Revert to previous version from version 5.0

[dwlarry]

I have tried version 5.0 and frankly it broke a perfect application. The loss of direct links to Amazon and IMDB are unbearable. How do I revert to version 4?

[Nora]

IMDb is still very much part of the search options. Make sure you have it turned on in the Preferences/Sites and click on the magnifying glass in the search window to select it as your search site:



But if you'd prefer to stick with version 4.6.8 you are of course welcome to do so. You can download that version here.

[TreverT]

I beg to differ - ALL of the Amazon options are now gone from my search sites. My apologies if I seem harsh, but it's the end of a very long day and having Bookpedia rendered defunct for me was not the best capper.

It seems there's an unforseen problem with this new Amazon login situation - Now that we HAVE to have an Amazon Associates account to access Amazon as a search source (and the other search sites all together turn up only 1/10th the results I get from Amazon), I am unable to access Amazon search at all because I am locked out of the Associates program due to living in NC. Residents of NC and five or six other states are not eligible to participate in the Associates program so Amazon just kicks me out, and without an Associates account, I can no longer access the Amazon sites for search. This has essentially borked the whole app for me. Please, PLEASE fix this, because I loved Bookpedia very much and my wife and I use it for all our book database needs (We're both avid readers). Please don't tell me I am about to be version-locked at 4.68 forever just because of the state I happen to live in....

[Conor]

Hi Trever,

We have written a new blog post to help users familiarize themselves with all the new search sites. We will write more about each individual search site in the future to help pick an alternative to Amazon for users.

Unfortunately, Amazon is moving away from altruistically providing their data in return for link backs and sales and making the terms very specific and how it's used. The data is now more for promotional purposes. As well as their mobile prohibition, not having a mobile app is not an alternative for us in this day and age. We have included the ability to sign up for Amazon as some of our users are Amazon market sellers or buy a lot of items directly from Amazon. But for general data we hope to slowly help people choose open alternatives that are built by dedicated programmers for the community. Luckily, many such sites have appeared in the last few years as sharing information becomes more prevalent with the new generation. We are working on making Doghouse an equal source of information, as we can't depend on a giant company that does not have our users interest at heart.

Version 4.6.8 is an excellent program and very stable and is a great alternative for users who do not wish to upgrade to the latest changes. You can find download 4.6.8 from the following links: Bookpedia, DVDpedia, Gamepedia, CDpedia.

[TreverT]

I wish you the best of luck with Doghouse, and I can understand the need for an independent solution. Unfortunately, the bottom line means that for everyone ineligible for an Amazon Associates account due to location (I wish I'd screen-capped that message, as it was NC, Colorado, and five or six other states), this pretty much nukes the usability of book search for the immediate future. I've rolled back to 4.6.8 and Amazon searches are working again. Good luck with the app; I guess I will be watching from the sidelines now. And I suspect this issue will probably crop up again as others bump into the same problem with version 5 and beyond.

[yushasama]

Agree. I am reverting back to 4.6.8 also since I refuse to set up a Twitter account just to access the Associates program.