[GOAL] Re: More Skulduggery from the Scholarly Scullery: Sore Losers

[Stevan Harnad]

On Sun, Dec 29, 2013 at 3:47 AM, Jan Velterop <velterop at gmail.com> wrote:

> *SH:* (2) And once they become big and successful one is also struck by
> how the differences between the OA publishers and the subscription
> publishers shrink (both for for-profit OA publishers like Springer/BMC and
> not-for-profits like PLoS).
>
> *JV:* In what way, Stevan? Isn't the only difference that truly counts
> for open access that they publish only 'born' open access articles? (PLOS
> and BMC; not the other Springer divisions). Or is it success itself you
> have something against? Or that they provide a 'gold' route to open access?
>
> By the way, their 'gold' OA publishing is completely compatible with
> 'green', in that the final articles they publish can be deposited in any
> repository, very easily, without embargo or any other restrictions. And
> that they can be text- and data-mined without having to ask prior
> permission. And re-used otherwise, even commercially, without having to ask
> prior permission.
>
> So what's your beef? (Sorry, I know you're a vegetarian, to which I am
> sympathetic.)
>

 (1) First, it is true that Springer has consistently behaved properly in
officially sanctioning the immediate, unembargoed Green OA self-archiving
of all Springer authors' final drafts in their institutional repository --
even if a bit of
Elsevier<https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&lr=&q=harnad%20OR%20Harnad%20OR%20archivangelism+blogurl:http://openaccess.eprints.org/&ie=UTF-8&tbm=blg&tbs=qdr:m&num=100&c2coff=1&safe=active#c2coff=1&hl=en&lr=&q=elsevier+double+blogurl:http:%2F%2Fopenaccess.eprints.org%2F&safe=active&tbm=blg>-inspired
double-talk<https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&lr=&q=harnad%20OR%20Harnad%20OR%20archivangelism+blogurl:http://openaccess.eprints.org/&ie=UTF-8&tbm=blg&tbs=qdr:m&num=100&c2coff=1&safe=active#c2coff=1&hl=en&lr=&q=springer+blogurl:http://openaccess.eprints.org/&safe=active&tbas=0&tbm=blg>(meaningless
and inconsequential, but confusing to authors) has crept into
their language of late.

(2) Second, it is not Springer's paid Gold (whether pure BMC or hybrid)
that is exemplary, but Springer's *unembargoed immediate-Green policy*.
While institutions still need to pay for must-have subscriptions, Gold is
over-priced, double-paid (subscriptions + Gold) and, if hybrid, potentially
also double-dipped: "Fool's
Gold<https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&lr=&q=harnad%20OR%20Harnad%20OR%20archivangelism+blogurl:http://openaccess.eprints.org/&ie=UTF-8&tbm=blg&tbs=qdr:m&num=100&c2coff=1&safe=active#c2coff=1&hl=en&lr=&q=fool's+gold+blogurl:http:%2F%2Fopenaccess.eprints.org%2F&safe=active&tbm=blg>"
until universally mandated Green downsizes it to Post-Green "Fair
Gold<https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&lr=&q=harnad%20OR%20Harnad%20OR%20archivangelism+blogurl:http://openaccess.eprints.org/&ie=UTF-8&tbm=blg&tbs=qdr:m&num=100&c2coff=1&safe=active#c2coff=1&hl=en&lr=&q=%22fair+gold%22+blogurl:http:%2F%2Fopenaccess.eprints.org%2F&safe=active&tbm=blg>"
and releases the subscription funds to pay for it.

(3) Open access is not enough: it also has to be affordable, scaleable and
sustainable<https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&lr=&q=harnad%20OR%20Harnad%20OR%20archivangelism+blogurl:http://openaccess.eprints.org/&ie=UTF-8&tbm=blg&tbs=qdr:m&num=100&c2coff=1&safe=active#c2coff=1&hl=en&lr=&q=(membership+OR+scaleable+OR+sustainable)+blogurl%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fopenaccess.eprints.org%2F&safe=active&tbm=blg>
.

(4) Universally mandated Green OA will not only induce cost-cutting,
downsizing and conversion to affordable, scaleable, sustainable Fair Gold
OA, but to all the re-use rights users need ("Libre OA"). While most
content is still held hostage to subscription tolls, re-use rights for the
small (and arbitrary) fragment of it that can afford Fool's Gold are (as is
being debated on another thread) near-useless.

---

[*Off-Topic:* I am no longer vegetarian but vegan, as I ought to have been
all along, had it not been for my self-delusion and
hypocrisy<http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/elise-desaulniers/vegetarian_b_3361223.html>,
for which I am profoundly ashamed. Animal suffering is immeasurably more
important and urgent than OA. There is no comparison between the monstrous
abominations of the meat, fish, dairy, egg and fur
industries<http://www.occupyforanimals.org/animal-kill-counter.html>,
and the peccadilloes of the publishing industry.]

*Stevan Harnad*
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