6.0154 Rs: On TLG Policies (2/48)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Fri, 24 Jul 1992 17:16:51 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0154. Friday, 24 Jul 1992.


(1) Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 16:59:45 CDT (37 lines)
From: Mark Olsen <mark@TIRA.UCHICAGO.EDU>
Subject: Re: 6.0150 More on TLG Policies

(2) Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 07:36 EST (11 lines)
From: MORGAN@LOYVAX.BITNET
Subject: Re: 6.0150 More on TLG Policies

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 16:59:45 CDT
From: Mark Olsen <mark@TIRA.UCHICAGO.EDU>
Subject: Re: 6.0150 More on TLG Policies

Oh no, not the "copyfight" issue again. To defend Ted Brunner,
ARTFL has many similar usage issues facing the TLG. We are forced
to limit the kinds of use legitimate scholars can make of the
database. And it is, by far, the most frequent criticism that
people make of the ARTFL Project. The limitations that we impose
on use of the database arises from agreements negoicated with
copyright holders. These agreements have changed over time and,
not surprisingly, will change in future as the technology and
financial considerations develop. I share Brunner's frustration
with the gap between what is technical feasible/desirable and
the legal limitations imposed by publishers and copyright conventions.
Indeed, Brunner was, for many years, remarkably liberal in his
distribution policies, a fact which should be recognized by
current TLG critics.

On another issue, David Stampe does not seem to approve of the TLG
shifting data entry operations to mainland China. I have had a
number of people protest my decision to use off-shore data entry
companies. The problem is that we all want to get as much data
up and running as possible. The cheapest way to do that is off
shore keyboarding. So again, running a large database is a compromise
between what is desirable and what is practical. Funding agencies
will not support the expense of having huge bodies of data entered
in the US. The choice is having it done as inexpensively as possible
or not having it all. It is, quite frankly, extremely frustrating
to have people gripe about this kind of thing after spending alot of
time hustling up the cash to get new and important datasets entered,
which will benefit the scholarly community as a whole.

Mark Olsen
ARTFL Project
University of Chicago

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------19----
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 07:36 EST
From: MORGAN@LOYVAX.BITNET
Subject: Re: 6.0150 More on TLG Policies


Question: if the TLG is being funded by public funds (e.g., NEH), are
there not public records which could be consulted about the "business
affairs" of the group? Under the freedom of information law, for
example?

L.Morgan (MORGAN@LOYVAX.BITNET; MORGAN@LOYOLA.EDU)