Access to Knowledge: YEA or NAY

Giggleton · 02-22-2012, 11:25 AM

Greetings! It's time for a fantastically futile?? poll

If a website hosts all knowledge and gives access to everyone, but donates any profit received through the site to relevant charities (educational facilities etc...) Should the site be allowed to exist?

By all knowledge I mean anything that the site wishes to distribute. It would of course be hard to imagine a site hosting all knowledge.

And by profit I mean anything more than is required for the site's administrators to live nicely... I think you get what I mean.

To me this is the only question worth considering in the coming era of widespread ereader adoption.

fjtorres · 02-22-2012, 11:58 AM

Only if it has a right to what it offers up.
There is more than enough freely available content that there is no excuse to take what is not freely given.

Belfaborac · 02-22-2012, 01:12 PM

All knowledge? ALL knowledge? Absolutely, if someone managed to do such a thing, then by all means let the site stay - but only if it has a well implemented search function.

bill_mchale · 02-22-2012, 01:28 PM

It depends on what you mean by knowledge. If we are talking about a collection of facts or original articles about knowledge, then sure. If on the other hand, you are talking about a site that hosts knowledge about what words are contained in which book, and where, then I am going to have to say no (since such knowledge would essentially be the book in question).

--
Bill

QuantumIguana · 02-22-2012, 01:34 PM

What are you really asking? Knowledge may be freely distributed, but the books that contain the knowledge may not, until the copyright as expired, at least. If as a result of reading a book, I gain the knowledge of the leading export of Bhutan, I can spread this knowledge as far as I wish. I cannot, however, freely distribute the book.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 02-22-2012, 01:43 PM

My vote is: Enough with these pointlessly loaded polls already.

Venus · 02-22-2012, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Greetings! It's time for a fantastically futile?? poll

If a website hosts all knowledge and gives access to everyone, but donates any profit received through the site to relevant charities (educational facilities etc...) Should the site be allowed to exist?

By profits, do you mean after the CEO, managers, IT personnel, HR and all expenses of acquiring, maintaining, protecting and disseminating this knowledge gets paid?

AndrewH · 02-22-2012, 03:08 PM

By "knowledge" do you mean "entertainment"? Somehow I just can't think of fiction as "knowledge".

speakingtohe · 02-22-2012, 03:10 PM

As bill_mchale and quantumiguana stated.

If you include all books in their entirety than that is wrong. Many books including fiction contain some knowledge, although few contain original knowledge.

Posting books because they can contain knowledge is just a thinly veiled excuse for .....

And I imagine that all knowledge would mean what government security agencies are doing, who is sleeping with whom, and exactly how you or your neighbours are spending his/her/their free time.

Pretty scary stuff IMO and while I could possibly be morbidly interested on occasion I prefer not to know everything about everybody or have everybody know every thing about me.

Helen

Phogg · 02-22-2012, 03:43 PM

The

next to the

Penforhire · 02-22-2012, 04:53 PM

I vote no. I believe in some form of intellectual property rights. Otherwise you take away a big incentive for companies to invest in R&D.

Giggleton · 02-22-2012, 09:29 PM

Yes, personal correspondence indeed presents a problem, I'm going to modify the original question a bit.

The Terminator · 02-23-2012, 12:42 AM

I voted no.

If the content on the site is in the public domain or the person who's owns/created the content specifically says that they want it available for free then I am fine with it.

All that more pirate sites would do for books is give less money to the authors who WANT that money. Give the people a choice; Sell their work or give it away for free, no one but them should be able to decide that.

I'm all for freedom, being forced to give away your stuff is not freedom.

BWinmill · 02-23-2012, 03:15 AM

Yes, with the caveat that the representation of that knowledge matters.

Violating copyright laws, propagating hate literature, etc. are not forms of knowledge.

Giggleton · 02-23-2012, 03:38 AM

Do you view copyright laws as part of the package of fundamental human laws, or do you see them as mere spatiotemporal abstractions?

What I mean is I don't believe in copyright so your statement about violating copyright doesn't make any sense to me...

What I do believe in is being able to read whatever I want.

