What is Digg?107 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+100quote from textbooks:
"George Washinton was the first president, and loved to drink CocaCola." - gumby05, on 10/12/2007, -2/+98Well it might make me even hungrier during class, but free books, sign me up.
- CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -1/+73no theyll simply make you pay the hundreds of dollars for books full of ads. theyll profit and youll see none of the cost savings.
remember how cable tv used to be commercial free? - templest, on 10/12/2007, -4/+54Damn straight. Honestly, I'm all for laying the hate on the great American marketing machine; I've already boycotted televesion, but if I get my textbooks for free? Hell, I'll wear a Barney T-Shirt if it means saving thousands.
- RichPowers, on 10/12/2007, -1/+43I've had several professors who hate the textbook system so instead create huge-ass course packets. Besides having more relevant (and interesting) material, these packets are purchased from any number of local copy centers. And because thousands and thousands of kids are purchasing such packets, free market competition keeps the costs reasonable.
PS: ***** $120 textbooks. - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+29Given the same starting point of the previous problem, if Johnny is driving 55 MPH in a 2007 PT Cruiser with optional ABS, and Jane is the same driving a Certified Pre Owned Dodge Magnum, powered by a 5.7L Hemi @ 60 MPH, who will arrive first at the Quickie Mart, where Hostess HoHos are on sale for just $1.29?
© Madison Avenue Text Books, LLC 2007
All Right Reserved
The preceding was a paid advertisement, the opinions reflected in this problem do necessarily reflect those of the publisher. - wisedude, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20I certainly would embrace this. It's very hard for me to get sometimes over a hundred dollars per book!! I wouldn't mind flipping over a couple ads if I got them all free
- wbreim, on 10/12/2007, -6/+23@CiXeL
Damn right... Open Source books is the way to go... Teachers and Professors would gladly donate their time to help write books wiki-style and the government/communities can get together to pay for paper and ink. - stou, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16"Teachers and Professors would gladly donate their time to help write books wiki-style"
Very doubtful considering some of them want you to buy their book so they can milk money out of you... you've never had to beta-test some professor's crappy manuscript before? - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Open Source text books will never happen in public schools, too many special interest groups with far too much power (on all sides) trying to insert their influence into shaping learning minds.
- Refusedb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10@stou
Not true, actually, our professor for C++ wrote her own book,
and just gives out photocopied copies.
She is currently working on a Matlab one.
Granted that the book is designed exactly for her lectures, it works fine. - adodaro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@Rich
I too have had course packet classes --- much better IMO. There were books that I plain didn't buy last year ---$130 for a marketing textbook which we never even used in the class. I don't know if a lot of schools do this, but at my university most departments have copies of the textbook in the library for students to use there (I don't think you can check them out) but hey, it sure beats grabbing your ankles for McGraw Hill et al. - nazadus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9The problem is the move chapters and pages around, making it impossible to teach reliably on the same page or even close without doing a ton of work.
It's just easier for the teachers to make all the students get the same edition. Being as they don't publish older editions in mass, it's easier to get ahold of newer ones.
It's college. I don't think anyone dare defies the universities.
The reason McGraw-Hill likes tp publish new editions is obvious: steady income.
Think about it, what choice do the teachers and students have?
What could you practically do about it? Boycott them? and go to who?
It's almost as if they have a monopoly and abuse it. - bitcloud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Sign me up for "Mcdonalds is delicious and nutricious 101"
Advertising has corrupted every medium it has infiltrated. Conflicts of interest are the scourge of our time... Lets not make it any worse. - mv10, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Best Idea Ever .. anything to help me pay for college
- nick4342, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9That's why I almost always buy the previous editions. The changes are often so little that I am able to get by with no real problems. I may have to copy a few pages from a classmate or the library, but it is worth the savings. I just bought a 7th edition book for $5 including shipping off half.com while the 8th edition is going for $80.
- Ricapar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Awesome concept.
And for those who utterly hate ads.. you can simply cut 'em out, as long as there isn't more text on the other side of the ad that is. - shrewduser, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8students are inherently short of cash (unless your parents are wealthy) being as they spend all their time paying to effectively work somewhere...
i don't think anyone would turn down books with ads :) - frank3000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7this would also enable them to sell ad-free textbooks to rich douchebags (jbarnett) for a large premium.
