12.1466, Disc: Ethics of Web-based vs Paper Publications

[The LINGUIST Network]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-12-1466. Thu May 31 2001. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 12.1466, Disc: Ethics of Web-based vs Paper Publications

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Wayne State U.<aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Dry, Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at linguistlist.org>
            Andrew Carnie, U. of Arizona <carnie at linguistlist.org>

Reviews (reviews at linguistlist.org):
	Simin Karimi, U. of Arizona
	Terence Langendoen, U. of Arizona

Editors (linguist at linguistlist.org):
	Karen Milligan, WSU 		Naomi Ogasawara, EMU
	Lydia Grebenyova, EMU		Jody Huellmantel, WSU
	James Yuells, WSU		Michael Appleby, EMU
	Marie Klopfenstein, WSU		Ljuba Veselinova, Stockholm U.
	Heather Taylor-Loring, EMU	Dina Kapetangianni, EMU

Software: John Remmers, E. Michigan U. <remmers at emunix.emich.edu>
          Gayathri Sriram, E. Michigan U. <gayatri at linguistlist.org>

Home Page:  http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, Wayne
State University, and donations from subscribers and publishers.



Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karen at linguistlist.org>

=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Thu, 31 May 2001 12:44:02 -0400
From:  "david odden" <odden at columbus.rr.com>
Subject:  Re:  12.1462, Disc: New: Ethics of Web-based vs Paper Publications

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Thu, 31 May 2001 12:44:02 -0400
From:  "david odden" <odden at columbus.rr.com>
Subject:  Re:  12.1462, Disc: New: Ethics of Web-based vs Paper Publications

RE Lev Michael's post on the ethics of different modes of publication:
Linguist 12.1462

Web-publication can have the effect of rendering papers invisible to those
in developing countries. It is fortunate that you have high-speed web access
(not to mention a computer), something that many of my colleagues in Africa
cannot take for granted. Additionally, printed articles are "platform
independent", whereas the hassles that face even us in North American
universities in trying to deal with postscript, PDF, Latex, and whatever,
can be enormous. The simple problem of fonts and the Mac/PC divide is
evidence to me that current web technology and practice is not satisfactory
as a sole mode of publishing. Given how file formats and other computer
specifications change quickly, one should expect an article web-published in
2001 to be un-openable in 2101. Most books don't crumble that quickly.
Web-publication, *when it replaces print publication*, simply changes the
way in which information becomes unavailable. Having both formats is better
than just one.

However, I don't see in what way this is exactly an ethical issue. The
question of intellectual property rights on the other hand is an ethical
one, but I see neither any point of principle or practice that makes one
mode of publication "more ethical". Theft of digital material by copying is
just as possible as theft of analog (printed) material.

Dave Odden

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-12-1466