View Poll Results: The Question.
YEA	30	53.57%
NAY	26	46.43%
Voters: 56. You may not vote on this poll

02-22-2012, 11:25 AM	#1
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Access to Knowledge: YEA or NAY Greetings! It's time for a fantastically futile?? poll If a website hosts all knowledge and gives access to everyone, but donates any profit received through the site to relevant charities (educational facilities etc...) Should the site be allowed to exist? By all knowledge I mean anything that the site wishes to distribute. It would of course be hard to imagine a site hosting all knowledge. And by profit I mean anything more than is required for the site's administrators to live nicely... I think you get what I mean. To me this is the only question worth considering in the coming era of widespread ereader adoption. Last edited by Giggleton; 02-22-2012 at 09:32 PM.

02-23-2012, 12:42 AM	#13
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	I voted no. If the content on the site is in the public domain or the person who's owns/created the content specifically says that they want it available for free then I am fine with it. All that more pirate sites would do for books is give less money to the authors who WANT that money. Give the people a choice; Sell their work or give it away for free, no one but them should be able to decide that. I'm all for freedom, being forced to give away your stuff is not freedom. Last edited by The Terminator; 02-23-2012 at 12:44 AM.

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02-22-2012, 11:58 AM	#2
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Only if it has a right to what it offers up. There is more than enough freely available content that there is no excuse to take what is not freely given.

02-22-2012, 01:12 PM	#3
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	All knowledge? ALL knowledge? Absolutely, if someone managed to do such a thing, then by all means let the site stay - but only if it has a well implemented search function.

02-22-2012, 01:28 PM	#4
bill_mchale Wizard Posts: 1,451 Karma: 1550000 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Maryland, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch, HPC Evo 4G LTE	It depends on what you mean by knowledge. If we are talking about a collection of facts or original articles about knowledge, then sure. If on the other hand, you are talking about a site that hosts knowledge about what words are contained in which book, and where, then I am going to have to say no (since such knowledge would essentially be the book in question). -- Bill

02-22-2012, 01:34 PM	#5
QuantumIguana Philosopher Posts: 2,034 Karma: 18736532 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2 gen, Kindle Fire 1st Gen, Kindle Touch	What are you really asking? Knowledge may be freely distributed, but the books that contain the knowledge may not, until the copyright as expired, at least. If as a result of reading a book, I gain the knowledge of the leading export of Bhutan, I can spread this knowledge as far as I wish. I cannot, however, freely distribute the book.

02-22-2012, 01:43 PM	#6
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	My vote is: Enough with these pointlessly loaded polls already.

02-22-2012, 03:08 PM	#8
AndrewH Fanatic Posts: 553 Karma: 1234566 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver, WA Device: Sony PRS-T1, & Kobo Mini	By "knowledge" do you mean "entertainment"? Somehow I just can't think of fiction as "knowledge".

02-22-2012, 03:10 PM	#9
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	As bill_mchale and quantumiguana stated. If you include all books in their entirety than that is wrong. Many books including fiction contain some knowledge, although few contain original knowledge. Posting books because they can contain knowledge is just a thinly veiled excuse for ..... And I imagine that all knowledge would mean what government security agencies are doing, who is sleeping with whom, and exactly how you or your neighbours are spending his/her/their free time. Pretty scary stuff IMO and while I could possibly be morbidly interested on occasion I prefer not to know everything about everybody or have everybody know every thing about me. Helen

02-22-2012, 03:43 PM	#10
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	The next to the

02-22-2012, 04:53 PM	#11
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	I vote no. I believe in some form of intellectual property rights. Otherwise you take away a big incentive for companies to invest in R&D.

02-22-2012, 09:29 PM	#12
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Yes, personal correspondence indeed presents a problem, I'm going to modify the original question a bit.

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02-23-2012, 03:15 AM	#14
BWinmill Nameless Being	Yes, with the caveat that the representation of that knowledge matters. Violating copyright laws, propagating hate literature, etc. are not forms of knowledge.

02-23-2012, 03:38 AM	#15
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Do you view copyright laws as part of the package of fundamental human laws, or do you see them as mere spatiotemporal abstractions? What I mean is I don't believe in copyright so your statement about violating copyright doesn't make any sense to me... What I do believe in is being able to read whatever I want.