- invader, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8hmmm.. will there be an Adblock elective [extension] for my class [browser]?
- MioTheGreat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6$120? My chem book is $180.
- Pic0, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I dont like this idea...
I dont want to be reading about something then have my mind change topics to McDonalds, bringing up unrelated thoughts and then have to try to get back on topic.
crappy idea, i would whiteout over any ads in a book - Antimatter3009, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I had a professor who wrote a book that we had to buy (only about $25). However, he claimed that he was only getting ~$1 per book with the rest going to the publisher. To prove his good intentions, he bought donuts for everyone at the end of the semester :)
- talledega500, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6If my kid ever sees an ad in a textbook. I will sue the school. period.
- dignation, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'm in high school, but they make us buy our own books too. But the great part is that they generally don't make you use the latest edition. I spent $10 on my algebra book that normally costs $80.
I also think that they use certain no-name companies (The publisher of the book is Blitzer, is that common?) - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I spend hundreds as well.
The article says "according to various studies, about $900 per year."
Check out the site they are talking about: http://www.freeloadpress.com/
On the main page, it says "Students spend an average of $900 dollars per year on textbooks"
Could be a coincidence, but it makes the reporter look dumb, IMHO.
Also, $900 dollars = Nine hundred dollars dollars? - MacGyver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Good point. It's hard enough staying focused when I'm reading a textbook about something that doesn't interest me. Seems like the ads would just be a distraction.
- bcardarella, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Has there ever been any studies done on textbook prices? Or any type of inquiry on this type of exploitation? It really is insane. The college's answer to the prices is to "buy used" but that's not possible when new editions always come out. I understand that certain subjects require new information integrated but this doesn't apply to most sujects.
- azzageddi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'm a prof in Japan. Textbook prices here are generally way lower than in the US, and they don't have ads. Even so, I usually do course packages so I can target the "textbook" directly to what the students need to learn for the course. When I do have my students buy a textbook, I try to choose the cheapest one that's still good. If there are only a few things missing that I wanted, I'll make handouts.
Anyway, I have never seen a good reason for US textbooks to be so expensive, other than that the companies have a captive audience. It's blatantly unfair and I applaud American profs who defy the system and provide their students with cheap alternatives.
The only exceptions are textbooks that really will have lasting value. I still have my Riverside edition of Shakespeare's collected works. It was pricey when my prof made me buy it, but I still use it to this day.
The unfair system will probably not suddenly end with ads. Many people here have said that in a few years, the books will be just as expensive, with ads in them. And companies already exert too much influence over academic integrity. If an oil company becomes an ad client for a textbook company, will the textbook company resist pressure to change a few key passages in an environmental-sciences textbook? Good magazines have a strong wall between the ad-sales and the writing departments; textbook companies are probably pretty inexperienced with that. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4What's the point of photocopies though? Why not just go ahead and just place this all online?
Another benefit to not using books though is that you are free to use your materials however you wish. Teachers can link to homework sheets on a class website, or to an article explaining a concept, whereas some textbooks have their margins specifically designed to prevent scanning and copying.
I don't understand why for example a bunch of math teachers don't get together and produce all their required problem sets on their own and just ditch the book. It's not like most teachers even use math books. - realyst, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I bet you anything within a year this free ad-supported textbooks are gonna be costly ad-supported textbooks. It will just become another revenue stream for the publisher.
- Crossmenjeff, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Heck I'd be happy if the ads would cut only half the price off.
- bcardarella, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's true. It just sucks. Granted there are a lot of kids that have their parents pay for their books (mine did) but it really shouldn't matter whose money it is. The inherited cost of going to college beyond tuition is getting out of control. (as if tuition prices were any better)
- nickrosencrans, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Here's the problem with your theory nobody's discussed yet. The deal-makers will sell you the ad-books today for free, which compared to a $100.00 text does appear to be a bargain. But once the system moves away from ad-free books wholesale and ad-books are the norm, the book companies will "magically" begin to incur new costs of publication. The books will have a small charge attached to them, say, if you still want them on paper because the cost of paper went up. Then they'll up the price again if you want them hardcover. etc etc
To sum - it won't be long before the prices are back where they stand now, and all you'll be left with is a magazine-quality educational text. - whizzbang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Troy: Now, turn to the next problem. If you have three Pepsis and drink one, how much more refreshed are you? You, the redhead in the Chicago school system?
