs to be distributed FREE OF CHARGE!
So AppleUsers.org, and participating Australian Apple User Groups are pleased to introduce you the latest Baen CD Library Disc – The Mission of Honor Disc… which was obtained when Nicholas purchased the hard cover version of The Mission of Honor book the first week it was available in Australia.
Obtaining Baen CD-ROM Library – The Mission of Honor Disc
User Group Leaders can download a copy of the Disc Image and support files from the DotM Archive. If you need the User ID and Password, just contact Nicholas.
[Update: We are still having problems with uploading files to the DotM server, so contact Nicholas using the above link to make alternative arrangements.]
Baen CD-ROM Library – The Mission of Honor Disc is available as a single CD for FREE* from participating Apple User Groups, including;
- AMUG Sydney
- Apple-MAQ/Lions Club
- AUSOM Incorporated
- BEAUT
- Bundy Mac User Group
- Byron Shire Mac User Group
- Central Victorian Macintosh Users Inc
- ClubMac
- Coffs Harbour Mac Users Group
- Geraldton Macintosh User Group
- Gold Coast Apple Users Group
- iMug
- MacTalk Hunter
- South Australian Apple Users Club
Some groups may bundle a “free” copy of the Baen CD-ROM Library – The Mission of Honor Disc with the purchase of any other Disc of the Month title. Or they may offer it free of charge to all members who attend their meetings. Check with each individual group for the exact conditions.
Many of these User Groups allow you to purchase the Discs of the Month from their meetings – often at a discount; or to order via the web, postal mail, fax or telephone.