Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
ence or oversight by editors or others. This new outlet allows for re
markable availability of diverse materials, but it also short circuits
the traditional process of editing and filtering. Altogether, there are
both advantages and drawbacks to using the Web for the distribu
tion of and access to materials, and we will use this chapter to ex
plore these consequences.
sources?
In most cases, the individual user is responsible for determining
the reliability of the Web's abundance of resources. The following
fictitious examples illustrate many of the advantages and limitations
of the Web as a source of materials.
Example 1: Book Publishing
After a decade of careful research on the dietary preferences of goats, an eccen
tric combined many notes into a booklength manuscript, entitled “500 Grass
Based Recipes for Goats.” When the writing was complete and edited, the eccen
tric sent the draft to several publishers for consideration. Following the normal
process, an editor at each publisher reviewed the manuscript and prospectus. All
agreed that the topic was beautifully written and wonderfully researched, but
various practical considerations, including sales potential and marketing costs,
led all publishers to reject the proposal for publication.
With the manuscript rejected by publishers, the author has two main choices:
publish the topic privately or post the topic on the Web. In private publishing,
the author would, in effect, set up a small business for the purpose of handling
the topic. Although this approach is not uncommon, it takes considerable time
and expense and may not be feasible.
In contrast, posting the manuscript on the World Wide Web allows immediate
and widespread distribution of the material. With the designation of the topic as
a Web page, anyone can access the topic freely and easily. At a more sophisti
cated level, the author might charge a fee to download the material. This would
require use of special software to handle billing and control book access, and
such software systems are available at varying prices through several Webbased
companies.