Girl: Pepsi?
Troy: Partial credit! - joshualindquist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2eCampus has most used text books for about 50% off. I got some Apple Pro training series books for like $18, and they retail for $49. I'd bet there are several other was to get used books real cheap. If you can do it, I'd recommend going used.
Ads in books? Give people the option, make those versions free. Otherwise ***** that. That would be distracting as hell. - demonicume, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2few ads hell. thats all i need is to be spammed in the middle of organic chem or vector calculus. what moron marketing team actually pitched this? what ***** exec said it was a smart idea. i've scanned and printed entire text books to avoid getting ripped off on the return. what makes them think these adds will be affective?
- BasouKazuma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2As long as they add in some porn ads, i'm game.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3And now WWII as told by AT&T and comming up is The Vietnam War bought to you by pepsi.
- Broccoli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Just when i didnt think there could be anymore distractions when im trying to study.
- nazadus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It all really depends on the amount of ads.
1 ad every 5 pages isn't too bad.
1 adon each page (front and back) will be distracting and annoying as *****.
If I were to take a class that I thought I would want to keep the book, I might considering buying the book without ads. Otherwise, I'll probably take the distraction.
I'm sure freshmen will do it just to save money. But their sophmore year they will have learned if the ads cost too much in productivity.
My bet is this will only be a temporary thing and a few years after that it will be common place to have a small few ads in a book for a slight decrease in book price (if any, because by then it will be accepted). But I'm just paranoid like that.. I guess I've seen too much ***** happen in society like it. - DiggCommando, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There just seems to be something wrong with pushing ads at a young person's eyes while their mind is (hopefully) in a learning mode, absorbing important information and learning how to apply it to their life.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Bah, they're probably going to watermark them into the page or put them back to back with a vital part of the textbook, anyway.
"Now class, if you'll flip to page 273 and copy down some notes on String Theory™, presented by Dunkin' Donuts and DaimlerChrysler.." - alyson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My school has been implementing online access to works as an alternative to photocopies. This works out well for everyone (except for publishers, I suppose), as we save money and paper, and we read only material that the professor finds necessary for the course; no ads, no boring filler content.
- fatlip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2you'd think with the ridiculous taxes and tuitions, books would be included. i honestly dont know what to think about this offer, everyone makes extremely valid points, especially that pay-for-commercial-cable one.
but if the plan DOES work out as planned (which it probably wont) .. then right on - nikebud, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4And how long until the facts in these textbooks are up for sale as well? It seems to be a bit of a slippery slope when pages in a textbook are offered to the highest bidding corporation.
- ReqX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This company makes me feel embarassed to be a Minnesotan. Corporate influence has reached too far and I will not buy a single book with ads, required for class or not. No. Never.
- MioTheGreat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The 'History of Technology and Science' prof wrote the book for that course at my school....At least the book for that course is only $40 or so.
- DiggCommando, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This is why electronic text books need to happen, now more than ever.
- iatepaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2And who should decide on these regulations? Is it okay for the military to advertise about providing a 'free' education? Should Shell be able to advertise their 'clean' image in an ecology textbook? What about pharmaceutical ads in a medical textbook? Does that mean it's okay in high school too? Middle school? It would be damned hard to quantify what constitutes a responsible use of advertising and provide a regulating agency to make these calls, so, we'd be counting on the ethical stewardship of whatever company brokers the ads. Although the choice should ultimately be entrusted to the consumer of the book, I would hope the publishers have enough decency to commit to continued production of ad free books at a more reasonable cost. Universities are already saturated with advertising (for a good reason - it's a prime target market) and bringing that advertising into the classroom crosses an inappropriate line for an institution that allegedly exists to further knowledge and advancement. I guess it might be kind of interesting in a marketing textbook...
-
Show 51 - 100 of 103 discussions
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is