Comments on: Thanks for Nothing http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/ Culture, Politics, Academia and Other Shiny Objects Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:26:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Rana http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4385 Rana Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:20:42 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4385 <i> if the book has been out of print for a sufficient period, the author can claim the rights back from the publisher</i> True, but increasingly, publishers are finding ways to keep books nominally in print (say, 10 on-demand copies a year) and thus retain title. I wouldn't be at all surprised if e-books constitute a form of perpetual "in-print" status. if the book has been out of print for a sufficient period, the author can claim the rights back from the publisher

True, but increasingly, publishers are finding ways to keep books nominally in print (say, 10 on-demand copies a year) and thus retain title. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if e-books constitute a form of perpetual “in-print” status.

]]> By: Doug http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4379 Doug Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:28:15 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4379 No, not the author's fault at all. In fact, the author is probably bound by contract to let the publisher screw up this aspect any way it wants. On the other hand, if the book has been out of print for a sufficient period, the author can claim the rights back from the publisher and set the book free, look for another publisher, whatever. Charlie Stross has been on about publishers' cluelessness about e-books a number of times. Bruce Sterling has been on it for about a decade now. Publishers still not clueful. No, not the author’s fault at all. In fact, the author is probably bound by contract to let the publisher screw up this aspect any way it wants.

On the other hand, if the book has been out of print for a sufficient period, the author can claim the rights back from the publisher and set the book free, look for another publisher, whatever.

Charlie Stross has been on about publishers’ cluelessness about e-books a number of times. Bruce Sterling has been on it for about a decade now. Publishers still not clueful.

]]> By: eb http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4377 eb Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:19:16 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4377 My guess is that it's a mixture of the two. The Making of America sites are similarly frame-heavy, but they use the public domain and it's possible to get the uncorrected OCR and pdfs of individual pages. I wonder if they were designed around the same time, back when frames were more common. My guess is that it’s a mixture of the two. The Making of America sites are similarly frame-heavy, but they use the public domain and it’s possible to get the uncorrected OCR and pdfs of individual pages. I wonder if they were designed around the same time, back when frames were more common.

]]> By: Timothy Burke http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4376 Timothy Burke Wed, 26 Sep 2007 04:30:26 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4376 One of my students printed every page one at a time, just because she really felt she needed to read it that way. The interface for this thing is either a case of technically inept design or every aspect of it has been made intentionally inconvenient as a way to convince the publisher to play along. One of my students printed every page one at a time, just because she really felt she needed to read it that way. The interface for this thing is either a case of technically inept design or every aspect of it has been made intentionally inconvenient as a way to convince the publisher to play along.

]]> By: jim http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4374 jim Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:24:33 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4374 Nothing's actually being protected either. You want to print some of it? OCR a screen cap or three. Print the result. Actually, once you've OCR'd some screen caps, you can do anything you want with the resulting text. So, as usual, the publisher (actually probably the ACLS ) is making life difficult for the law-abiding while not preventing law-breaking. Nothing’s actually being protected either. You want to print some of it? OCR a screen cap or three. Print the result. Actually, once you’ve OCR’d some screen caps, you can do anything you want with the resulting text.

So, as usual, the publisher (actually probably the ACLS ) is making life difficult for the law-abiding while not preventing law-breaking.

]]> By: Timothy Burke http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4367 Timothy Burke Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:20:14 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4367 It's not the author's fault! The publisher is Cambridge University Press, though. It’s not the author’s fault! The publisher is Cambridge University Press, though.

]]> By: Doug http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2007/09/24/thanks-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-4363 Doug Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:55:12 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=434#comment-4363 What's the name of the book and the publisher? A little shame is in order here. What’s the name of the book and the publisher? A little shame is in order here.

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