I just read this and began wondering what the problem is. Is Newton still profiting from the Principia and living it up in Long Beach? I don't get it. Kowledge is knowledge. Information should be free. If I can go to the library and read it for free, then I should be able to go to Google and get it, too. I just wouldn't have to leave the house.
And I realize that the library is not totally free. It is funded with tax dollars, grants, and donations. But Google is giving quite a bit for its service, too. How would you like to scan entire university libraries? A team of software engineers has worked on the software to get this project going for years now. I think it is a grand idea.
Anybody remember how hard it was to check out a book at Harvard University Library when you're at a private school in Colorado? Or search technical articles at CalTech when you're in the middle of the woods in Georgia and can't find the answer? I know I'd like to.
Another benefit to Google's digitization of printed materials is that it won't be limited to print editions and be succeptible to weathering. The way Google stores data, they'll never lose it. Did you know they're approaching 10,000 Linux servers company-wide?
Screw the publishers. Let Google do something that needs to be done.
No comments:
Post a Comment