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They are professional organizations, not just publishers. As professional organizations, their primary goal is to support their members and the betterment of th
by scott_s 14y ago
They are professional organizations, not just publishers. As professional organizations, their primary goal is to support their members and the betterment of the field. They may not always have paywalls; unlike Elsivier, their organization exists for purposes other than getting money from publications.
The co-chairs of the ACM Publishing Board recently wrote an editorial, "Positioning ACM for an Open Access Future": http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2013/2/160170-positioning-acm-for-an-open-access-future/fulltext http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2013/2/160170-positioning-acm-...
It's not enough, but it's a start, and I'm hopeful. I am a member of both the ACM and IEEE, and I want both of these organizations to move to a fully open access model.
- aswanson 14y agoIf their primary goal is to support members and the betterment of their field, then why are they impeding the sharing of information amongst said members and the public at large, not only with recent research but legacy papers from the 80s? My guess is that the organizations have evolved into self-serving fat bureaucratic fiefdoms.
- czr80 14y agoElsevier and other large publishers publish many journals on behalf of societies, so the distinction between the interests of professional organisations and publishers doesn't really work.
- scott_s 14y agoI think there is a clear distinction: Elsivier cannot go to an open access model, because it would cease to exist from lack of revenue, while the ACM and IEEE can continue to exist with an open access model because of membership dues.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoThe ACM already makes a lot more on conferences than dues, I think.
- joelthelion 14y ago>their primary goal is to support their members and the betterment of the field Their primary goal is securing a nice remuneration for the members of their board. I've been in this field for a long time and I want to see these organizations disappear. We don't need them (anymore).
- jrochkind1 14y agoThose on the IEEE board get paid? That surprises me, although I could believe it -- do you have a cite?