What is Digg?30 Comments
- Sonorass, on 06/15/2009, -0/+12I used to ship books from Stanford to be scanned at one of the many Google buildings. When I first started the list I had for picking books was massive, thousands of pages from many different libraries on campus. Then the lawsuits started flying and every new list I received became smaller and smaller. The last batches of lists I had to work with was under 300 pages and around half the books on that list I was unable to send because of copy right concerns. It is a truly wonderful project that I hope Google will not fold under the pressure of the lawsuits.
- roadtripguy, on 06/15/2009, -0/+12This is so pathetic. Google has the means and motivation to assemble so much of human knowledge in one place, and make it easily accessible to the entire world and who gets in the way? Money. There simply is no worth in providing anything to better the human condition without a return for the individual. The amount of people who could benefit compared to the relative few who have a monetary stake in NOT having Google proceed with their project is staggering, yet there is a chance they could ruin the benefit for everyone.
- LonelyTylenoL, on 06/15/2009, -0/+8The question is, would it truly be free?
- Qumahlin, on 06/16/2009, -0/+7Actually, I believe the saying goes
"If the Library of Alexandria hadn't burned down, Columbus would have been sailing to the moon...not America. - Technolik, on 06/15/2009, -3/+10Specialists say that if the Alexandria Library still exist we were hundred years in the future with the information contained in that library...well Google is the only one who can compete whit that!
- thallium205, on 06/15/2009, -0/+6.. what?
- inactive, on 06/15/2009, -1/+7One step closer to making books easier to access. If I can check them out of the library for free, why shouldn't I be able to read them online?
- energyx, on 06/15/2009, -3/+8do we get the whole book? this 'limited preview' crap makes it worthless
- inactive, on 06/15/2009, -0/+4Dug for "Cut a Gordian Knot"
Google will soon posses the power of Alexander the Great - inactive, on 06/15/2009, -0/+2*possess
- inactive, on 06/16/2009, -0/+2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_library
- UKsHaDoW, on 06/15/2009, -1/+3I got excited over google books, until i realised the majority of the books are "limited preview"
- cJw314, on 06/16/2009, -0/+2Trite, tired headline metaphor hangs in the balance!
-.- - SalmonGod, on 06/16/2009, -1/+3Just one case in an endless sea demonstrating how capitalism actually hinders humanity's progress and limits abundance.
- SalmonGod, on 06/16/2009, -0/+2I hope this happens. It would be a monumental achievement, potentially for the good of all humanity.
If all of the limitless tools and information we have today became available to everyone without restriction, such a monumental leap in humanity's collective wisdom, technology, and abundance would follow as to make the renaissance look childish.
Alas, even good people must fly in the face of reason just to feed their families, thanks to capitalism. - NoNameWorks, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1every system has its cons, greed is a sad side effect of capitalism. However greed is also natural which is why socialism doesn't work very well either. But then being flexible enough to allow both systems would be great, but also too complicated. The way I see it the only system that would work is the church ideal, which is what they teach but don't practice. The system I am referring to is always acting in the benefit of others, but not at your own expense. Google has the right idea here, even if they are doing it for profit, they are trying to do something wonderful.
- eldridgea, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1Unfortunately, no.
http://books.google.com/googlebooks/agreement/ - iiiears, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1 "Printcrime" from "Overclocked" by C. Doctorow buy the book?
- energyx, on 06/15/2009, -0/+1yes. what's the point of having every other page?
- SalmonGod, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1The thing about capitalism is that unless you own the right property to be dependent on no-one for your necessities, then you must produce something of value to trade for those necessities. To be of value, something must be scarce. So anybody who produces something which can be infinitely copied and distributed, which in the modern day includes software, literature, music, and film and has always included ideas (see famous Thomas Jefferson quote on the nature of ideas as beyond the realm of property), is forced to maintain the value of their creations by maintaining their scarcity so that they may trade for other necessities in order to survive. This can't always be attributed to greed. It's a massive gaping flaw in the capitalist system that doesn't get nearly enough serious recognition.
- inactive, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1Convenience obviously. They have to scan those books. Its like the library delivery you ***** for free.
- scamper22, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1Everything in the private sector should be free!
Only government workers should be paid money.
Down with capitalism. - anom1234, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1I hear you dude, even just the limited book snippets have actually helped me out a lot in my daily work -- having the full books could be potentially life changing. I would be willing to pay through the nose for it actually (don't tell anyone though).
- MisterEThoughts, on 06/16/2009, -0/+1Internet needs to be free just like the libraries are.
- twiztidsinz, on 06/15/2009, -4/+4Only if you accidentally it
- inactive, on 06/16/2009, -1/+1that was hard to read
- stshank, on 06/19/2009, -0/+0I'm glad you liked the reference. :) It seemed apt in this case.
- scamper22, on 06/16/2009, -0/+0let me know the next time teachers, doctors, nurses, politicians... work for free... then you talk about Google.
The greediest capitalists work for the government if you haven't figured it out yet. - TheLeffer, on 09/29/2009, -0/+0Yeah, I'm wondering too if that would be free. http://www.cheaplinksys.com
- inactive, on 06/16/2009, -2/+1I work as a scanner in Googles campus in MountainView! Good to see my work going to good use.
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