STUD figmo Al - Posted - 08/30/2026:  05:34:25

Not really a good thing imo..

I guess as the story goes...
A.I. ( or the people running. A.I. ..)..buying up old book stores ..didgetising..the old books n then shredding them...

banjo bill-e - Posted - 08/30/2026:  06:32:16

I have heard about this and do not understand it at all. If this is real it should be a crime. But who knows what is real anymore?

RB3 - Posted - 08/30/2026:  06:46:06

Below is a link to a story that provides an explanation of what Anthropic did.

Anthropic Destructive Book Scanning

Edited by - RB3 on 08/30/2026 06:53:18

Texasbanjo - Posted - 08/30/2026:  11:07:53

I agree, it should be against the law to shred books! There are still folks out there that do not use the internet, don't have a computer or a cell phone but are avid book readers. It would be terrible if there were no books for them to read and enjoy and no books in the library to browse.

chuckv97 - Posted - 08/30/2026:  11:14:10

This is a good work-around

familyfuncanada.com/calgary/ta...ibraries/

 

Joel Hooks - Posted - 08/30/2026:  11:46:10

quote:

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Originally posted by Texasbanjo

I agree, it should be against the law to shred books! There are still folks out there that do not use the internet, don't have a computer or a cell phone but are avid book readers. It would be terrible if there were no books for them to read and enjoy and no books in the library to browse.

---

I have in my possession over 3000 lbs of banjo related sheet music, books, folios, magazines, images, emphemra, etc. which I am currently scanning. 

Once scanned, there will be unlimited copies available for anyone who wants to store or print a copy (all is now in public domain), but I will still have 3000 lbs of dusty, dirty, sometime greasy, crumbleying, old high acid paper in plastic tubs. 

Now imagine hundreds of thouands of books.  Thousands of thousands of books.  And not just rare books, what about pulp grocery store romance novels?  What about the print on demand AI slop books that you will likey unknowingly get at some point?  James Patterson? What about 1960s-1970s "Adult" books that were sold in "Adult Book Stores"?  Sticky children's Golden Books printed by the millions over decades?

I agree that the method which AI is consuming is not great or doing "us" any favors, but they did buy the books.  It was thier property to do with what they see fit.  And I suppose the digitized versions still exist. 

Edited by - Joel Hooks on 08/30/2026 11:48:04

STUD figmo Al - Posted - 08/30/2026:  11:53:47

They would ...Never alter digitized books...
Sacrahlidge... !

Can not dispute a hard book....

But if it is digitised.....

Owen - Posted - 08/30/2026:  12:17:36

Wasn't there "dispute" over interpretation based on a comma/punctuation/?? in the hard copy (?) of the second amendment?   

[At he moment I'm too lazy to "look it up," but I'd be mucho surprised if the USSC decision settled it to everyone's satisfaction.]

But your point over the ease of revision is taken.

Edited by - Owen on 08/30/2026 12:25:29

Texasbanjo - Posted - 08/30/2026:  14:07:57

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joel Hooks

quote:

---

Originally posted by Texasbanjo

I agree, it should be against the law to shred books! There are still folks out there that do not use the internet, don't have a computer or a cell phone but are avid book readers. It would be terrible if there were no books for them to read and enjoy and no books in the library to browse.

---

Great, so how does this play out?  

 

A law is passed against shredding books, what does one do with all those books?  Are you going to store them?

 

I have in my possession over 3000 lbs of banjo related sheet music, books, folios, magazines, images, emphemra, etc. which I am currently scanning. 

Once scanned, there will be unlimited copies available for anyone who wants to store or print a copy (all is now in public domain), but I will still have 3000 lbs of dusty, dirty, sometime greasy, crumbleying, old high acid paper in plastic tubs. 

Now imagine hundreds of thouands of books.  Thousands of thousands of books.  And not just rare books, what about pulp grocery store romance novels?  What about the print on demand AI slop books that you will likey unknowingly get at some point?  James Patterson? What about 1960s-1970s "Adult" books that were sold in "Adult Book Stores"?  Sticky children's Golden Books printed by the millions over decades?

I agree that the method which AI is consuming is not great or doing "us" any favors, but they did buy the books.  It was thier property to do with what they see fit.  And I suppose the digitized versions still exist. 

---

There will always be people who are looking for books to read and keep.   We still have new members looking for instruction books, tabs, magazines, etc.   I, too, have a library of banjo, guitar and bass books and tabs, etc., and the kids can sell/give away/donate or do whatever they want after I'm gone.

I usually take old paperbacks and hard cover books to nursing homes, second hand book stores,  senior center, library, charity stores that sell second hand stuff.  I very seldom trash a book.   I presume they can do whatever they want with their books, but I think they are very short sighted when they start shredding material that others could read.  Just my take and I'm not changing it.

Owen - Posted - 08/30/2026:  15:34:35

Shredding is a shortsighted approach. 

That could very-well be, but IMNSHumbleO, the crime (?) should be that of being shortsighted, not the act of shredding.  

But, I dunno whether the penalty should be death, imprisonment [w or w/o "throw away the key"?], a fine, flogging, or ???

Edited by - Owen on 08/30/2026 15:36:47