Comments on: PW e-book blog deletion still unexplained: Info-biz ramifications in the Google library debate and elsewhere? http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:44:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/comment-page-1/#comment-849035 David Rothman Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:21:57 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/13/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/#comment-849035 But HG, if Google does it for free, it can more easily impose conditions that shackle the books. I will say in fairness to Google that we're getting into major questions of national priorities. Why isn't the money available for the libraries to undertake the arrangements I've suggested? Google's digitizing the books with certain conditions imposed is better than no one doing it, but, really, the money ought to be there. Thanks, David But HG, if Google does it for free, it can more easily impose conditions that shackle the books.

I will say in fairness to Google that we’re getting into major questions of national priorities. Why isn’t the money available for the libraries to undertake the arrangements I’ve suggested?

Google’s digitizing the books with certain conditions imposed is better than no one doing it, but, really, the money ought to be there.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/comment-page-1/#comment-849017 HeavyG Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:09:47 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/13/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/#comment-849017 Contractors get paid, however, isn't Google funding these massive scanning efforts? I think libraries are just offering convenient access to their collections. Google could just buy copies of all these books but that seems like such a waste of time and money when they can instead just access existing collections. It's not as if whatever books they scan are no longer available to anyone else via other existing copies be they paper or digital. Contractors get paid, however, isn’t Google funding these massive scanning efforts? I think libraries are just offering convenient access to their collections. Google could just buy copies of all these books but that seems like such a waste of time and money when they can instead just access existing collections.

It’s not as if whatever books they scan are no longer available to anyone else via other existing copies be they paper or digital.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/comment-page-1/#comment-848981 David Rothman Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:10:21 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/13/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/#comment-848981 Hi, HeavyG. It's the deals with libraries and the massive scanning operation that matter here. Google is the boss. Why is Google, rather than a group of libraries, be in charge here? Google instead should be a contractor. For First Amendment reasons, I love the idea of private alternatives outside the library system, but it's a bit too much turning over so much to Google. Just the way I see things. Thanks for your comments. David Hi, HeavyG. It’s the deals with libraries and the massive scanning operation that matter here. Google is the boss. Why is Google, rather than a group of libraries, be in charge here? Google instead should be a contractor. For First Amendment reasons, I love the idea of private alternatives outside the library system, but it’s a bit too much turning over so much to Google. Just the way I see things. Thanks for your comments. David

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/comment-page-1/#comment-848957 HeavyG Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:20:06 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/13/pw-e-book-blog-deletion-still-unexplained-and-that-has-info-biz-ramifications-in-the-google-library-debate-and-elsewhere/#comment-848957 <i>"Just the same, it still scares me that Google, even with stellar leadership, controls so much of our cultural heritage as expressed in ones and zeros."</i> How does Google control our cultural heritage? They are scanning books. Anyone else is also free to scan books. How does Googles's possession of scans of books control much of anything? Google has a search engine - arguably the largest and most widely used but there are over 100 other search engines many of which give much better targeted results. Anyone is free to create/develop a search engine. I must be missing something here. “Just the same, it still scares me that Google, even with stellar leadership, controls so much of our cultural heritage as expressed in ones and zeros.”

How does Google control our cultural heritage? They are scanning books. Anyone else is also free to scan books. How does Googles’s possession of scans of books control much of anything?

Google has a search engine – arguably the largest and most widely used but there are over 100 other search engines many of which give much better targeted results. Anyone is free to create/develop a search engine.

I must be missing something here.

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