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Thread: Anybody else got Bentley guilt?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    1,706

    Default Anybody else got Bentley guilt?

    Let me profess my partial innocence before I profess my guilt. My car came with a Bentley as I bought Charlie from an enthusiast. I rationalized that because I wasn't robbing the author of a sale when I down loaded a pdf copy, because I wouldn't be buying one anyway.

    I have been complicit in trying to help others get one, like last summer I tried to email a copy to that poor woman in the carribean with the overheating problems and no bmw mechanics because she had so few resources. The fact that it didn't go through doesn't change the fact that I tried to rob the author. I have been complicit in the current Bentley binge in ways I don't care to admit.

    How many e34s are there on the road? They die every day. How many potential buyers are there for Bentley manuals? The number of potential customers is constantly shrinking due to the diminishing number of e34s and due to all of us who get them free. I had a stats professor in grad school who wrote his own textbook. He concluded at the end that he made minimum wage for his efforts because it took sooooo much time and he sold so few copies because the publisher wouldn't go for a second edition. Minimum wage is probably what this guy is going to get because we are all ripping him off.

    I know that free downloads are part of the culture with music and movies, but I don't do it there cause I know if artists don't make money they won't make music or movies. Is the Bentley going to go out of print cause it isn't making any money?

    I am wishing there was some way to make it right to this guy. Think we can have a bake sale and raise $40-50 for each copy we have pirated? Anyone have a serious idea about something that could be done to make it right?

    I am not trying to make anyone feel bad. I am not pointing any fingers. I hope I am not alienating my friends on this board. I just think it is time that this point of view was expressed. I just kept waiting for someone else to do it. Any those of you who know how I participated in this current round can silently condem me for being a hypocrite and a flip-flopper. I deserve it.
    Dinan chip, Bilstein sports w H&R, RD sways, RD strut brace, 750 bushings, Zimmermans/MetalMasters, O.E. M Pars, Eisenmann muffler

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Melbourne Australia
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    326

    Default

    i own a copy of the Bentley manual, purchased new at great expence. i would still like to have the electronic copy to be able to print off the page i am working on to keep the manual out of the grease.
    1994 540i Auto

    live fast; die sideways
    13.3 @ 104mph (not in the 540)
    15.4 @ 150 Kph in the 540 (24/9/07)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
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    1,825

    Default

    You have a very good point Gayle...I thank you for bringing it up. I completely agree with you. At the moment, I won't discuss anymore...but will soon.

    In my own defense, I did download the copy, but I did shell out the $50 for the paper version...so I'm to feeling all too quilty for having a backup/ computer referance.

    www.KaRealtySF.com
    Build Date: 05-1995 /Engine: m50tu /Automatic Transmission /ABS /NO ASC /Open Differential /EAT Chip

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Ashland, Oregon
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    253

    Default

    wow... I didn't even know about a downloadable version. I would've gotten ahold of that along time ago had I known. I'm still trying to score a paper version at a decent price.

    94 540i / 255k / 165k on the alusil / E.A.T. chip / Power Discs w/Akebono Pro Ceramic / E39 type 33's

    -Brandon G

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    Long Beach, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by stx133
    i own a copy of the Bentley manual, purchased new at great expence. i would still like to have the electronic copy to be able to print off the page i am working on to keep the manual out of the grease.
    That is exactly how I use the electronic version. I bought one paper copy and I might buy another for work. I feel no guilt at all.

    Ralph Mendoza Jr. - Long Beach, CA

  6. #6
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    Dec 2003
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    baton rouge, loserana
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    i've got 5 or 6 different bentleys of my own so piss on em ill steal anything i can get i have given him enough money
    all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    518

    Default

    I can't say that I experience any guilt for downloading the Bentley manual. However, it is pretty hard to find a book store in New Orleans right now that might have this manual. If I do get a chance to purchase the paper copy, I would definitely do that. Not only because it supports the publisher, but also because the electronic copy is missing the majority of the electrical diagrams. Besides, when at leisure, its much more convenient to read a paper repair manual than to stare at a computer screen :-D (Interpret leisure as you like... ) Just my $.02

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    Long Beach, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rus
    I can't say that I experience any guilt for downloading the Bentley manual. However, it is pretty hard to find a book store in New Orleans right now that might have this manual. If I do get a chance to purchase the paper copy, I would definitely do that. Not only because it supports the publisher, but also because the electronic copy is missing the majority of the electrical diagrams. Besides, when at leisure, its much more convenient to read a paper repair manual than to stare at a computer screen :-D (Interpret leisure as you like... ) Just my $.02
    I don't think an electronic copy can ever really replace the hard copy.

    Ralph Mendoza Jr. - Long Beach, CA

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    3,395

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    Gayle was very nice about it, now I'll be the jerk.

    First, let me explain that I believe that once you've bought it - ie., paid the royalties to the author/publisher - you own it and are entitled to use the information in it for personal endeavor. I own a copy of the Bentley E34 manual, for which I chucked up $51.95 shipped from Alldirect.com via Amazon about a year ago. Yes, I thought it was a lot of money to spend on an automotive book at the time. The book has paid for itself in saved time and knowledge acquisition 100x over. In my judgement, having a digital copy of a purchased book is within the limits of the copyright -- after all, even Microsoft will let software "owners" keep a backup copy of original CDs.

    Second, given the amount of time and effort I'm putting into writing this message, you should assimilate that I'm disturbed by the blatantly offensive intellectual piracy occuring under our very noses. I don't know Charles Burke, editor extraordinare of aforementioned manual, but I know he spent years writing it. I know that there's a limited market for Bentley manuals, and that new ones only get written because buyers within a limited market hand over cash for them.

    When people stop buying and start stealing this kind of information, the quality of future tomes is arguably worse. Case in point: The known BMW author/expert who was asked to write the E39 book declined because the commission didn't offset the large amount of work that went into writing the TWO volume manual. As a result, it took Bentley much more time to publish anything usable, and the quality of that text is for your own judgement. And we're not even talking about profits here...

    If people actually paid for the book, they might've propagated better information in future publications. The consequence is that we generally get worse information. Who ultimately loses for your selfish, cheap ass ways? I do. You do. Learn that lesson now and you'll save a lot of money in maintaining and upgrading your E34 in the long run.

    In observing the patterns of Bentley stealers, I've noticed a few trends: 1) they're generally newer members or members who don't often post, 2) they may not have a comprehensive understanding of the kind of community that .info nurtures. Although I do not purport to offer anything more than babblings myself, this -- meaning .info -- is one of the only opportunities in existence that I know of for individuals to acquire professional, knowledgeable, and honest answers from an industry that commonly charges $100 to listen to an owner cry, moan, and bitch. Furthermore, this is a forum that strives for excellence -- if something is wrong, it gets corrected. I challenge you to unearth another open online community on par with this.

    The bottom line: support the authors and BUY THE DAMN BOOK! It costs less than a tank of gas, for christsakes.

    The really bottom line: if you were foolish enough to admit pirating a bentley manual on this public forum, especially for a particularly stupid reason like "it costs too much!!!!1", the longtime members of this forum should consider why they're taking the time to respond to your posts.

    best, whit

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
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    On this note Lowell, have you seen and/or used a Bentley for E46? I saw there is one for years 99-01, but that's it.... and is it well done?

    thanks
    ^°^ ><((({º>°°

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