BookLore: A self-hosted, multi-user digital library with smart shelves, auto metadata, Kobo & KOReader sync, BookDrop imports, OPDS support, and a built-in reader for EPUB, PDF, and comics. - b...
It's awesome. I've moved away from Calibre and Calibre web. Not because of the AI, but because Booklore's UI is way better, and it's not a pain in the ass to write metadata to the file. It also does metadata way better.
Yeah, containerization just hasn't been very fun for me to play with in general. And I generally find that software designed in such a way that it's easy to self-host without a container is also usually designed much more in line with my preferences and is less bloated. And it's easier to diagnose issues.
With docker specifically my main gripe is that it completely bypasses firewalls and rewrites their rules.
With docker specifically my main gripe is that it completely bypasses firewalls and rewrites their rules.
I swear, someday, containers are going to be everyone's security nightmare. They'll be like Windows was in the early naughties, just an absolute freaking garden of exploits.
As "AI Integrations" go, I give him credit for making it about the least odious that I've seen.
β¦ are true.
However, itβs still an explicit endorsement of the TESCREAL bullshit, and Iβd prefer to use something that does not even have an optional βAIβ integration. (Iβm not a Calibre user, have yet to find any need for it, so Iβm commenting a bit from the outside.)
On the other hand, hereβs a link to a very interesting thread about this from not only the inside, but also from the books and reading and user perspective. This is definitely food for thought, and good to have read in full (follow the link contained), even if one has already a set opinion on so-called βAIβ per se and/or this integration, even if one doesnβt even use it:
The above link is a toot linking to wandering.shop/@xgranade/11567β¦ (a large thread split into many small posts πΎ) and excerpting a best-of. Still worth reading through the entire thread.
not sure I agree with much said in the thread, like "fundamentally changing the relation" or "from a tool to read books to ...". I still use Calibre the same way as ever before, mostly to manage my libraries and load then onto my reading devices. The permanent whining about AI is strange to me.
It's not whining, it's caring about art. You seriously don't need to make apologetics or excuses for AI, *especially* not in the replies to someone who's already made their opinions quite clear, along with the basis for those opinions, and why they're important to me as a reader and a aspiring author.
art will not be destroyed by a piece of software that gets added another piece of software. You mix up a technology (AI) with a certain product (name your favorite GenAI). It's like "TVs must be abolished because we have FOX news".
That is a gross, gross misunderstanding, and frankly just plain insulting. It's also incredibly rude to say that to someone who just told you they're an aspiring author.
Making excuses for AI by shitting on art is a great way to get blocked.
It sounds to me like you're trying to say that because this change has not affected you, it should not affect anybody. That, plus referring to critique of AI as "permanent whining", is what's actually strange here. It reads as an attempt to impose a lack of empathy on other people.
I am affected, both at work as well as maintainer of oss projects and gsoc mentor. I'm well aware of the pain of LLM slop. But I have also developed enough AI based systems that actually help people. So AI, but also LLMs, are tools, and I hear far too many rants that are just meaningless broadband accusations that AI is bad and and and. Those are tools. Like TV. Like guns. If they are used badly, it is bad. But a blanket "AI is bad" simply doesn't cut it.
AI is a clear political project with an associated marketing term that gives folks of a certain mindset permission to pretend it's not a political project.
The things you say, that AI is just a tool "like guns", or X or Y "simply doesn't cut it", characterizing valid critique as "rants", to my ears sounds paternalistic, libertarian and empathy-challenged. I've had more than my fill of that kind of rhetoric so I'm out. Have a good one.
There are always nuances to every argument, but I think your initial reply smacks a bit of tone policing, to be honest.
Yes, there are a multitude of types of "A.I.," and not every application is bad. But since most "A.I." out there was incredibly unethically sourced, and involved in what will almost certainly be just the next yottacorporate pump-and-dump scheme, I don't understand your frustration with people's outrage.
I am, to be very frank, incredibly frustrated that 99% of the people I encounter simply do not give a shit about how something is created, procured, or used, as long as it makes their day 1% easier.
This is why I say, "Replace 'AI' in the sentence with 'slavery' and see how it reads."
Because ultimately, the carelessness of the consumer is the same with both, and the inhumanity of "capitalism" is the same.
(taking out abucci since they mentioned "I'm out")
> But since most "A.I." out there was incredibly unethically sourced,
Actually NO. LLMs might be unethically sourced, I completely agree with that. But that is not "most AI". There is **far** more AI out there then the LLMs - only it is far less visible and a kick point.
