[bksvol-discuss] Re: identifying books from download list
- From: Mike Pietruk <pietruk@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 08:09:34 -0500 (EST)
Sue
Different people use different approaches to scanning. I know several
people who scan for themselves and, once establishing initial settings,
just scan to the edit without reading or checking.
If their primary motive is for their own reading, they hardly are going to
do any editing, validating, whatever.
Hence, you will get scans that range from the excellent to the less than
average when using that approach.
Note that the initial premise upon which Bookshare was established was
just that; and having a "fair" category was for those less than optimal
scans.
What BookShare, and this isn't our call, is facing is a question of
whether they want scans done primarily by individuals for their own
benefit or scans primarily intended for others.
They also need to be careful in how they posture themselves for if they go
the latter route, and that is how in practice many of us prepare our
books, they may raise the ire of the publishing industry which is exactly
what isn't wanted.
Hence, by accepting a wide variety of quality submissions, Bookshare is
what it says it is.
If suddenly you totally eliminate all lesser quality materials, legally
speaking, you may be changing the nature of the service which is what
Benetech may not want to see happen.
If the lesser quality scans are properly designated and labeled, if fair
scans are worked upon to bring out upgraded replacements
if totally unreadable texts continue to be rejected, then Bookshare will
continue living up to its original mission.
I think a lot of us have become spoiled over the last several years by the
bounty of materials now at our disposal; and hence, less appreciative and
more demanding.
20 years ago, I would have accepted any attempt to get me a book that I
wanted or needed; now, we forget those roots and scowl when something is
2--3% imperfect.
Once again, no one is forcing anyone to read any book. No one is
currently denying anyone the opportunity to supply a better scan of a
book.
And we need an environment where newcomers are encouraged to participate
not one where their efforts are blasted by others because they are somehow
shy in technical expertise.
I listened to 4 hours of an audio book yesterday, while on a car trip,
without one page designator, one chapter indicator, without even a mention
of an end of a side.
This was a commercially produced audio book, not something home done.
Should the publisher be required to recall their tapes; should the reader
be flagilated for not incorporating all that info, that publisher be
publicly flogged for providing incomplete books, whatever.
Would my wife and I not play those cassettes if we, in advance, had known
all of the above?
The decisions Benetech faces with BookShare are tough ones. No matter
what route they choose, they'll ruffle some feathers. I can promise you
one thing: if standards are highly tightened, the same complainers who
quibble about quality will be the very same ones demoaning that this or
that book hasn't been scanned and available.
The higher the standards, the less will be available.
The higher the standards, the less likely new individuals will be willing
and able to submit materials because they believe that they cannot cut the
muster.
The closer Bookshare becomes to perfection, the greater the likelihood the
publishing industry will consider services such as BookShare to be
competition.
You can argue until the cows come home that all this is legally
defensible;
do you want Benetech to use its limited resources in proving that point or
would you rather have it pay people like Marissa and Peter their salaries
so that ground zero services can continue?
Fortunately, none of these decisions are ours. Fortunately, we can do
what we do best namely scan and validate and enjoy those fruits.
And rather than continually casting stones at the efforts of others, we
can focus on what we do and remember that others are ready to cast stones
at us as that is what human nature tends to do.
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