Comments on: Mathematicians aim to take publishers out of publishing http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing Accelerating Intelligence Sat, 25 May 2013 19:00:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Peter the printer http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-104975 Peter the printer Sat, 02 Mar 2013 10:41:55 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-104975 'its own editor and editorial board' precisely what publishers provide! ‘its own editor and editorial board’ precisely what publishers provide!

]]> By: Peter the printer http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-104974 Peter the printer Sat, 02 Mar 2013 10:40:33 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-104974 What arrogance, so, lacking understanding on what goes into publishing and what skills are needed, they think they can do it all themselves. The result will be a DIY mess with mistakes on every line which will be typified as 'typos' but will in fact be lack of English skills since mathematicians are too important, and busy, to learn English. Amazing how so many people think that others' skills are easy or non-existant, but theirs are unavailable to us non-mathematical lay persons. As the internet has spread, English has gone downhill due to the ignorant thinking they have just as much right to express opinion as anyone [perhaps they're right, but they should try to be professional about it]. Next, mathematicians make movies, record CDs, build houses and invent new engineering applications; no need for skilled professionals after all. What arrogance, so, lacking understanding on what goes into publishing and what skills are needed, they think they can do it all themselves. The result will be a DIY mess with mistakes on every line which will be typified as ‘typos’ but will in fact be lack of English skills since mathematicians are too important, and busy, to learn English. Amazing how so many people think that others’ skills are easy or non-existant, but theirs are unavailable to us non-mathematical lay persons. As the internet has spread, English has gone downhill due to the ignorant thinking they have just as much right to express opinion as anyone [perhaps they're right, but they should try to be professional about it]. Next, mathematicians make movies, record CDs, build houses and invent new engineering applications; no need for skilled professionals after all.

]]> By: Amit http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-91009 Amit Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:53:00 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-91009 T, Firstly, you are over-estimating the cost structure for running arXiv. I should know, because I design and implement platforms for manipulating all sorts of data. Secondly, even if you were right about it, that does not take away from the fact that there is a much more efficient way to manage this data which is possible. T,
Firstly, you are over-estimating the cost structure for running arXiv. I should know, because I design and implement platforms for manipulating all sorts of data.
Secondly, even if you were right about it, that does not take away from the fact that there is a much more efficient way to manage this data which is possible.

]]> By: t http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-90205 t Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:49:51 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-90205 clearly you are not taking into account that arXiv is a dynamic resource with many services which require curation, moderation, user assistance, software development, cooperation with related service, long term archival, etc. your argument that hosting 10^6 static pdf files shouldn't be much more than bandwidth charges does not even come close to grasping what operating arXiv and all it's value added services entails. so it's probably the correct ball park figure. Cheers T. clearly you are not taking into account that arXiv is a dynamic resource with many services which require curation, moderation, user assistance, software development, cooperation with related service, long term archival, etc.

your argument that hosting 10^6 static pdf files shouldn’t be much more than bandwidth charges does not even come close to grasping what operating arXiv and all it’s value added services entails.

so it’s probably the correct ball park figure.
Cheers
T.

]]> By: DAG http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-90034 DAG Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:25:26 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-90034 I rent 0.1Tb (1Tb bandwidth allowed per month) for $120 / year... this is from a top notch facility with many bells and whistles and 24hr support. So my mind is blown by this nearly $1million per year they're paying to keep their system running... I rent 0.1Tb (1Tb bandwidth allowed per month) for $120 / year… this is from a top notch facility with many bells and whistles and 24hr support.

So my mind is blown by this nearly $1million per year they’re paying to keep their system running…

]]> By: Amit http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-90013 Amit Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:51:24 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-90013 You are right, MikeB. I have to provide server space to anyone who uses my documentation platform. It would be unfeasible if it cost $1 per document to store. That said, one reason why it costs so much to maintain the arXiv server is that they offer downloads in multiple formats. Unless we have a universal convertor (like a transcompiler) that generates content in the desired format on demand, this will continue to be a problem. You are right, MikeB. I have to provide server space to anyone who uses my documentation platform. It would be unfeasible if it cost $1 per document to store.
That said, one reason why it costs so much to maintain the arXiv server is that they offer downloads in multiple formats. Unless we have a universal convertor (like a transcompiler) that generates content in the desired format on demand, this will continue to be a problem.

]]> By: MikeB http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-89421 MikeB Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:35:37 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-89421 The summary said $826,000 but does it cost $1 per paper per year to serve those papers? Perhaps an order of magnitude less $.10US/paper/yr ? Again, it seems more likely that $1million/yr server is actually handling much more than arXiv data, so what portion of that cost should be attributed to arXiv data? The summary said $826,000 but does it cost $1 per paper per year to serve those papers? Perhaps an order of magnitude less $.10US/paper/yr ? Again, it seems more likely that $1million/yr server is actually handling much more than arXiv data, so what portion of that cost should be attributed to arXiv data?

]]> By: Whittaker http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-89056 Whittaker Sat, 19 Jan 2013 19:53:14 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-89056 $82600 per year is actually okay, consider that they hold (shown on their homepage) 814780 papers. That is like a little more than 1 dollar per paper per year. Much less than the fee demanded by "intellectual property mafia". $82600 per year is actually okay, consider that they hold (shown on their homepage) 814780 papers. That is like a little more than 1 dollar per paper per year.
Much less than the fee demanded by “intellectual property mafia”.

]]> By: MikeB http://www.kurzweilai.net/mathematicians-aim-to-take-publishers-out-of-publishing/comment-page-1#comment-88972 MikeB Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:25:56 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177205#comment-88972 The server that hosts arXiv costs $826,000 a year to run? To host _just_ arXiv? That doesn't sound right at all. Anyone know of other options? Could you do it cheaper by renting space from Google or Amazon? The server that hosts arXiv costs $826,000 a year to run? To host _just_ arXiv? That doesn’t sound right at all. Anyone know of other options? Could you do it cheaper by renting space from Google or Amazon?

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