That is the whole of my argument, please say "LLM" if you mean LLM, and not "AI".
If you put "LLM" in there, I am 100% behind what you say.
I think you're being semantic-pedantic, to be honest.
"AI" is a broad term that covers everything from Pacman's ghosts' pathfinding algorithm, to ELIZA, to the Perceptrons, to whatever fresh hell Altman is dreaming up next.
But I'm responding to "AI" in its modern marketing-driven parlance, which is almost exclusively LLMs, which is (AFAIK) the issue with Calibre.
I see generative AI as, among other things, a tool to further degrade collective reason, dialogue, deliberation, and reflection, which is one of a million reasons to resist it. I think it's especially important to resist generative AI wherever it threatens to degrade literacy, since reading is one of the best ways to we know to improve collective reason et al.
Amin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •Amin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •@mirabilos
Forking fork, it's time to fork it!!!
Amin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •mirabilos
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •Daniel, aka. CactiChameleon9
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •We need a public leak of all of Amin's many secret projects
Who can I get on this??
R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Daniel, aka. CactiChameleon9 • • •Matt
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •GitHub - booklore-app/booklore: BookLore: A self-hosted, multi-user digital library with smart shelves, auto metadata, Kobo & KOReader sync, BookDrop imports, OPDS support, and a built-in reader for EPUB, PDF, and comics.
GitHubAmin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to Matt • • •Amin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •Matt
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •Amin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to Matt • • •tippfehlr
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •Amin Hollon ππ³π
in reply to tippfehlr • • •Yeah, containerization just hasn't been very fun for me to play with in general. And I generally find that software designed in such a way that it's easy to self-host without a container is also usually designed much more in line with my preferences and is less bloated. And it's easier to diagnose issues.
With docker specifically my main gripe is that it completely bypasses firewalls and rewrites their rules.
R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •I swear, someday, containers are going to be everyone's security nightmare. They'll be like Windows was in the early naughties, just an absolute freaking garden of exploits.
mirabilos
in reply to Amin Hollon ππ³π • • •Norbert Preining
in reply to mirabilos • • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •mirabilos
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •this, and the response from polymaths.social/@rl_dane/statβ¦β¦
β¦ are true.
However, itβs still an explicit endorsement of the TESCREAL bullshit, and Iβd prefer to use something that does not even have an optional βAIβ integration. (Iβm not a Calibre user, have yet to find any need for it, so Iβm commenting a bit from the outside.)
On the other hand, hereβs a link to a very interesting thread about this from not only the inside, but also from the books and reading and user perspective. This is definitely food for thought, and good to have read in full (follow the link contained), even if one has already a set opinion on so-called βAIβ per se and/or this integration, even if one doesnβt even use it:
buc.ci/abucci/p/1765053767.148β¦
The above link is a toot linking to wandering.shop/@xgranade/11567β¦ (a large thread split into many small posts πΎ) and excerpting a best-of. Still worth reading through the entire thread.
(Thanks, @abucci and @xgranade and @whitequark )
R.L. Dane π΅
2025-12-06 23:34:27
Norbert Preining
in reply to mirabilos • • •I still use Calibre the same way as ever before, mostly to manage my libraries and load then onto my reading devices.
The permanent whining about AI is strange to me.
Cassandra is only carbon now
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •Norbert Preining
in reply to Cassandra is only carbon now • • •Cassandra is only carbon now
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •That is a gross, gross misunderstanding, and frankly just plain insulting. It's also incredibly rude to say that to someone who just told you they're an aspiring author.
Making excuses for AI by shitting on art is a great way to get blocked.
Norbert Preining
in reply to Cassandra is only carbon now • • •Cassandra is only carbon now
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •Anthony
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •It sounds to me like you're trying to say that because this change has not affected you, it should not affect anybody. That, plus referring to critique of AI as "permanent whining", is what's actually strange here. It reads as an attempt to impose a lack of empathy on other people.
@mirabilos@toot.mirbsd.org @amin@polymaths.social @rl_dane@polymaths.social @xgranade@wandering.shop
Norbert Preining
in reply to Anthony • • •So AI, but also LLMs, are tools, and I hear far too many rants that are just meaningless broadband accusations that AI is bad and and and.
