Michael:
Instead of using emotive words like "shame" and "cynical", perhaps you might
address the issues I have raised:
a) who is actually doing the giving?
b) the "free now, charge later" philosophy behind this scheme.
c) use of non proprietary/open source software for accessing the materials
d) financial assistance for academic contributors from countries of the
South.
To use your own emotive, I just don't see the "sacrifice" involved.
Regards
Alan
Alan Story
Kent Law School
University of Kent
Canterbury Kent U.K
CT2 7NS.
a.c.story_at_ukc.ac.uk
44 (0)1227 823316
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Kay" <kaym_at_osi.hu>
To: "'Alan Story'" <a.c.story_at_ukc.ac.uk>;
<AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG>
Cc: "Istvan Rev" <revist_at_ceu.hu>; "Anna Maria Balogh" <abalogh_at_osi.hu>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 11:11 AM
Subject: Re: FOS Newsletter Excerpts
> It is a shame that you should write this in such a cynical tone. Yes the
> publishers do stand to gain in the long term, but at last they are willing
> to "sacrifice" something at least . I have been working with them for
some
> time on exactly these sorts of projects and they do realise that unless
they
> do something to "look better" that their battle will be even harder.
> Naturally they are more than concerned about the current debate and their
> futures. But at the end of the day, they are now coughing with excellent
> deals for countries that our network serves - the financially
disadvantaged.
> And just for the record not all publishers are inherently evil people -
> believe it or not.
>
> Michael Kay
> Director eIFL (Soros Foundation Network)
> http://www.eifl.net
>
Received on Wed Jan 03 2001 - 19:17:43 GMT