Comments on: The end of paper and copyright for technical books? http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/ none the wiser Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:40:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8912 mandarine Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:19:17 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8912 You are very right about the tree-saving potential of digitizing scientific 'papers' (but what are we going to call them then?) I have read recently about scientists formally protesting that they were paying twice for the profits of scientific publishers: once by contributing freely to the whole content (either by submitting or reviewing articles), and again by paying real money for the result. You are very right about the tree-saving potential of digitizing scientific ‘papers’ (but what are we going to call them then?) I have read recently about scientists formally protesting that they were paying twice for the profits of scientific publishers: once by contributing freely to the whole content (either by submitting or reviewing articles), and again by paying real money for the result.

]]> By: polaris http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8910 polaris Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:14:36 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8910 Hear hear! We can be sad together about IEEE and Springer. I have been driven to distraction an uncountable number of times by following a link to IEEE which says that my account privileges do not grant me access to a publication. And, irony of ironies, sometimes, IEEE does not let me download and print my own papers! Should I sign up for 10 different societies just to be able to download their publications? I wish that all of it were free or at least subsidized, with more or less standardized formats, and easier online procedures for submission, review and revision of journals (to reduce the burden on editors). I wish that IEEE stopped printing their proceedings on paper because I think that the number of trees used is out of proportion with the number of people who will go and read the papers versus the number of people who will search for a dozen papers in an hour and probably print out a couple, if at all. Further, how much space, furniture and electricity would university libraries be able to save if all of their IEEE, SPIE, Science, Nature, etc. archives were only available digitally? Hear hear! We can be sad together about IEEE and Springer. I have been driven to distraction an uncountable number of times by following a link to IEEE which says that my account privileges do not grant me access to a publication. And, irony of ironies, sometimes, IEEE does not let me download and print my own papers! Should I sign up for 10 different societies just to be able to download their publications?

I wish that all of it were free or at least subsidized, with more or less standardized formats, and easier online procedures for submission, review and revision of journals (to reduce the burden on editors). I wish that IEEE stopped printing their proceedings on paper because I think that the number of trees used is out of proportion with the number of people who will go and read the papers versus the number of people who will search for a dozen papers in an hour and probably print out a couple, if at all. Further, how much space, furniture and electricity would university libraries be able to save if all of their IEEE, SPIE, Science, Nature, etc. archives were only available digitally?

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8879 mandarine Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:37:13 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8879 Isn't it astounding how new inventive business models seem to arise wherever the good-old merchant model of pay-per-anything is challenged? Isn’t it astounding how new inventive business models seem to arise wherever the good-old merchant model of pay-per-anything is challenged?

]]> By: Emily Barton http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8878 Emily Barton Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:22:05 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8878 Fascinating. I agree with you that it will somehow all sort itself out, and I am very impatient for the day when I will have all information I may want (in much better "searchable" form, which is also something I believe is coming, or will sort itself out). I have a feeling that publishing companies are going to become "editing" and "print-on-demand" or "download on demand" companies and will no longer be the great "gate-keepers" they've always been. Not quite sure how profits will work in this scenario, but I have a feeling that will work itself out as well. Fascinating. I agree with you that it will somehow all sort itself out, and I am very impatient for the day when I will have all information I may want (in much better “searchable” form, which is also something I believe is coming, or will sort itself out). I have a feeling that publishing companies are going to become “editing” and “print-on-demand” or “download on demand” companies and will no longer be the great “gate-keepers” they’ve always been. Not quite sure how profits will work in this scenario, but I have a feeling that will work itself out as well.

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8877 mandarine Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:12:01 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8877 Maybe that's how the system will evolve: the best authors will have no difficulties finding peers or volunteers to edit their work just for fun, pride and fame. The others will have to pay you if they want their work to be any good in the end. Maybe that’s how the system will evolve: the best authors will have no difficulties finding peers or volunteers to edit their work just for fun, pride and fame. The others will have to pay you if they want their work to be any good in the end.

]]> By: Becky http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8876 Becky Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:56:04 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8876 You are right in that authors are allegedly on a schedule... I have known good, fast authors and terrible, slow authors. But, I must not complain since the terrible authors are the ones I get for freelance editing, and who are paying for my vacation this year. So I have something of an interest in maintaining the importance of editors! You are right in that authors are allegedly on a schedule… I have known good, fast authors and terrible, slow authors. But, I must not complain since the terrible authors are the ones I get for freelance editing, and who are paying for my vacation this year. So I have something of an interest in maintaining the importance of editors!

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8872 mandarine Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:25:48 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8872 Becky: my best guess as to the apparent laziness of authors is that they are on a schedule (which is the general case when one works with a publisher, unless I am mistaken). If authors had a lifetime to pore over their writing, the quality would be much higher (and the amount of published material much lower, which might not necessarily be a bad thing). An editor (or a group of editors) would still be able to improve the text, but at least the obvious shortcomings would be dealt with in the first place. Dorothy: my experience of spontaneous organisation towards quality is with open-source software. Somehow, the best stuff always pops to the surface, there to be observed, handled and polished by the best people, without so much as an institutional peer-review process or grading process. (in contrast, web-based peer-review and grading like slashdot or digg do not promote quality but popularity, with a very questionable positive feedback effect of popularity promoting popularity). Becky: my best guess as to the apparent laziness of authors is that they are on a schedule (which is the general case when one works with a publisher, unless I am mistaken). If authors had a lifetime to pore over their writing, the quality would be much higher (and the amount of published material much lower, which might not necessarily be a bad thing). An editor (or a group of editors) would still be able to improve the text, but at least the obvious shortcomings would be dealt with in the first place.

Dorothy: my experience of spontaneous organisation towards quality is with open-source software. Somehow, the best stuff always pops to the surface, there to be observed, handled and polished by the best people, without so much as an institutional peer-review process or grading process. (in contrast, web-based peer-review and grading like slashdot or digg do not promote quality but popularity, with a very questionable positive feedback effect of popularity promoting popularity).

]]> By: Dorothy W. http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8871 Dorothy W. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:52:22 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8871 Your last question and Becky's response are intriguing -- I do wonder what mechanism for editing will appear. Your vision of the future does sound wonderful, but I am very curious about quality. I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of reading material out there and am grateful for people who help me sort it out. Your last question and Becky’s response are intriguing — I do wonder what mechanism for editing will appear. Your vision of the future does sound wonderful, but I am very curious about quality. I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of reading material out there and am grateful for people who help me sort it out.

]]> By: Becky http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8866 Becky Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:25:17 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/the-end-of-paper-and-copyright-for-technical-books/#comment-8866 Oh Mandarine, you have listed the current great fears of reference/monograph publishers. How do we stay relevant when the publishing model changes, as it is certain to do? Just last week, Harvard University faculty voted for open access for all articles published by faculty members. The one reassuring thing is that many authors are so lazy, so sloppy in what they deliver, that editors are very much required as gatekeepers of quality. But, are authors lazy because they can get away with it, knowing that someone else will clean up their mess? I think you are right that a solution will present itself; indeed, see <a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org/blog/archives/2008/01/expressive_processing_an_exper.html" rel="nofollow">this link</a> for one such development. Oh Mandarine, you have listed the current great fears of reference/monograph publishers. How do we stay relevant when the publishing model changes, as it is certain to do? Just last week, Harvard University faculty voted for open access for all articles published by faculty members.
The one reassuring thing is that many authors are so lazy, so sloppy in what they deliver, that editors are very much required as gatekeepers of quality. But, are authors lazy because they can get away with it, knowing that someone else will clean up their mess?
I think you are right that a solution will present itself; indeed, see this link for one such development.

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