The availability isn't the problem, it's the execution. Google could quite easily license the already accurate information from the participating libraries or from OCLC but didn't. And while the article is from the perspective of a scholar, the majority of users are likely to be students, a user base that may not be aware of or understand the implications of the errors until after their paper is finished. And remember that these books are mostly coming from research libraries. These will mostly be scholarly books of primary interest to students and faculty.
The fulltext search of millions of books is certainly useful and, as a reference librarian at a research institution, I often encourage students to use it to discover if "there is a book out there on that subject" but the inaccuracies do really matter! A small example of why is the case of books with only a snippet or less available in fulltext. Our students, and anyone with a public library nearby in the US for that matter, can request the book through interlibrary loan (almost always for free). But to make a successful request, you need accurate information about the book you want to see. See where the Google's lack of metadata accuracy could be a problem?
Sure they tried using Twitter to control their botnet but after sending out one set of instructions they got bored and went back to playing MafiaWars on Facebook.
I'm a librarian at a large university. Right now out in our public space there are a couple hundred of kids with laptops. Three quarters of them have new or newish Macbooks and a surprising percentage of them are Macbook Pros. They aren't all Mac fans yet but I bet they will be.
And I will be donating to the campaigns of challengers of any committee member who votes for this bill.
These issues are too important to leave to publishers' pet politicians.
The whole point of the workstation model (not the FPS) is for an office worker to walk at a very moderate pace for the entire time they are working at the PC. That is, walking instead of sitting. If you sit on your ass for 8 hours a day five days a week at work this would have you walking, albeit slowly, for those 8 hours instead. With the added bonus that you probably won't be munching on junk food while you're walking.
It isn't the same as a 5 mile run but I doubt you get much work done, or get paid, on your 5 mile run.
Why does everyone think this is an either/or device? Either use appleTV or cable? That's nonsense. Most people who buy it will still have cable and will simply use the appleTV as an additional source of audio and video content.
I don't know about you but I've missed eps of BSG or SG1 due to my crappy Comcast DVR resetting in the middle of the show and rather than wait for SciFi reruns I've just bought the eps from iTunes. Now I really love my 12" Powerbook for just about everything just not for watching widescreen tv shows in my living room!
It's a one time purchase, no subscription fees, and at $299 it probably won't kill anyone who's just spent $2k on a HDTV. This really isn't so earth shaking folks.
Hit your students with this one:
The terms of use for the "anti-plagerism" site turnitin.com (used by many colleges and universities) allows the company to retain the use of any IP included in the papers submited to it. Since students are almost never giving the chance to opt-out of using the site they are, in fact, being forced to give away their IP rights over their work free of charge.
I'm a college librarian and I hate this but it is popular with those faculty too lazy to craft assignments that are less prone to plagerism.
You know, this whole thread has really surprised me. The same/. crowd that rallies around every new DRM crack and, by and large, calls FUD on every new **AA pronouncement this time seems to be totally in ClearChannel's pocket.
How is this possible? Does the belief in free exchange of information end at the digital/analog divide?
Even if these pirate stations were a serious threat to the signal integrity of whichever monopolitistic media entity controls the airwaves in their locale, which is very doubtful, shouldn't we be supporting their efforts to broaden the public dialogue?
There may be "legal" ways to do this with educational licenses (though there are hurdles to getting these licences approved) but there are "legal" ways to do a lot of things lauded on this site (you could always buy that second copy of LOTR to give to your friend). Why are people so quick to to jump into Big Corporate's, er..., pocket on this issue?
I have been working on a Plone/Zope site for my academic library for nearly a year (working very part-time on it). While the learning curve is pretty steep I have found that the support from the community has been really outstanding. The lead developers are pretty active on the lists and the documentation has been improving. I highly recommend it.
I'd love to use WPA but from what I understand WPA doesn't work in repeater mode (or maybe that's just with g networks) and my house needs two access points to cover everywhere I need access.
The real irony is that Billy Boy's Matrix spoof is ultimately a "borrowing" of Apple's "1984" Superbowl commercial.
Goes to show you: Stick with what you know!