Those are tools. Like TV. Like guns. If they are used badly, it is bad. But a blanket "AI is bad" simply doesn't cut it.
Anthony
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •AI is a clear political project with an associated marketing term that gives folks of a certain mindset permission to pretend it's not a political project.
The things you say, that AI is just a tool "like guns", or X or Y "simply doesn't cut it", characterizing valid critique as "rants", to my ears sounds paternalistic, libertarian and empathy-challenged. I've had more than my fill of that kind of rhetoric so I'm out. Have a good one.
@mirabilos@toot.mirbsd.org @amin@polymaths.social @rl_dane@polymaths.social
R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •As my "Intro to Graduate Humanities" professor was always fond of saying, "Il faut prΓ©ciser."
There are always nuances to every argument, but I think your initial reply smacks a bit of tone policing, to be honest.
Yes, there are a multitude of types of "A.I.," and not every application is bad. But since most "A.I." out there was incredibly unethically sourced, and involved in what will almost certainly be just the next yottacorporate pump-and-dump scheme, I don't understand your frustration with people's outrage.
I am, to be very frank, incredibly frustrated that 99% of the people I encounter simply do not give a shit about how something is created, procured, or used, as long as it makes their day 1% easier.
This is why I say, "Replace 'AI' in the sentence with 'slavery' and see how it reads."
Because ultimately, the carelessness of the consumer is the same with both, and the inhumanity of "capitalism" is the same.
Norbert Preining
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •(taking out abucci since they mentioned "I'm out")
> But since most "A.I." out there was incredibly unethically sourced,
Actually NO. LLMs might be unethically sourced, I completely agree with that. But that is not "most AI". There is **far** more AI out there then the LLMs - only it is far less visible and a kick point.
That is the whole of my argument, please say "LLM" if you mean LLM, and not "AI".
If you put "LLM" in there, I am 100% behind what you say.
R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •I think you're being semantic-pedantic, to be honest.
"AI" is a broad term that covers everything from Pacman's ghosts' pathfinding algorithm, to ELIZA, to the Perceptrons, to whatever fresh hell Altman is dreaming up next.
But I'm responding to "AI" in its modern marketing-driven parlance, which is almost exclusively LLMs, which is (AFAIK) the issue with Calibre.
mirabilos
in reply to Norbert Preining • • •LLMs are not "most AI" in the sense that x86 machines are not "most machines" out there because there exist several dozen CPU architectures.
LLM slop is what people talk about when they say "AI" these tears.
kabel42
in reply to mirabilos • • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to kabel42 • • •Anthony
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •I can't do any better expressing my thoughts on this than Alyssa Battistoni does here: buc.ci/abucci/p/1765462240.630β¦
I see generative AI as, among other things, a tool to further degrade collective reason, dialogue, deliberation, and reflection, which is one of a million reasons to resist it. I think it's especially important to resist generative AI wherever it threatens to degrade literacy, since reading is one of the best ways to we know to improve collective reason et al.
@norbu@mastodon.social @mirabilos@toot.mirbsd.org @amin@polymaths.social
R.L. Dane π΅ reshared this.
Mark βΈ
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •(β―Β°β‘Β°οΌβ―οΈ΅ β»ββ»
R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Mark βΈ • • •Chad McCullough
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Chad McCullough • • •Christian Rickert
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •Or just read the developer's response. π
mobileread.com/forums/showthreβ¦
Turn off/Block AI features - MobileRead Forums
www.mobileread.comR.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Christian Rickert • • •Thanks for sharing. As "AI Integrations" go, I give him credit for making it about the least odious that I've seen.
Still not particularly happy with it, but it's a far cry from MS or even Mozilla.
Christian Rickert
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •Very much agree with you! - That's why I started looking into the issue.
Opt-in is the best choice IMHO.
Christian Rickert
in reply to Christian Rickert • • •TheStrangelet(mas)
in reply to Christian Rickert • • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to TheStrangelet(mas) • • •Until Ansible gets AI "features" π
Then do a "de-crapify Ansible" config in Nagios!! π€£
Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •nathan
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to nathan • • •There are alternatives, but none quite as featureful.
I think there are some recommendations elsewhere on this thread, as well as a discussion of what Mr. Goyal did right... and wrong.
Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • •R.L. Dane π΅
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •GitHub - grimthorpe/clbre: A fork of Calibre called Clbre, because the AI is stripped out.
GitHubnathan
in reply to R.L. Dane π΅ • • •