Don Knuth letter about libraries increasingly unable to afford prices (2003) [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: Don Knuth letter about libraries increasingly unable to afford prices (2003) [pdf]

#101

Post by istillwritecode » Mon, Mar 18, 2024, 7:37 PM UTC

WillAdams wrote: post #57

thrtythreeforty wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Don Knuth sent me a 14-page letter, you bet I'm gonna read it. I might frame it.

I was fortunate enough to get one of the last physical reward checks which was accompanied by a printout of my e-mail, written on in pencil. Fortunately, it survived a house flood which destroyed the book it was in, so now the envelope it's in is prominently displayed on a rack in my living room and would be one of the things I'd grab in the event of a fire. Every so often, when a co-worker knows who Knuth is I bring…

I have a letter from Knuth as well as a letter from Erdos. I've been hanging onto these.

Re: Don Knuth letter about libraries increasingly unable to afford prices (2003) [pdf]

#102

Post by fragmede » Mon, Mar 18, 2024, 8:31 PM UTC

lupire wrote: post #93

queuebert wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pro tip: If you are near a university, the free public wifi may give you access to its journal subscriptions.

Where have you seen this? Every one I've seen requires login, and usually university membership for the good stuff.

Back in the day, when MIT still owned 18.0.0.0/8, at least one journal gave blanket access to users coming from anywhere in that netblock. And there were ways to use it even if you weren’t officially affiliated as a student/faculty. Unfortunately Aaron Swartz did not use an untraceable method of access.

Re: Don Knuth letter about libraries increasingly unable to afford prices (2003) [pdf]

#103

Post by maximus-decimus » Tue, Mar 19, 2024, 3:40 AM UTC

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #83

ForHackernews wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's there to understand? It's capitalism 101. Producers will charge the maximum the market will bear.

Sure, but who the hell buys a digital copy they can't even resell for more money than a physical copy?

I don't want to have to deal with reselling books... Plus I'm a hoarder so I really don't want to tempt fate and accumulate physical things I don't need.

Re: Don Knuth letter about libraries increasingly unable to afford prices (2003) [pdf]

#104

Post by gus_massa » Tue, Mar 19, 2024, 12:10 PM UTC

_ZeD_ wrote: post #82

gus_massa wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a real letter. It's an (implicit?) open letter that is just a self published article, with the hidden threat that everyone will see it [1] so if they don't agree they will look bad. [1] And nobody will read it, and everybody agree even the publisher. The publisher want to increase the price anyway, and everyone else want a cheaper journal.

yeah, you didn't rode the PS :)

Nope :) . I read it now. It's unrealistic. It will leak. Perhaps also he expected someone to read the 14 pages. Let's say it's a not very closed letter :) .