Quote:
Originally Posted by Joykins
If, for example, the Gutenberg (let's say) edition has no explanatory footnotes, no illustrations, no hyperlinked chapter divisions, or any of the other extras that make ebooks so much fun (as some of the ebooks posted to MobileRead are so enhanced) then this is something that a person might want to pay for as it has added value to the free version. Thus the editions being free vs. paid are not comparable.
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Exacty.
I've *knowingly* paid for a few PD compilation ebooks on amazon as well as entire PD library DVDs on ebay as I have no problem paying a buck or two for a book that "merely" cleans up and compiles PD texts into a single volume of an author's works or $8-10 for a pair of DVDs of formatted ebooks converted to modern ebook formats and organized by categories.
But then, I've done both things for my own use so I know what it takes to get the job done right. It is far from trivial.
Not all such vendors are quick-buck artists--some are providing a vauable service and I fully understandd that what I am paying is for the *service*, not the text itself.
Each person has their own idea of the value of commercial digital content but a bit of common sense goes a long ways when dealing with PD and Commons-type problems. Without it, it can be hard to identify just what it is you are paying for.