I'm Jason Turgeon, publisher of http://www.textbookrevolution.org/. I'm replying on this thread on behalf of the Freeload Press management team. Freeload is in the process of acquiring textbookrevolution. We'd briefly like to address the concerns of the Slashdot community.
Many commenters are concerned about the possibility that ads could influence the content of the textbooks. These are legitimate concerns common to all publishers. We simply will not accept any interference with the integrity of the content. Any publisher's path to success starts with the quality of the content. In this regard, we will be similar to newspapers and magazines, with a firewall built between editorial and the advertising operations. This is the same process used by other ad-supported media, including the New York Times and Slashdot.
Other commenters expressed concerns that PDF files are difficult to read, and that the flow of the text will be interrupted by ads. Freeload is placing ads only at natural breaks in the text, such as before and after chapter headings. Freeload acknowledges that PDF is not always easy to read on screen, but many students seem happy to make this tradeoff given the considerable savings. Unlike the heavily DRM'd ebook offerings from traditional publishers, students are free to print as much or as often as they would like. Low-cost, ad-free paperbound versions of the books are available for students who prefer not to read on screen. These paperbound versions are significantly less expensive than comparable offerings from traditional publishers. Freeload Press will soon adopt a version of the open source dotReader program (http://www.dotreader.com/site/) as an alternative to PDF (users will still be able to choose PDF versions if they don't want to install new software). DotReader has several advantages over PDF that will make it more valuable to students than either PDF or print books. Finally, I am personally taking charge of the initiative to make Freeload's PDF's available in two versions, optimized for either printing or on-screen viewing. This should make it easier for students who want to read books on screen to do so with a minimum of scrolling and eyestrain. These changes will take some time, but we hope to have them ready for the next academic year.
Several people noted that one reason traditional textbooks are so expensive is the frequent update cycle designed to kill the used book market. Since Freeload's product does not have to worry about the used book market, there will be fewer new editions. Updates will be integrated into current editions as they are needed to keep the books current, with version tracking just like software. Professors will be free to assign whichever version they want. Completely new editions will not be necessary every 2-3 years in most subjects, making it easier for professors to stick with a book they are comfortable with and reducing confusion for students. Of course, in fast-changing subjects, we will issue new editions as often as they are necessary.
If you have a specific concern or comment about the books, ads, or software platform, please get in touch with me: jason AT textbookrevolution DOT org. Also, please note that we know both websites need an upgrade. We're working on it, and we think the new versions will make even the most tech-obsessed user happy.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm Jason Turgeon, publisher of http://www.textbookrevolution.org/. I'm replying on this thread on behalf of the Freeload Press management team. Freeload is in the process of acquiring textbookrevolution. We'd briefly like to address the concerns of the Slashdot community.
Many commenters are concerned about the possibility that ads could influence the content of the textbooks. These are legitimate concerns common to all publishers. We simply will not accept any interference with the integrity of the content. Any publisher's path to success starts with the quality of the content. In this regard, we will be similar to newspapers and magazines, with a firewall built between editorial and the advertising operations. This is the same process used by other ad-supported media, including the New York Times and Slashdot.
Other commenters expressed concerns that PDF files are difficult to read, and that the flow of the text will be interrupted by ads. Freeload is placing ads only at natural breaks in the text, such as before and after chapter headings. Freeload acknowledges that PDF is not always easy to read on screen, but many students seem happy to make this tradeoff given the considerable savings. Unlike the heavily DRM'd ebook offerings from traditional publishers, students are free to print as much or as often as they would like. Low-cost, ad-free paperbound versions of the books are available for students who prefer not to read on screen. These paperbound versions are significantly less expensive than comparable offerings from traditional publishers. Freeload Press will soon adopt a version of the open source dotReader program (http://www.dotreader.com/site/) as an alternative to PDF (users will still be able to choose PDF versions if they don't want to install new software). DotReader has several advantages over PDF that will make it more valuable to students than either PDF or print books. Finally, I am personally taking charge of the initiative to make Freeload's PDF's available in two versions, optimized for either printing or on-screen viewing. This should make it easier for students who want to read books on screen to do so with a minimum of scrolling and eyestrain. These changes will take some time, but we hope to have them ready for the next academic year.
Several people noted that one reason traditional textbooks are so expensive is the frequent update cycle designed to kill the used book market. Since Freeload's product does not have to worry about the used book market, there will be fewer new editions. Updates will be integrated into current editions as they are needed to keep the books current, with version tracking just like software. Professors will be free to assign whichever version they want. Completely new editions will not be necessary every 2-3 years in most subjects, making it easier for professors to stick with a book they are comfortable with and reducing confusion for students. Of course, in fast-changing subjects, we will issue new editions as often as they are necessary.
If you have a specific concern or comment about the books, ads, or software platform, please get in touch with me: jason AT textbookrevolution DOT org. Also, please note that we know both websites need an upgrade. We're working on it, and we think the new versions will make even the most tech-obsessed user happy.