[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by cstross

I agree.

My editors -- I think -- agree (although trying to get them to admit it is like pulling teeth).

They might admit it, privately, over drinks. They won't admit it any place where it might get back to their directors. They want to keep their jobs.

Unfortunately their directors disagree. And the further away they are from the actual day-to-day business, the more they disagree and the more capacity they have for throwing spanners in works, etc.

Yes.

As for authors, I think there's a generation gap in perceptions: those aged over 40 are very likely to worry about "piracy" (except in the case of those who have been on the net since before they started selling novels), while the younger folks are mostly looking to leverage free distribution over the internet to boost their sales.

I think of the author who brought suit (aided by a writer's organization) against Google, because he was unhappy with their policy of trying to digitize books and make them available on line. I thought he had his head stuffed up his fundament -- the exposure he would get from having his work available for web searches is something he ought to be willing to kill for, not rail against.

I wonder whether a lot of this has nothing to do with the facts on the ground, and everything to do with unconscious attitudes about the world.

One set of folks seems to start from the assumption that the general public are all a bunch of dirty so-and-sos who will rip them off given any opportunity, and Measures Must Be Taken to prevent it. My immediate question for such folks is "Why do you make that assumption? Is it because it's what you would do, and you assume everyone else is just like you?" (I'm certain the response would be a variant of "Oh, no! Iwould never do that! But everyone else would!" This is the "I'm OK, you're not OK!" mindset. It's pernicious, arguably neurotic, and ultimately self-defeating, but all too common.)

And I suspect folks like the author who filed suit against Google are operating from wounded vanity rather than fear of piracy. I get a sense that the real reason for their upset is "They didn't come to me and beg my permission!" I suppose I can see it, but Google will impose whatever restrictions on viewing of your digitized content you prefer. However, you have to tell them. There are enough rights holders (authors, agents, estates, etc.) that it's not feasible for Google to identify and contact them all and request permissions, if they want the project completed in anyone's lifetime.
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Dennis