2) WTO and trade agreements are imposing even more draconian IP laws than we have domestically.

3) While we’re on IP, patent law needs reform maybe even more desparately than copyright. Used to be a way to reward people for risky R&D; now it’s just a way for lawyers and corps to get rich while stifling progress and doing no work. Software? Genomes? Give me an effin break.

readerOfTeaLeaves @ 92

Yes, that’s true, I think, although I wonders sometimes if there might not be a way to send some copies of the “unwanted” volumes to a central facility that can inter-library-loan them out to libraries that need them.

I think it must be tough for librarians. Other than ten year old computer books, there aren’t a lot of no-brainers in the process of reducing inventory.

That’s one reason the Internet is so wonderful… there needs to be some way for things to pass OUT of copyright, be scanned, and then at least storage can happen online.

NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) is the least-well-funded agency in US government — and that’s saying something these days! In southern states, they have to figure out how to keep those delicate maps and archived stuff de-humidified. NARA and many archives have been at the forefront of storage media decisions, in large part because they are charged with preserving fragile materials across a very wide range of temperature and humidity . http://www.archives.gov/index.html

Storage is a hugely expensive proposition, and retrieval is another whole huge problem — you can’t let JUST ANYONE go get Thomas Jefferson’s copy of the Quran out of the old archives… ;-)

The Internet is our best hope.
—————

With respect to 10-year-old computer books… I had to listen to a very distressed banker a couple years back (after 2000, actually). He needed COBAL programmers, b/c his core, most valuable stuff was written in COBAL.

Now, I myself do not haunt the COBAL shelves, but I would think that language hasn’t altered too much in ten years…? So the lifecycle of a book may be more or less than 10 years. I’d venture a guess that any Ruby On Rails pubs go out of date in under 24 months, although it’s not something I spend any time on myself ;-)

But even with Open Source codes, authors deserve to be compensated if they create a manual.

Movie Gaslight (1944) … Gaslighting = deliberately undermining someone’s sanity.

OldCoastie, lines like “Jesus notices hypocrites” are brilliant, sounds like they play directly to his fears … keep up the good work!

thanks! I was proud of myself! ;-)

OldCoastie, lines like “Jesus notices hypocrites” are brilliant, sounds like they play directly to his fears … keep up the good work!

Oh, my goodness. Things are getting quite heated over at TBogg’s place tonight. It’s right wing troll night, apparently. You kids should stop by and show your support.

you made me miss the start of jeopardy~!

Oh, my goodness. Things are getting quite heated over at TBogg’s place tonight. It’s right wing troll night, apparently. You kids should stop by and show your support.

Done. I offered him the name of my exterminator. I haven’t had trolls since he started coming by…

OldCoastie @ 89

I wrote my idiot fundie congressman again today to insist he bring the troops home… I can tell I’m getting on his nerves (perhaps the line, “Jesus notices hypocrites” got his attention) as I got today what I think is an individually composed email in return… at any rate, he insisted again that we are fighting the war on terror in Iraq… I simply replied, “oh, Mr. Miller, you know that’s not true…”

Tell the truth now: when you were in school, did you ever think democracy would be so much fun? (Is this what is meant by the term “gas-lighting?”)

the other line I liked and hoped would piss him off was I said, “next time you are weeping for teeny tiny stem cells” and then I asked him to save some real tears for the dead and wounded from Iraq…

he’s a jackass and must go in 2008…