From: ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake")
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Some hard questions (was: Books that last)
Date: 13 Apr 92 18:21:57 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

Okay, time I gave another stir to this pot...

I believe that the average person is and will continue to be
virtually computer-illiterate. This is the big drawback to discussing
anything of this nature on Usenet since by definition all us folks are
computer-literate enough to find the discussion spot in the first place!
To most such, it really appears simple to "digitize" (in whatever way
seems cheapest at the time--film, CDs, whatever) all the books so that
you can access any bit of information on demand. 

My oh my, I can certainly tell that most folks haven't worked in a
library except to do their research papers in college. (Sorry, I don't
mean to slight anyone with that remark, but things look a lot different
from my side of the library fence.) All respondents to date have
conveniently skipped over the hard parts...

   --	selecting what gets "treated" (or even what gets treated
	first)

   --	who will do the indexing so that the data can be retrieved again
	(which is a highly intellectual and demanding activity with an
	unfortunately high degree of routine and attention to detail
	required--i.e. tough to get good people to do it to exacting
	standards)

   --	how will the indexing be done so that various types of software
	can be used (i.e. who will determine the Standards for indexing and
	enforce them)

   --	who will actually sit with the camera and turn the pages (since
	most of the books in direst need of preservation are seriously
	embrittled and falling to dust already, this is absolutely NOT
	something that can be left to a robot, and in fact, may require
	more training and discrimination and attention to detail than you
	can get out of all but the best and most highly paid work/study
	students, in which case you might as well hire someone permanent
	who won't leave after the end of the school term)

   --	And the real "biggie" which I keep mentioning, who pays. As much
	lip service as is given to preserving our intellectual and
	cultural heritage, etc. etc.  etc., in real life, such
	preservation efforts are at the bottom of the hole under the
	political dogpile. Such projects just aren't sexy enough in the
	public mind to warrant spending hard-earned tax dollars on in the
	face of requests to fill potholes in the roads, provide
	food-stamps/health care/pensions/whatever else anyone wants free,
	etc.

In short, much of the rec.org.mensa discussion has been suggesting hgih
tech solutions to the very easiest parts of the problem and
metaphorically waving away the harder questions.

Another question--what about copyright? That sort of slops over into
another thread in rec.org.mensa, but it is something that needs to be
dealt with before mass storage can become a reality.

And what about refereed journals as proof of academic and research
merit -- i.e. publish or perish? What system can be developed to supplant
the old "see it in print" syndrome for the aspiring academician?

Actually, I guess these last two are related threads that I am tossing
back out onto the net for everyone to chew. Actually, if I might
suggest... the resulting discussion might best be split into three topics
depending on which line you choose to follow:  

	Preservation - including both the technology and the other "hard"
		questions.
	Copyright
	Academia

(One or more of these should really get the pot going again... :-)

Happy spring holiday of your choice.
--
|  Didi Pancake         |       "There is a great, red cheeseball        |
|  ehp@virginia.edu     |       of insanity in this picnic basket."      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  All the usual disclaimers about the origins of these opinions apply.  |
From: Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP