Reply to post from Fred Friend

["Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@worldnet.att.net>]

I respectfully submit to Mr. Friend that the "huge unsatisfied demand" is
not for access to academic information but for more outlets for one's own
publications.  The problem is one of oversupply, which chokes the
distribution system and makes (some) publishers look like crooks.  Since
in the academic arena it is authors, not readers, who are the principal
beneficiaries of publication, an author-pays model makes a great deal of
sense, especially as it would serve to moderate production and thereby
provide some relief to the beleaguered reader.

Joe Esposito

> Much as I respect Marc Brodsky, I cannot allow the statement below to pass
> un-challenged! "Unproven" open access use may be in the sense that it
> takes time to build up reliable evidence of use, but the early indications
> are that open access journals receive many times more full-text uses than
> any subscription journal. And we have seen nothing yet! As awareness of
> open access grows and more journals become available on open access, use
> will take off like a rocket. I do agree that subscription publishers have
> done their best to increase access through consortial deals, but the
> subscription model cannot meet the huge unsatisfied demand for access to
> quality academic information right across the world. Increasing access to
> information for humankind is in everybody's interests, including
> publishers.
>
> Fred Friend