all this stuff requires time, work and risks. Who does it for free? Bob Lancaster
On Apr 20, 2012, at 10:09 AM, Joseph Spinden wrote: > Here's an article I came across today: > > > Opinion: Academic Publishing Is Broken | The Scientist > > http://the-scientist.com/2012/03/19/opinion-academic-publishing-is-broken/ > > > > This started me thinking about what services publishers perform in general. > As this article points out, for the scientific community, some publications > are necessary for historical reasons. Also, I can see great value in peer > review. > > But, what is to prevent someone from setting up a web site devoted to eBooks > not subject to the publishers' restrictions ? E.g., self-published books or > books marketed by "ebook agents". By taking the copyrights out of the > current publishers' hands, presumably, the prices could be drastically > lowered while the authors could get higher fees and/or royalties ! > > This would not do away with the need for editors. But do editors need to be > employees of the existing publishers ? > > So, what are the compelling arguments for the ability of publishers to > maintain their control over content delivered electronically ? > > Joe > > > -- > > "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." > > -- Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, 1913. > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
