At 09:00 18.11.98 -0500, you wrote:
>Otfried,
>
>You seem to presume C-H is depending only on its CD-ROM sales. In fact,
>they have migrated to the Web - on a server which works faster than the
>CDs - and there is a cost for continuing access. That yields a continuous
>revenue stream without the need for more CD sales, and this permits
>receaching institutions which might spring dollars for web access without
>purchase of CDs.
Dear Tom,
I am aware of the C-H website, although I did not include it into my
discussion of Caroline Howlett's argument (as I recall it, the possiblity
of online access was not yet given when we discussed the matter in April
'97). As I have heard from others, the prices for the online access are
treated by C-H as a more or less confidential matter and are fixed on a
case to case basis with each client individually. I have also heard that
they are still enormous and far beyond what individual scholars (especially
scholars without affiliation to a well funded institution) can afford.
Judging from the little info that I have, the online access is an
equivalent to the marketing option which I described as lowering the
astronomic prize of the CD from time to time in order to widen the number
of institutions which can afford the investment, a strategy which at the
same time robs earlier clients of a part of the (fictional) value of their
investment. C-H started on the wrong foot, and I see no way to change this
(except by adopting a less nonsensical pricing policy and refunding clients
of the first generation).
>
>Nor do I believe that enough scholars would spring $450 for a copy to
>assure the firm the <i>desired<i> costs + profit. Too many academics tell
>me
>these days that they cannot afford books & depend increasingly on their
>library.
Unfortunately, owing to unemployment and inconsiderate family politics, I
am one of those academics, and probably one of the worst cases: if I don't
err I bought my last printed scholarly book back in '96... But 221 volumes
of the PL in electronic form for $ 450 would be an investment which even I
would consider far more seriously than buying ten or so printed books for
the same price. I suppose that I can do without owning the last ten Dante
dissertations, especially if I can read them in the library or receive them
as gifts or review copies from charitable colleagues who wrote them, but I
hate the idea that my competitors on the academic job market can surf the
PL eletronically day and night while I myself still have to work with the
printed volumes in our libraries.
I admit that it is difficult to estimate the number of scholars and
students who would be willing to invest $ 450 for the PLD, and I also admit
that there are many medievalists and theologians whose research can go on
without this tool. But I still think that a low price policy as I suggested
it would pay better in the end (and would be more honest) than the current
policy of killing a small but rich sector of the institutional market first
by making a fast buck with fat institutions, and making then (partly on
their costs) side money with a somewhat less expensive WWW-version.
Best,
Otfried
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