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Sean Reid Reviews

Godfrey

Well-known member
Finally figured out a way to read Sean's reviews without getting a headache.

On OS X:

- Step through each review screen load by screen load capturing the browser window as a screenshot for each.

- put all the screen shots into a folder and sort by name ... they'll be in order that way.

- Run a script in Photoshop to open each screenshot, crop it to the text area, set the color space to sRGB, and save to a JPEG of the same file name.

- Select all of the screen shots in the folder.

- Use an Automator script to read the current Finder selection and output them into a PDF book.

It's a little tedious but once I've done that, I have a PDF book I can load onto the iPad and read at my leisure, and save for future reference when I need or want to read it again.

I figured I paid for a year's subscription so I might as well enjoy a few of his articles that I'm interested in before it lapses. His idiotic insistence on a fixed size window, too small a font, white text on black background, and flash display is simply too annoying to read to renew the subscription. I don't know about anyone else but when I pay for a freekin' subscription to a magazine I want something tangible to keep out of it. I've created a nice little library of Sean Reid Review PDF books now. I don't agree with all of his ideas and opinions, but he's a decent writer.

Of course, I honor his copyright and usage restrictions, and don't distribute the articles to anyone else. I just cant read the damn things any other way. :-\
 

Agnius

Member
Sean has saved me thousands of $ in curiosity fees in the past. The content is superb. However, I also wish there was a better interface that would also work on my iPad. Wouldn't that be nice?
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Sean has saved me thousands of $ in curiosity fees in the past. The content is superb. However, I also wish there was a better interface that would also work on my iPad. Wouldn't that be nice?
The PDF books I've made using the technique I describe above are very readable on the iPad.

Sean should look into producing his articles in a more up to date format, but he doesn't seem to be interested. In which case, well, I have better things to waste my money on. ;-)
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
The PDF books I've made using the technique I describe above are very readable on the iPad.

Sean should look into producing his articles in a more up to date format, but he doesn't seem to be interested. In which case, well, I have better things to waste my money on. ;-)
I warned him, he was just too concerned about "security" I mentioned the screen shot approach but he thought that it would be too difficult for folks to do.
Glad to see an exception to the rule.
-bob
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I warned him, he was just too concerned about "security" I mentioned the screen shot approach but he thought that it would be too difficult for folks to do.
Glad to see an exception to the rule.
-bob
It's more tedious than difficult. Took me about 10 minutes to produce a 99 page PDF book of one article. The only difficult part is understanding that it is possible to do easily. :)
 

Braeside

New member
Should have done that when I had a subscription.. I pleaded with him to bring out an iPad version, but he said it would be too difficult and not of high enough quality. Goodbye Sean.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Well. I think Sean has lots to do with the articles/ reviews to have time to change the format. Still, a blurb ebook for articles would be a good alternative these days. I've "sold" hundreds of copies of my Nonochrom in China ebook ( might not have done so good if you had to pay!)

Maybe I'll suggest it to him.

Keep the faith though, he writes great articles, bad delivery doesn't change that.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Well. I think Sean has lots to do with the articles/ reviews to have time to change the format. Still, a blurb ebook for articles would be a good alternative these days. I've "sold" hundreds of copies of my Nonochrom in China ebook ( might not have done so good if you had to pay!)

Maybe I'll suggest it to him.

Keep the faith though, he writes great articles, bad delivery doesn't change that.
Poor delivery often obscures the message. Has many times in the past.

Sean would do better to just create PDFs of his articles in the first place and sell them online for $3 a pop. It's less work than maintaining the stupid flash site. I'd happily pay $30 for ten well written articles, and it's a lot more satisfying and rewarding to support a good author than to steal their work. I think most photographers would agree. Whom else would be his audience? and why doesn't he trust them?

The few out there who are thieves, well, there will always be thieves. No matter how you lock a box, someone will find a way to break the locks.
 

weinschela

Subscriber Member
I second the notion that Sean should really think hard about keeping up with the reading technology. He could still have a secure site requring sign in, etc., but present in ways that are easy rather than hard to read. If he says he is not interested in doing that, he is running the risk of abandonment. Nobody should want to be abandoned.
 

Jan Brittenson

Senior Subscriber Member
I briefly subscribed, but he has no interest in color and I shoot color, so pretty quickly gave up. His reviews simply weren't relevant to me. Of course, unlike a print magazine, once you stop paying you have nothing, whereas with a magazine - well I still have tons of issues of Camera & Darkroom and Creative Camera Techniques that I kept for various reasons. Both are gone (I think) but I still have what I paid for. With Reid you're stuck paying in perpetuum, which makes it a terrible agreement.

Anyway, I can't get him to stop spamming me with info on his latest reviews. There is no unsubscribe information and he ignores email. I'm about ready to get him MX RBL'ed.
 
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