Removing titles from the Logos platform

Some of you have noticed recently an influx of titles on the Logos platform that aren’t related to Bible study. One of our company priorities is bringing you new books faster so Logos can be your one-stop shop for ebooks of all kinds. We’ve gotten feedback in the past that users want to consolidate all their ebooks in Logos, but we have a ways to go before we can serve users in this way. 

However, as many of you have noted, a difficulty in broadening the content available on logos.com is that we rely on publishers to provide relevant, helpful content that doesn’t violate our standards of containing erotic/graphic language or inciting violence. (You can read our entire distribution philosophy here.) Many Bible-focused, respected publishers add books to the Logos platform using an automated feed. Some of these publishers have imprints that publish books which sometimes violate our standards—and these imprints also send books to the Logos platform using the automated feed. We’ve always used BISAC codes to filter out as many of these books as we can and we take down individual titles as we find them. 

However, we’re currently working to tighten these controls so the Logos platform is always a safe place for going deeper in the Bible. A few things that means going forward:

• We have turned off the automatic feed for publishers and publishing imprints with multiple titles that violate our distribution philosophy. This means that titles from these publishers will be reviewed to ensure nothing erotic/graphic or violent makes it to our website.

• Our team will review titles flagged by users like you within one business day. If a title violates our standards against erotic, graphic, or violent language, we will remove it ASAP. You can send questionable titles to titlereview@logos.com to be reviewed by someone at Logos.

We apologize for the few resources that have bypassed our filtering system in the past. Thank you to those who have brought them to our attention so we could immediately remove them, and thank you for continuing to trust Logos to help you go deeper in your study of Scripture.

 

Sounds very positive. I'm one of those who loves to have all my Christian books in one place, although I'm less worried by having "secular" ebooks in Logos. In addition to your comments, it would be great if publishers didn't apparently overlook Logos when it comes to ebook sales of resources in the Faithlife ebooks store. If you follow the Faithlife ebooks forum, you'll see many overlooked sales.

Thank you for taking these steps. One thing I look to Logos for is a curated catalogue of works that can advance my study of God's word. For me, personally, Logos would be less useful and appealing to me if it turned into another Amazon.

Appreciate the openness and the steps you are taking, Matt!

"We apologize for the few resources that have bypassed our filtering system in the past."

1. Unfortunately, from what I've read, the offending resources can hardly be classified as "few," at least in number if not percentage.

2. Your "policy" regarding content is meaningless unless it is effective.

3. Your (LOGOS) failure to respond to a subscriber's concern regarding this matter for close to one month has caused this matter to snowball into something that has resulted in a very visible stain on the reputation of Logos/Faithlife.

4. Trust has to earned, and this matter has damaged the trust. You need to do much better before that trust can be returned.

5. Thank you for finally responding in a positive way to this. I would still expect an effort to examine why this was not discovered sooner, and why Logos did not respond in a more timely way when this matter was first reported.

The Protestia article was very damaging, where complaints was disregarded. I asked myself what I should do hereafter. I am not fully sure yet.

Thank you for taking these steps. One thing I look to Logos for is a curated catalogue of works that can advance my study of God's word. For me, personally, Logos would be less useful and appealing to me if it turned into another Amazon.

I agree with this statement by EastTN.

I for one have no desire to read one of my cookbooks (for example) within the Logos platform ...

First, cookbooks (example) are much better in an cooking app. 

But what exactly is the issue here (not questioning violence, erotica/graphic).

 - If you don't buy cookbooks they won't be in your library.  No 'Jane's Hunky Cowboy' either.  Seems to me, the issue is Logos.com (specifically) including a lot of junk (cookbooks, novels, etc).  There's no easy way to have user-managed filters (the carot menu is a pain). Shopping is currently painful, and I avoid it.

- If you DO buy cookbooks, novels etc, it's a pain managing them, relative to religious use. Everytime a search, you have to do this or that. Versus separate libraries. If you have kids, you can't give them their area for ease of use ... all one big pot.

My guess (no offense) is marketing-wise, FL needs the purchases, no matter. Why else, mindlessly dump in books?

Wellll..... If I was running the Logos Company ....  we all know it would be perfect in every way.... right?  LOL  LOL  LOL.... 

I fully realize that statement is wrong... just because I'm human and not perfect. Knowing this causes me to consider to give a little leniency to others and understand they will also make mistakes. If those mistakes become the trend of what they do, that's one thing. But if they try to and do correct their mistakes, welll.... that's another thing. 

I see Logos making mistakes, no doubt, mainly because Logos is run by a group of humans, and if those humans are like me... welll... they make mistakes.

But...  I am thankful that Logos is actually trying to correct their mistakes. That's why I gave them a big "ATTA BOY"!    And .... I would hope we all would encourage them in keeping on doing this. 

That's my opinion, and mine alone! [8-|] 

"Cleis Press is the largest independent sexuality publishing company in the United States. With a focus on LGBTQ, BDSM, romance, and erotic writing for all ..."  If this sounds like a "respected publisher" that "adds books to the Logos platform using an automated feed," then I would be interested in knowing how they got the feed in the first place. I would also like to know why, as of a few minutes ago, their disgusting trash is still on the platform. I'm still waiting to be told why previous complaints about this situation were not addressed.

I am willing to be charitable, but before I start handing out compliments, I'm going to need some answers, and I would like them to be honest answers. 

Logos does supply books to seminaries and other academic institutions. Even at conservative schools, there are courses which utilize sources from different backgrounds for the purpose of education (even if refuting). It would be easy to see some school utilizing a source from that publisher. 

Seeing that this book is geared towards children, I highly doubt that any academic institution is using it for a textbook.

The Junior Witch’s Handbook: A Kid’s Guide to White Magic, Spells, and Rituals. The link is still active at the time of posting.

Edit: Logos used to be a safe bookstore for all family members, regardless of age. It is not that place anymore.

"Cleis Press is the largest independent sexuality publishing company in the United States. With a focus on LGBTQ, BDSM, romance, and erotic writing for all ..."  If this sounds like a "respected publisher" that "adds books to the Logos platform using an automated feed," then I would be interested in knowing how they got the feed in the first place. I would also like to know why, as of a few minutes ago, their disgusting trash is still on the platform. I'm still waiting to be told why previous complaints about this situation were not addressed.

I am willing to be charitable, but before I start handing out compliments, I'm going to need some answers, and I would like them to be honest answers. 

There's only one title by this publisher in the store. For those interested, it's The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist and key strategist/adviser to Martin Luther King, Jr. This is not a BDSM/romance/erotic title. There's nothing overtly sexual about the title, cover, or description of this book. This "disgusting trash" is simply the collected works of a key civil rights leader, and a review of the table of contents indicates that the book is about his experiences in the civil rights movement and his perspective on civil/human rights and non-violent resistance.

I'm not trying to argue with anyone, nor will I be arguing with anyone. I just wanted to introduce some facts into the discussion that the quoted post neglected to mention. This is why I would rather decide for myself whether a book is appropriate than have a minority of the loudest users deciding for everyone else what we can and cannot purchase in Logos.

I'm also posting just in case others wanted to purchase the book before Logos removed it. It's reasonably priced for a 422-page book and represents a diverse perspective you don't often find in Logos.

Carry on.