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this is interesting because the internet archive is basically a publicly-funded digital library, just like a real library is publicly-funded. it just isn't so o

by gooob 2y ago

this is interesting because the internet archive is basically a publicly-funded digital library, just like a real library is publicly-funded. it just isn't so on paper. so this is an opportunity to say "hey, look at what this amazing organization is doing. they're acting as a role model for libraries to digitize their books. let's work together, WITH libraries and WITH government, to better serve the public good that libraries serve. "

gooob 2y ago
yes, maybe they spent some of the profit on personal things that they shouldn't have, but don't a lot of publicly-funded organizations do that? i'm not justifying it. i'm saying that when an institution takes a wrong step, or it is shown that the humans who make up its operating team take advantage of the situation, the whole institution shouldn't be squashed. same reason you don't want to abolish the police force when a handful of them inappropriately take advantage of their power. work with internet archive to set up some transparency for fund-allocation. have them donate profits to libraries around the world.