Re: [h2o-discuss] Re: leaky theories

["James H. Johnston" <jimjohn@erols.com>]

     I read Eric Elred's comment that "it is an illusion to think
that authors can make money from writing books" the same day that
I asked someone, who should know, why professors don't "publish"
online.  I argued that most professors surely don't make money
from their books.  Why shouldn't they "publish" on the Internet
and make their scholarship available to the world for free?  
     The response was that scholarship is intellectual property
and that although professors may not be compensated well from
sales of their books, they are compensated through their
salaries.  Indeed, my respondent continued, the system of higher
education is built on the intellectual property of the faculty. 
Neither the universities nor the faculty want to give it away for
free over the Internet.
     Does anyone have a reply?


Jim Johnston
jimjohn@erols.com