--- Predrag Punosevac [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Zvezdan Petkovic wrote:
So, in my opinion this DRM has its use cases.
I hate to disagree with somebody who sounds like my fellow countryman
but DRM has NO use.
Actually, he stated a use for it. Just because there are alternatives
doesn't mean that his use isn't valid.
To stay on the same note I think that scientific publishing is in
sorry state and is ripe for a Theo De Raadt of open publishing.
Considering that many researchers post there papers on there own web
pages, there is the arXiv, a second (at least) free textbook publisher
announced on slashdot a few days ago, department made texts at many
Universities (several of my classes had them at my old U) and the
existence of places like lulu.com, I don't think that we are in such
dire straights as you seem to imply that we are in. All that I think
needs to happen is that Profs take advantage of the resources that are
already out there. As in, it's one thing for these texts to exist, but
quite another for them to be used.
But, it does also take man power to create these texts in the first
place...
I am so sick to see my students spending hundreds of dollars for
books that should not cost mode than $10.
In an era when the role of publisher is in essence reduced to
printing already prepared manuscript (yes TeX and computers have
revolutionized publishing almost as much as Gutenberg printing
press) and maybe market it little bit I see no reasons for their
existence in present form. I am sick of cheap tricks like having
new editions every two years or so.
In general I agree, but there are some exceptions. For instance, there
is Dudley's Elementary Number Theory and Nering's Linear Algebra and
Matrix Theory among others (some by Lang and Rudin). All of those
worth there high price tag. Let's not ignore corner cases.
But, even then, Profs should start to apply pressure to publishing
houses to lower the prices of (at least) the older texts. It's not
like they haven't recouped the expenses.
I am sick of extra software that comes with the textbooks that nobody
uses. I am sadden by a use of high quality paper for books that kids
are not going to keep more than a single school year.
Not to mention the glare that comes off that paper that makes it
difficult to read... at least for my older eyes ;)
At any rate, so as to not have this mail completely off topic, if the
maintainer would include a patch to get rid of the DRM in xpdf, I'd
greatly appreciate it.
best regards,
Reid Nichol
President Bush says:
War Is Peace
Freedom Is Slavery
Ignorance Is Strength
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