Access to Knowledge: YEA or NAY

[speakingtohe]

Fiction is all we have to educate ourselves with.

Possibly in your case this is true. I went to school, learned from example how to cross the street and dress myself, learned additional skills from friends and co-workers and many many things from non-fictional reference books.

From Wilkipedia:
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author.

Not saying you cannot learn anything useful from fiction, but the chances are slim.

Morals and ethics can be learned from fiction in some cases so perhaps you should concentrate on that.

helen

[AndrewH]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Morals and ethics can be learned from fiction in some cases so perhaps you should concentrate on that.

Karma for you!

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

If someone is buying, then someone is selling. If it is not the creator or the publisher, its the state. I am sure there are lots of authors who would love to write for the state....

--
Bill

NO, someone might upload with the hopes that someone will buy/donate but no one will be able to sell. But everything is of course available to read before buying/donating, therefore no one actually sells anything. The issue then becomes one of hosting and marketing.

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

No, they aren't subjective. You simply haven't been able to provide any logical support for your position.

That conclusion doesn't follow from the premises.

fuck logic.

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Possibly in your case this is true. I went to school, learned from example how to cross the street and dress myself, learned additional skills from friends and co-workers and many many things from non-fictional reference books.

Not saying you cannot learn anything useful from fiction, but the chances are slim.

Morals and ethics can be learned from fiction in some cases so perhaps you should concentrate on that.

helen

I would have to say that a lot of my thoughts stem from the literature, which I call science fiction. You may call this entertainment. In either case, access should be free.

Nothing belongs to anyone, nothing can be stolen from anyone.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

He isn't even talking about information as this thread went on he prove that it's free entertainment he wants. Unfortunately he didn't follow my remark that the only way to have free entertainment on a regular basis is to put ones hands in ones pants, alas he still uses them for typing instead.

For us there is free entertainment every day lately. We just read Giggleton's comments. It appears he may not be old enough yet for that other type of entertainment you mentioned (as his "f... logic" post shows).

[Freeshadow]

Right you are. Methinks he should get "stoned communist" as a user title. Alas his lack of understanding of basic economical mechanisms makes every attempt of explanation futile. I honestly wish he'd go out and read. Or apply for a job in a company offering balloon trips; it's a shame to waste all the hot air he produces.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

NO, someone might upload with the hopes that someone will buy/donate but no one will be able to sell. But everything is of course available to read before buying/donating, therefore no one actually sells anything. The issue then becomes one of hosting and marketing.

And the literary output of this society of yours will be but a pittance of what our society generates because its authors will need to find other sources of income in order to keep writing.

--
Bill

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

And the literary output of this society of yours will be but a pittance of what our society generates because its authors will need to find other sources of income in order to keep writing.

--
Bill

Are you suggesting that all textual output of our society is literature? Or are you suggesting that the promise of possible incentives is enough to generate this textual output from creators? Because it is quite evident that most books and most authors aren't making dollar one.

The problem with logic is that it locks you in to a certain way of thinking, which isn't ever good...

[Freeshadow]

The problem without logic is: ahhh, just reread all of your posts in this thread - you might notice it by yourself.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Are you suggesting that all textual output of our society is literature? Or are you suggesting that the promise of possible incentives is enough to generate this textual output from creators? Because it is quite evident that most books and most authors aren't making dollar one.

There are books where the author doesn't make any money. These are the books that no one wants to read. The books that people actually want to read are the ones are the ones most worth encouraging.

You don't want those books that no one wants to read. There are more free books - both public domain and those offered by the author for free - than you could possibly read in a lifetime. Live your values and read those offered for free.

But you don't want them. You want the ones where the author can devote their full time to writing because they make a living from it. But you can't have those books if the author can't make a living from them. Books written by hobbyists in their spare time are numerous. If you had your way, these would be the only books available.

The problem with logic is that it locks you in to a certain way of thinking, which isn't ever good...

Logic doesn't lock you into anything. It frees you from the chains of illogic. Without logic, there is no thought.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Are you suggesting that all textual output of our society is literature? Or are you suggesting that the promise of possible incentives is enough to generate this textual output from creators? Because it is quite evident that most books and most authors aren't making dollar one.

Is it quite evident? Yes it is true that most books never sell well enough to make enough that the author's percentage covers the advance paid to him/her, but that is not the same thing as saying that the book never made any money. Publishers are in the business of making money; if they weren't, they would quickly go out of business.

Granted outfits like Smashwords changed the equation a bit; authors can self-publish and there is very little risk to Smashwords if the book doesn't sell. Still I suspect that most books that are put up for sale on Smashwords will garner at least a few sales.

Now that being said, the books that get read the most do in fact make quite a bit of money, both for their publisher and for their author. By allowing authors to sell their works, we encourage them to write more. How many novels and stories would Hemingway have written if he could never have broken free from having a regular job? More than one author has admitted the need to pay the bills has been a major incentive in finishing their next book/story. These tend to be by authors who write books that people want to read.

The problem with logic is that it locks you in to a certain way of thinking, which isn't ever good...

So does language, so if you really want to unlock your way of thinking you could just stop using language. Clearly it hasn't served you well.

--
Bill

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Nothing belongs to anyone, nothing can be stolen from anyone.

You'd change your tune pretty fast if someone were to dispossess you of everything that you count on now.

No home, no money, no job, no computer to use to spout your piffle, no books, no e-reader. You're out on the streets with nary but a stitch on you. You can't complain though, nothing ever belonged to you to begin with.

[cjr72]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

You'd change your tune pretty fast if someone were to dispossess you of everything that you count on now.

No home, no money, no job, no computer to use to spout your piffle, no books, no e-reader. You're out on the streets with nary but a stitch on you. You can't complain though, nothing ever belonged to you to begin with.

I still call dibs on his Kindle3.

[Freeshadow]

Communist crap a la carte. Know that old tune...

[Penforhire]

You never know. Giggles might indeed be a candidate for wandering monk with a rice bowl as his only possession. We don't know he wouldn't back up his words with action. I just don't want those same actions forced on me.

[PKFFW]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

You never know. Giggles might indeed be a candidate for wandering monk with a rice bowl as his only possession. We don't know he wouldn't back up his words with action. I just don't want those same actions forced on me.

But we do know he wouldn't back up his words with actions since he has already shown he doesn't. As has been mentioned elsewhere, there is more literature of all sorts available for free than Giggles could possibly read in his entire life yet he chooses not to read that. Furthermore he admits to having not paid for works that have been important to him or taught his something etc. Hence his continued spouting on about the important works and authors being supported by some group think via internet 2.0 is complete BS when it comes to his personal support.

All the other crap in this thread serves only two purposes;
1: Makes him feel better about his desire to read whatever he wants for free.
2: Gives him a good Giggle