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RE: Picking up on Ann's comment

Ann is absolutely right. Even with the most creative business models, such
as open access, the STM journal concept remains much the same. In the open
access model the way we at BioMed Central, and the Public Library of
Science, and the other, growing, number of open access journals operate,
the journals publishing system doesn't at all change from peer-reviewed
bundles of articles per journal into "something more freewheeling".
Journals remain; peer-review remains. What changes is the monopolistic
nature of the conventional system that leads to prices that are too high
and dissemination that is unnecessarily restricted.

I also agree with Joe that in all likelihood Google and its kin will soar.
But I hope it's not too strident to point out that when articles are found
via Google, their usefulness is immensely improved by the full text being
accessible without barriers. The natural successor to the monopoliarchy is
the 'res publica' of universal open access.

Jan Velterop

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joseph J. Esposito [mailto:espositoj@worldnet.att.net]
> Sent: 21 April 2004 21:20
> Subject: Picking up on Ann's comment
> 
> In a characteristically well-thought-out post, Ann Okerson wrote:
> 
> (Of course if the journals publishing system changes from today's peer
> reviewed bundle of XXX articles per journal to something else, more
> freewheeling, then all bets are off about... everything.  
> But so far, even with the newest online titles and most creative 
> business models, the STM journal concept remains much the same.)
> 
> JE:  And this is what is likely to happen.  Radio did not kill
> newspapers, but newspapers changed.  TV did not kill radio, but radio 
> changed.  So much energy is going into the laws of succession for a 
> defunct monarchy, energy better spent on anticipating what this exciting 
> new medium could do in the hands of creative entrepreneurs.  The Public 
> Library of Science and Elsevier are fighting the last war.  Innovation 
> takes place at the margins, not at the center.  For all the stridency of 
> BioMed Central, it is Google that soars.
> 
> Joe Esposito