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

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

#81

Post by bigbillheck »

justin66 wrote: post #63
vasco wrote: post #11

Sending a working person a 14 page letter about anything expecting them to read it is wild to me. Perhaps it's the quality of my writing but my personal experience is that even being way more concise, most people wouldn't care.

> Sending a working person a 14 page letter about anything expecting them to read it is wild to me. You really cannot understand why Donald Knuth would expect the editorial board of The Journal of Algorithms to read his letter?

Editors not knowing who sent in a document is one of the pillars of the double-blind system.

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

#82

Post by _ZeD_ »

gus_massa wrote: post #56
vasco wrote: post #11

Sending a working person a 14 page letter about anything expecting them to read it is wild to me. Perhaps it's the quality of my writing but my personal experience is that even being way more concise, most people wouldn't care.

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 :)

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

#83

Post by ajsnigrutin »

ForHackernews wrote: post #36
ajsnigrutin wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understood the overpricing of ebooks... A price of a book is a price of the "data" inside (copyright) + price of paper, printing, binding, packing material and distribution A price of an ebook is a price od the "data" inside (copyright) and the price of cheaper digital distributon. So, you save on paper, boxes, trucks, you often also save on retailers (if you sell directly), and you want more money for that?…

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?

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

#84

Post by 2devnull »

valdiorn wrote: post #73
1980phipsi wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m ok with library Sci-Hub, but less so with Library Genesis. Pirating books reduces the incentives for authors to write more books. Pirating academic articles won’t reduce academics’ incentives to write papers.

Good. There no reason to rewrite undergrad calculus books every semester besides money grabbing. The math hasn't changed in 100 years and there shouldn't be an incentive to write an updated version of the book for the 50th time.

The language changes, but more importantly students backgrounds and facility with the English language changes. Not that dumbing down the text or replacing old timey words should cost much, but cost disease and all that.

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

#86

Post by queuebert »

sam_lowry_ wrote: post #12

He is attending the wrong library. Library Genesis is the way, now. And Library Sci-Hub. And I am only half-kidding.

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

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

#87

Post by kbradero »

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…

be a good person and post some pictures about both so we can refer to it someday. For science !

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

#88

Post by WillAdams »

tombert wrote: post #80
WillAdams wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Extremely envious of this! I don't own a copy of Art of Computer Programming, so I did spend a not-insignificant amount of reading through some of Knuth's other writings trying to find mistakes that no one else has found, and I came up empty handed. There might be mistakes ripe for the picking in there, but I'm afraid I'm not quite smart enough to find them. Still, a guy can dream. If I ever pick up Art of Computer P…

I was fortunate that Knuth wrote a book on a topic which I have studied deeply, _Digital Typography_:

https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/dt.html

My correction is for pg. 33, and there was a minor point of improvement which I can't find.

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

#89

Post by tombert »

WillAdams wrote: post #88
tombert wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Extremely envious of this! I don't own a copy of Art of Computer Programming, so I did spend a not-insignificant amount of reading through some of Knuth's other writings trying to find mistakes that no one else has found, and I came up empty handed. There might be mistakes ripe for the picking in there, but I'm afraid I'm not quite smart enough to find them. Still, a guy can dream. If I ever pick up Art of Computer P…

I was fortunate that Knuth wrote a book on a topic which I have studied deeply, _Digital Typography_: https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/dt.html My correction is for pg. 33, and there was a minor point of improvement which I can't find.

Very cool!

He just needs to write a book on obscure cartoon history, and I'll be shoe-in. Until then I think I will just have to deal with living in envy.

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

#90

Post by WillAdams »

tombert wrote: post #89
WillAdams wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was fortunate that Knuth wrote a book on a topic which I have studied deeply, _Digital Typography_: https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/dt.html My correction is for pg. 33, and there was a minor point of improvement which I can't find.

Very cool! He just needs to write a book on obscure cartoon history, and I'll be shoe-in. Until then I think I will just have to deal with living in envy.

You are aware that his first publication was in _Mad Magazine_?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrzebie

(scroll down to "System of Measurement")

or see:

https://webmadness.net/blog/?post=knuth

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