The Return of Eric Weisstein's World Of Mathematics

Many readers (like this Anonymous Coward) have written with the good news that "Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, a free, online encyclopedia of mathematics was taken off the web thanks to a lawsuit by CRC Publishing. After much legal wrangling, it returns today stronger than ever. See it rise from the ashes at http://mathworld.wolfram.com."

Comments

and yet..

[Anonymous Coward]

see it get slashdotted back into ashes...

Right when it comes up...

[svallarian]

Damn slashdot effect takes it right back down. :)

Re:Right when it comes up...

[Lars T.]

"Just like we planned" said Mr. Anonymous Coward from CRC Publishing.

Oh NO!

[Uttles]

I just went to the site to check it out, and I have to say it's really nicely done, and I'm sure there's a lot of great information there, but I read the first article about a new subset of normal numbers, and my brain hasn't hurt that much since MthSc 410!!! Thank God I'll never have to look at that stuff again!

(this is humor, I'm not slighting math as I think it's the most important subject, especially in early education, but that article is rather confusing to anyone who hasn't been working with that level of stuff for several years)

Re:Oh NO!

[bachelor3]

I'm not slighting math as I think it's the most important subject...
I totally agree. We need resources like this, since 3 out of 10 North Americans have trouble with basic math...that's like, what, 60%?

Re:Why is this under "Your rights online" ?

[RareHeintz]

Well, since I can't get to the site, I don't have the whole story. But if CRC sued this site because, for example, it contained values for natural constants (pi, e, Planck's constant, etc.) that also happened to be published in the CRC handbook, then it raises the question: Does the CRC own numbers that they didn't make up (though they may have put in effort calculating or measuring them to some precision)?

It strikes me that if this in fact what happened, then the CRC was crassly trying to remove free-as-in-beer competition through a frivolous lawsuit, by claiming to own a copyright on the basic physical and mathematical constants.

So, to answer your question, it does relate to your rights, because it's yet another story about how well-monied corporations try to restrict speech on the net by suing those who speak in ways they don't like, and hoping that the financial burden of pursuing the suit will cause the speaker to give in.

If that doesn't make it clear for you, then I suggest you put up a large and well-documented website devoted to exposing abuses of corporate power by some large and litigious corporation (Walmart, Sony, any of the big names will do), and see if you feel empowered when you get the first letter from their lawyers.

OK,
- B

Re:Good Math

[Anonymous Coward]

"Of course, I'm still on the idea that math is really un-important in the computer industry =) But that's another story heheh. "

Tell that to the NASA Mars program.

Re:Boycott CRC, but give them some feedback too

[rossz]

Am I correct in thinking CRC is big in mail order? If that's the case, instead of just boycotting them, take the time to fill out an order form, but don't include a check or credit card number, instead, include a note saying you will not complete the order until they release their unjust copyright stranglehold.

Re:Good Math

[rabbits77]

Tell that to the NASA Mars program.
Why? Will they beat him up for suggesting that math is unimportant to the computer industry? You specified the Mars program, are they known to be more violent than other divisions of NASA? I am working on my M.S. in Mathematics, what sort of initiation can I expect if I want to join their gang? Would I have to kill an English major on the pretense that he was disrespecting me?