Comments on: Open Access Under Threat https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/ Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:18:52 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: Moopheus https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530728 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:18:52 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530728 “Conglomerates that own chunks of industries don’t say “Oh, that one industry there, that one is smallish and does not make too much money compared to some other ones, so let’s not apply the usual principles of operation in this case…”

No, what they say is, “that one is smallish and does not make too much money compared to some other ones, so let’s not spend too much money on it. ”

Believe me, they know how to make you feel like the poor cousin. I’m not saying that certain business practices aren’t bad, I’m just saying that as an industry, publishing is not generally a rich one. Or even a big one.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530727 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:49:05 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530727 Lilian: Right. But I think the problem here is not with fiction or trade/mass market generally. Those inudstries seem fairly responsive, and nobody is really being excluded from reading a current novel because they don’t work for a major research institution. Academic publishing is a whole other ball of wax.

]]> By: Lilian Nattel https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530726 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:44:42 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530726 It’s true that the publishing companies are owned by big conglomerates and that the book end is a small part of it. The head office of the conglomerate determines a lot of the parameters that the publisher then has to live with, including their budget and how it’s allocated. The individuals who work for the publishing company (in trade fiction–that’s what I know about) are generally nice people who work hard and love books and reading. They aren’t rich. I wish they were. I wish the love of books and reading of books led to great wealth for everyone, or at least great prosperity. I’m all for public access but I’m also for making ends meet–given that I’m a writer. I don’t know how it’s all going to pan out, but I do know that it affects me in a very real way. Timing has just worked out that I’ll be trying to sell my latest novel in this economic climate. In the meantime, we’re tightening our own budget and so are most of our neighbours. There is some good in it. We had the best school break ever just hanging out with our kids. But however the publishing industry reshapes itself, I’m hoping that I can go on writing books and making a living.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530725 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:17:20 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530725 Most of the “big” publishers are owned by huge media conglomerates, of which book and journal publishing is a small component; = big and rich.

Conglomerates that own chunks of industries don’t say “Oh, that one industry there, that one is smallish and does not make too much money compared to some other ones, so let’s not apply the usual principles of operation in this case…” Although yes, I do like the flush it down the toilet part….

That is not how they get to be conglomerates.

I have been “in the publishing industry” my entire professional career as a consumer and more lately an activist. A lot of us have, and we are tired of it.

]]> By: Azkyroth https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530724 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:51:35 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530724

For the money being spent to keep the auto industry alive for a few months, you could buy up the entire industry and flush it down the toilet.

Given the bullshit publishers have been trying to pull over Open Access, I’m suddenly intrigued.

]]> By: buzz https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530723 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:47:36 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530723 Outrageous! I think Conyers has a spit personality brought on by the Bush years. Darrel Issa (R, CA) is listed as a co-sponser of the legislation. I’ve watched this right wing liar in various committee meetings on c-span. My rule of thumb is, if Darrel Issa supports a particular piece of legislation, I probably won’t. I can say with some confidence that my Representative, Keith Ellison, would not support this legislation. I’ll email him, anyway.

]]> By: Moopheus https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530722 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:59:50 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530722 “Because it is big and rich”

Bwaa hah hahahh aahhahha

I’ve spent my entire career in publishing (admittedly mainly trade, not academic, publishing) and those two words don’t really describe the business, less so even now. Most of the “big” publishers are owned by huge media conglomerates, of which book and journal publishing is a small component; publishing is nothing compared to movies, TV, and music. For the money being spent to keep the auto industry alive for a few months, you could buy up the entire industry and flush it down the toilet.

]]> By: The Science Pundit https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530721 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:19:50 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530721

The publishing industry is dangerous. Why? Because it is big and rich, but it is also in danger.

A badger is most dangerous when it’s cornered.

]]> By: Kevin Zelnio https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530720 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:37:46 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530720 Here’s another post on it: http://campusentrepreneurship.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/monopoly-rights-to-taxpayer-funded-research/ (my brother comments in it too! Praising PLoS and Science Commons)

]]> By: Stephanie Z https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530719 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:40:43 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/02/08/open-access-under-threat/#comment-530719 One of the things that I do is track a measure of how strongly companies are reacting to the economic downturn (vague, yes, but really not my data to share). The single most “reactive” industry at the moment is publishing. I can’t tell you how much trouble they’re really in, but I can say that they feel threatened like no one else is feeling threatened right now.

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