Slashdot Mirror
The availability isn't the problem, it's the execution. Google could quite easily license the already accurate information from the participating libraries or from OCLC but didn't. And while the article is from the perspective of a scholar, the majority of users are likely to be students, a user base that may not be aware of or understand the implications of the errors until after their paper is finished. And remember that these books are mostly coming from research libraries. These will mostly be scholarly books of primary interest to students and faculty. The fulltext search of millions of books is certainly useful and, as a reference librarian at a research institution, I often encourage students to use it to discover if "there is a book out there on that subject" but the inaccuracies do really matter! A small example of why is the case of books with only a snippet or less available in fulltext. Our students, and anyone with a public library nearby in the US for that matter, can request the book through interlibrary loan (almost always for free). But to make a successful request, you need accurate information about the book you want to see. See where the Google's lack of metadata accuracy could be a problem?
Sure they tried using Twitter to control their botnet but after sending out one set of instructions they got bored and went back to playing MafiaWars on Facebook.
I think it's time for all of us to add "I'm a lesbian" to our profiles. Let Microsoft ban us all!
I'm a librarian at a large university. Right now out in our public space there are a couple hundred of kids with laptops. Three quarters of them have new or newish Macbooks and a surprising percentage of them are Macbook Pros. They aren't all Mac fans yet but I bet they will be.
And I will be donating to the campaigns of challengers of any committee member who votes for this bill. These issues are too important to leave to publishers' pet politicians.
The whole point of the workstation model (not the FPS) is for an office worker to walk at a very moderate pace for the entire time they are working at the PC. That is, walking instead of sitting. If you sit on your ass for 8 hours a day five days a week at work this would have you walking, albeit slowly, for those 8 hours instead. With the added bonus that you probably won't be munching on junk food while you're walking. It isn't the same as a 5 mile run but I doubt you get much work done, or get paid, on your 5 mile run.
Why does everyone think this is an either/or device? Either use appleTV or cable? That's nonsense. Most people who buy it will still have cable and will simply use the appleTV as an additional source of audio and video content.
I don't know about you but I've missed eps of BSG or SG1 due to my crappy Comcast DVR resetting in the middle of the show and rather than wait for SciFi reruns I've just bought the eps from iTunes. Now I really love my 12" Powerbook for just about everything just not for watching widescreen tv shows in my living room!
It's a one time purchase, no subscription fees, and at $299 it probably won't kill anyone who's just spent $2k on a HDTV. This really isn't so earth shaking folks.
Hit your students with this one:
The terms of use for the "anti-plagerism" site turnitin.com (used by many colleges and universities) allows the company to retain the use of any IP included in the papers submited to it. Since students are almost never giving the chance to opt-out of using the site they are, in fact, being forced to give away their IP rights over their work free of charge.
I'm a college librarian and I hate this but it is popular with those faculty too lazy to craft assignments that are less prone to plagerism.
You know, this whole thread has really surprised me. The same /. crowd that rallies around every new DRM crack and, by and large, calls FUD on every new **AA pronouncement this time seems to be totally in ClearChannel's pocket.
How is this possible? Does the belief in free exchange of information end at the digital/analog divide?
Even if these pirate stations were a serious threat to the signal integrity of whichever monopolitistic media entity controls the airwaves in their locale, which is very doubtful, shouldn't we be supporting their efforts to broaden the public dialogue?
There may be "legal" ways to do this with educational licenses (though there are hurdles to getting these licences approved) but there are "legal" ways to do a lot of things lauded on this site (you could always buy that second copy of LOTR to give to your friend). Why are people so quick to to jump into Big Corporate's, er..., pocket on this issue?
I have been working on a Plone/Zope site for my academic library for nearly a year (working very part-time on it). While the learning curve is pretty steep I have found that the support from the community has been really outstanding. The lead developers are pretty active on the lists and the documentation has been improving. I highly recommend it.
I'd love to use WPA but from what I understand WPA doesn't work in repeater mode (or maybe that's just with g networks) and my house needs two access points to cover everywhere I need access.
Can I get Munchausen Syndrome over EZProxy?
That's some interesting aging. She was 15 and, two tears later, she files a lawsuit when she is 19.
three words: Anthony Stewart Head
So, who would win in a fight, soldiers or astronauts?
That's right. Don't copy it. Buy a pirated copy from a street vender. After all, he has a family to support, too.
Remember that if the recipient resides anywhere near Times Square those musicians and dancers will have to be paid union scale.
The real irony is that Billy Boy's Matrix spoof is ultimately a "borrowing" of Apple's "1984" Superbowl commercial. Goes to show you: Stick with what you know!