Hi Jill, Sorry, the number 10,000 was purely random. *smile* Take care, Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jill O'Connell" <jillocon@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 2:18 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Bookshare's Purpose in Your Eyes > I'm curious to know if you just pulled 10,000 out of thin air in talking > about the number of people scanning a particular book. I read recently that > there are about 2800 Web Braille users; does anyone know how many people > have subscribed to Bookshare. From the groups I am in, I have the impression > that the majority of blind people do not have computers so there is a large > untapped audience out there. This basically means that the majority of blind > people don't even have access to Bookshare, so, of course, it isn't fair > that we can save all of these books at no cost; however, if most readers are > like me, I save very, very few after reading them. Perhaps a system could be > devised for having me pay for the ones I do keep, but offhand I can't > imagine how it would work. I think we are intoxicated with the ability to > have hundreds of books in our files which was never possible before, but how > many books can one actually read in a month? If I could make my wishes come > true, I would wish that all blind people could have and use computers > successfully to take advantage of electronic books instead of the relatively > few who now can. . Jill > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Donna Goodin" <goodindo@xxxxxxx> > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 9:24 AM > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Bookshare's Purpose in Your Eyes > > > > Hi Dave, > > > > First, let me just say that my side in our argument has been strongly > > proBookshare, or I wouldn't be here. I believe fervently in equal access, > > and I also believe that it's absurd for ten thousand blind people to all > > have to sit and scan the same Harry potter novel, which is a big reason I > > think that Bookshare is so important. That said: > > > > 1. If you lost books because of your own failure to back up your hard > disk, > > well that's your fault. *smile* You technically *could* still have those > > books. > > > > 2. It is true that sighted people can use the public library, but as I > have > > already pointed out, you only get the book for a week or so. That's very > > different from getting to download something and keep it for the rest of > > your life. So, according to your theory we should also only get to keep > > Bookshare books for a couple of weeks. > > > > 3. I, too, purchase many of the books I scan. I have, however, and I > know > > others have as well, scanned and submitted books we have borrowed from a > > library. Yes, the library *did purchase the book, but not with the intent > > that thousands of people would be able to download copies of it for free. > > > > 4. As to the cost of Bookshare, I scanned some books before joining, so > my > > original cost was defrayed. By the time I renewed this past year, I had > > enough submission credits to cover my subscription, and will probably have > > for next year as well. So, though I have payed for some of the books I > > submitted, I have not had to pay directly for my Bookshare membership. > > > > 5. Even if you choose to pay for you Bookshare membership, that money > goes > > to Bookshare. Neither the author nor the publisher get any of it. That > > starts to look pretty significant if someone is downloading 100 books a > > month. > > > > getting out the hornet spray (smile) > > Donna > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <talmage@xxxxxxxxxx> > > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 11:59 AM > > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Bookshare's Purpose in Your Eyes > > > > > > > > > > Well, playing the role of one of the hornets, considering the fact that > > the > > > right to equal access is the law of the land, I would have to ask your > > > husband the following. > > > Is he supporting, or recommending, that as a nation we take up the > > > challenge of 'Fahrenheit 451?'What I mean by this, is if people should > not > > > be provided with free access to books, we have a great many public > > > libraries we need to start shutting down. When my son gets a book from > > the > > > school library, he is reading a book that he didn't pay for, and more > than > > > one other person has already read it, or will read it. So considering > > your > > > point, that he is getting free access to a book, we certainly need to > shut > > > down that school library. Ah you say, but someone has purchased that > > book, > > > and he is reading the hard copy edition. Well, with the exception of > > books > > > provided by the publishers, the books on Bookshare were all purchased by > > > someone, and we aren't hacking into the publisher's database and > grabbing > > > these files. In recent months, I have probably purchased at least 8 > books > > > myself that I probably wouldn't have bought if not for becoming aware of > > an > > > author or series on Bookshare. But you say, once you download a book > you > > > can have it forever. Well, since my recent computer crash of a few > months > > > ago, and being particularly remiss in my backup regime, I would have to > > > question the concept of forever. The nice thing however, is that those > 8 > > > or so books that I purchased are still on my bookshelf, or maybe in my > > > son's room. Perhaps I should go get them out of there, as he didn't buy > > > them, and I guess therefore he shouldn't be reading them. Regarding > those > > > books, 3 or 4 I can go and get from Bookshare so I won't have to scan > them > > > again, and the others I have yet to scan. > > > While I don't want to belabor the point, and yes I realize that my > > > arguments were extreme and silly, I don't feel that they are any more > > > ridiculous than someone asking the question, 'do blind people have the > > > right to free books?'Please also remind your husband, that Bookshare has > a > > > $50 a year subscription fee, just as many public libraries do. > > > > > > Dave > > > > > > At 10:00 AM 6/9/2004, you wrote: > > > >Hi all, > > > > > > > > Well, I maybe stepping in a hornet's nest here, but here goes ... > > > > > > > > On an introductory note, my husband is part of a panel that is > > presenting > > > >a session at the upcoming AHEAD conference next month dealing with > blind > > > >access and copyright law. As you can imagine, there's been lots of hot > > > >debate around our dinner table on this topic lately. Though we're > still > > a > > > >ways away from a cease fire, *grin* he does raise one point which I > think > > is > > > >an extremely valid one: are blind people entitled to free books? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >