Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: In Moderation
Message-ID: <5053@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 18 Jul 89 15:06:41 GMT
References: <8831@chinet.chi.il.us> <3300@epimass.EPI.COM> <197600001@inmet> <702@whizz.uucp>
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Lines: 58

In article <702@whizz.uucp>, bbh@whizz.uucp (Bud Hovell) writes:
> In article <4954@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
> >In article <692@whizz.uucp>, bbh@whizz.uucp (Bud Hovell) writes:
> >> Both in this example and on the usenet, such submission is entirely voluntary
> >> on the part of the writer - unlike *any* printed medium in which editorial

> >You've obviously never heard of vanity presses, amateur press associations,
> >and other ego-publication media. amateur press associations (APAs) and fanzines

I notice that you cut this off before I really explained APAs...

> I have - and the cost of publication and distribution is borne entirely by
> the author. This is because no publisher has been found who believes that 
> the market value of the work will return its cost. What is *obvious* here is
> that the analogy fails.

Not true, at least for fantasy-related APAs like A&E. For as long as I
did a zine in A&E...

> On usenet, the author does not support even a fraction of the
> cost of publication/distribution.

... I never supported even a fraction of the cost of publication/distribution.
When I didn't have a zine in the current issue, I bought a copy. The page rate
for zines was so low that it *must* be largely supported by sales.

APAs are *not* the same as vanity presses. They're strictly a hobby, supported
by volunteer effort in people's spare time. As hobbies go, they're a lot
cheaper than sports cars, boats, or other toys that require a large time
and money investment... and (IMHO) a lot more fun.

The parallels between usenet and APAs are clear and obvious to anyone
really familiar with them...

> >> [Academic] journals might be cited as a singular anomoly in this regard,

> >And what about peer review?

> You can't be serious. > :-) "Publish or perish" is a game that *all* the players
> are committed to, willingly or not. The object of the game is to get a better
> career path in academia. If you don't publish, someone else will - and will get
> a leg up ahead of you. This is such a well-known complaint among academics as
> to have become a public joke. And you think "peers" are gonna make waves?

Sure. Papers *do* get rejected.

And there are media with even lower standards than Usenet, you know. There's
alt, to begin with. And fidonet. Not to mention a few zillion BBSes.

> Lawsuits have a way of distilling issues very rapidly. :-) Though they are a
> hell of way to have to resolve disputes.

So why do you recommend people follow this course...
-- 
Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.
Business: peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180. | "A char, a short int, and
Personal: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com.   `-_-' |  an int bit-field were walking
Quote: Have you hugged your wolf today?  'U`  |  through the forest..."