FTW

January 25, 2010 6:21 PM

I wanted to point out a simply magnificent couple of comments about the Google Book Settlement by one of our members, grimmelm, or James Grimmelmann, as he’s know in the real world.

His first comment thoughtfully and respectfully addresses some of the previous comments, and points out where many of them (including my own) are misinformed or misunderstandings. His second is a comprehensive bibliography on why.

Here’s his blog.

Here’s an interview.

Here's an op-ed he wrote in Publisher's Weekly.

Here he recommends to the legal community how to fix some of the problems the settlement could create.

I’m really glad to have seen this and have already shared it among some of my colleagues in the publishing industry, but I think because it came so late in the thread, many here probably missed it. I post it here in case you haven’t seen it, or in case you are curious to learn more about this important controversy from someone who is clearly an expert on the subject.

posted by Toekneesan to MetaFilter-Related at 6:21 PM (18 comments total)

James is an all around wonderful person. Those are some terrific comments.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:25 PM on January 25, 2010

very cool- I wouldn't have seen this otherwise- thank you!
posted by small_ruminant at 6:39 PM on January 25, 2010

That is a stunningly useful guide to the issues and whatnot surrounding this. Thanks to Toekneeson for pointing this out, and grimmelm for organizing all that. Awesomeness on Metafilter: it's a daily thing.
posted by pjern at 6:43 PM on January 25, 2010

James is a phenomenal guy, thoughtful, erudite, and often hilarious. Thanks for pointing these out -- I read his blog, but his summaries and thoughts here are great, too.

And hella necessary, given the level of misinformation and snark here about GBS.
posted by fake at 6:43 PM on January 25, 2010

Allowed a person like me with apparently no direct link to the issue or settlement recognize and understand the issues and how it DOES affect me. Thanks for pointing out Mr. Grimmelmann's posts and links above.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:11 PM on January 25, 2010

Thank you, yeah, I wouldn't have seen those comments either if it weren't for this post.
posted by Dumsnill at 7:24 PM on January 25, 2010

Awww, thanks. I so rarely read a Metafilter thread and have something to say that hasn't already been said more eloquently and hilariously by at least three others that when one focusing on my main intellectual project for the last year popped up . . . what else was I going to do? (Obsessed much? Nah.)

I'm sorry I missed the thread when it first went up; I've have loved to answer questions when the thread was still on the front page and people were more actively reading it.
posted by grimmelm at 7:37 PM on January 25, 2010

Awesome, missed that completely. More uses of MetaTalk like this, please!
posted by mediareport at 7:41 PM on January 25, 2010

Those were two great comments grimmelm and thanks to Toekneeson for pointing it out.
posted by shothotbot at 8:28 PM on January 25, 2010

grimmelm, or James Grimmelmann, as he’s know in the real world.

Sorry, perhaps I'm mistaken, but isn't this sort of thing a bit of a no-no 'round these parts?
posted by Sys Rq at 8:54 PM on January 25, 2010

For people who are clearly trying to keep their MeFi and personal selves separate, yes. I don't think grimmelm minds, but he can let us know if he does.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:06 PM on January 25, 2010

Thanks for the heads up, those are great comments.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:25 PM on January 25, 2010

I saw James give a talk on the Google Books settlement, it was a terrific talk.
posted by carter at 12:26 AM on January 26, 2010

I went to high school with him. He's always been a rilly rilly smart nice guy.

*waves hi*
posted by Asparagirl at 12:39 AM on January 26, 2010

In all the discussion of the Google Book Settlement, there has been little coverage of the recent events at Miskatonic University. The librarian, Dr Henry Armitage, had fiercely resisted suggestions that Miskatonic should join the Google Books Library Project, but when he retired last year, his successor, declaring that 'Miskatonic must move with the times', invited Google to scan the library's collections. Asked whether this would include the rare and valuable books kept in a locked safe in the librarian's office, she replied: 'Sure. Why not?'

Shortly before Christmas, Dr Armitage visited the campus to collect a few personal items, and spoke to the Google technicians just as they were preparing to pack away their cameras. On learning that the contents of the locked safe, including the Daemonolatreia of Remigius and the Necronomicon in the Latin version of Olaus Wormius, had all been scanned for the project, he showed unaccountable distress; but on being informed that under the terms of the Google Book Settlement, these works in their entirety would shortly be placed online, he suffered a complete nervous collapse and had to be removed to secure accommodation in the private wing of the Arkham County Asylum, where he has remained ever since.

In his more lucid moments, Dr Armitage has been heard to mutter various cryptic and disjointed remarks about 'the undying ones', 'the evil from beyond the stars', 'Yog-Sothoth', and 'Google's master-plan for world domination', but these are probably nothing more than the confused ramblings of an elderly man.
posted by verstegan at 2:39 AM on January 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

Neat stuff. Always nice when someone takes the time to post all those answers & links. Thanks for pointing this out, Toekneesan.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 3:19 AM on January 26, 2010

With all the Google Books/AG hysteria, it is so refreshing to hear someone who has a really informed and nuanced view of the entire deal. Thanks for posting this!
posted by infinitefloatingbrains at 9:50 AM on January 26, 2010

Nice callout (? - must be a better word. Kudo?) I was looking at those comments and thinking, only 2 favorites?!?!? What the hell do you all want from the guy?
posted by msalt at 11:20 AM on January 26, 2010