6 ms·

I think capitalism is often pernicious but I'm opposed to "stealing" to a fault. You could consider this theft (and the big journals obviously do). Whether that

I think capitalism is often pernicious but I'm opposed to "stealing" to a fault. You could consider this theft (and the big journals obviously do). Whether that theft is justifiable or the moral equivalent of stealing more concrete stuff is up for debate. I'd imagine there are a number of scholars who don't agree with their papers being used this way, so there's certainly another side to it.

incompatible 9y ago
I would never consider it theft, because I think the conversion of information into property and the criminalisation of copying is fundamentally misguided. It does of course enable certain capitalist business models which involve controlling a scarce resource, even though in this case the scarcity is artificial and threatened by the likes of Sci-Hub.
- gowld 9y ago
  "Information" is simply the name for products with 0 marginal cost. If marginal cost is 0.001$, is stealing it OK? $1? $100? Marginal cost is not the same as average cost. If it's OK to steal something that has high fixed cost but 0 marginal cost, then surely it's OK to steal groceries, or houses, which have low fixed costs and high marginal costs, yes?
  - incompatible 9y ago
    I don't consider it possible to steal information, because when I make my copy it doesn't deprive anybody else of their own copies. That would be the case even if I had a ridiculously expensive Internet connection and it cost me $1 to download it. Physical goods can't be copied in that way.
    - cesarb 9y ago
      > I don't consider it possible to steal information, because when I make my copy it doesn't deprive anybody else of their own copies. According to that definition, it is possible to steal information: just delete their copies after making yours.
refurb 9y ago
I'd imagine there are a number of scholars who don't agree with their papers being used this way Then shouldn't they choose another journal to publish their paper in? Maybe open access? Why don't they do that?
- gowld 9y ago
  Because their industry's employees hire people based on publishing records in certain "reputable" journals.
  - refurb 9y ago
    Hmmm... it sounds like these journals do offer something that other journals don't - high impact, reputation for high quality content. Is that why the journals charge money for access?

incompatible 9y ago

I would never consider it theft, because I think the conversion of information into property and the criminalisation of copying is fundamentally misguided. It does of course enable certain capitalist business models which involve controlling a scarce resource, even though in this case the scarcity is artificial and threatened by the likes of Sci-Hub.

gowld 9y ago
"Information" is simply the name for products with 0 marginal cost. If marginal cost is 0.001$, is stealing it OK? $1? $100? Marginal cost is not the same as average cost. If it's OK to steal something that has high fixed cost but 0 marginal cost, then surely it's OK to steal groceries, or houses, which have low fixed costs and high marginal costs, yes?
- incompatible 9y ago
  I don't consider it possible to steal information, because when I make my copy it doesn't deprive anybody else of their own copies. That would be the case even if I had a ridiculously expensive Internet connection and it cost me $1 to download it. Physical goods can't be copied in that way.
  - cesarb 9y ago
    > I don't consider it possible to steal information, because when I make my copy it doesn't deprive anybody else of their own copies. According to that definition, it is possible to steal information: just delete their copies after making yours.

refurb 9y ago

I'd imagine there are a number of scholars who don't agree with their papers being used this way Then shouldn't they choose another journal to publish their paper in? Maybe open access? Why don't they do that?

gowld 9y ago
Because their industry's employees hire people based on publishing records in certain "reputable" journals.
- refurb 9y ago
  Hmmm... it sounds like these journals do offer something that other journals don't - high impact, reputation for high quality content. Is that why the journals charge money for access?