Napster for Researchers

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Rich Douglas, Feb 19, 2016.

Loading...
Page 2 of 2
  1. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    As an undergraduate, for a literature paper at Reed, I wanted to see a book of poetry by Henry Miller, illustrated by Israeli artist Belzalel Schatz. The cost of access at the UCLA rare book room was $100 (which in 1958 would have bought 600 McDonalds hamburgers). I wrote to "Henry Miller, Big Sur, California" and got two charming handwritten letters from Miller, one telling me a bit more about the book ("Into the Night Life"), and one that I was to show the librarian at UCLA ordering them to show me the book. So I got to see the book, and I still have two semi-valuable letters from Miller.
     
    John Bear, Feb 29, 2016
    #21
  2. jhp

    jhp Member

    As for "all these people" - many have not broken laws, but did exactly what was suggested on the the other sites. The closed research paper firms cannot survive without peer reviews and editors. By resigning en masse, they achieved more, without breaking laws.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 29, 2016
    jhp, Feb 29, 2016
    #22
  3. jhp

    jhp Member

    I would like to read others expound their point of view.

    Let's give a chance for others to receive mockery and contempt.
     
    jhp, Feb 29, 2016
    #23
  4. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Okay, then I think that academia would get along fine without commercial publishers altogether, either for textbooks or for journals. Reputation and prestige are already the coin of the realm when it comes to university faculty members, so the writing and research will still be done, and foundations and better endowed departments can cover the editorial side.

    The only thing keeping commercial publishers alive is inertia on the part of academics. We don't need them, they need us, and until enough of us realize that I guess we'll keep just feeding and sheltering them as the unnecessary house guests they are.

    So, mock away.
     
    SteveFoerster, Feb 29, 2016
    #24
  5. jhp

    jhp Member

    Cannot; self derision is not that much fun.

    They need us. If the submissions, editors, reviewers suddenly (or even slowly) veer off to open source depositories, they would be force to adjust or fold.
     
    jhp, Mar 1, 2016
    #25
  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Kizmet, Mar 28, 2016
    #26
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    SteveFoerster, Mar 28, 2016
    #27
  8. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Kizmet, Jun 10, 2019
    #28
Page 2 of 2

Share This Page