speechlesstx
Mar 11, 2009, 07:00 AM
Surely you heard Obama Aims to Shield Science From Politics (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/08/AR2009030801476.html). He claimed "It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/09/obama-science-memo-goes-b_n_172987.html) to serve a political agenda _ and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology."
But what have you not heard (http://www.redstate.com/warner_todd_huston/2009/03/11/dems-push-another-fake-fair-bill-that-will-kill-online-science-research-publishing/)? John Conyers (D) is sponsoring the “Fair Copyright in Research Works Act” which would make it illegal for agencies such the NIH and federally funded universities to publish research online for the public to access for free.
Conyers' “The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act” will make it illegal for government agencies like the NIH and other scientists (such as those at universities that take federal money) to put scientific research online for the public to access for free. And guess where Conyers wants to force all research papers to be put? That's right, in journals published by scientific journal publishers. You know, the same ones that gave 4 times more campaign cash to Conyers than they do to everyone else?
Why is this a big deal? Simply put wide access to scientific research spurs more research and helps serve as a sort of quality control agent. Without free access to others' research, scientists might waste time and money on dead ends that others have already mined or replicate needlessly findings already found. Plus, like any other human endeavor, when information grows so does knowledge.
On top of that simple logic, forcing all scientific research into printed journals will also end up limiting the ability of everyone to access scientific research papers because of the exorbitant cost of the journals.
As Discover Magazine writes:
This may not sound like a big deal, but journals are very expensive. They can cost a fortune: The Astrophysical Journal costs over $2000/year, and they charge scientists to publish in them! So this bill would force scientists to spend money to publish, and force you to spend money to read them.
That's right, Conyers wants to keep you dumb and him in campaign dollars. No, this is not law yet, and no I'm not going to wait for it to become law to object. It's 1984 and doublethink is in full play. As the writer of this column notes, “fair” is not fair, “free” isn't free, “freedom” is not freedom. The “fairness” doctrine isn't fair, Obama's “new era of fiscal responsibility” is anything but, “bipartisan” is “my way or the highway,” “new politics” is the same old crap sandwich, putting away “childish things” is the White House working in concert with the media to attack the enemy... and this bill is downright shameful.
But what have you not heard (http://www.redstate.com/warner_todd_huston/2009/03/11/dems-push-another-fake-fair-bill-that-will-kill-online-science-research-publishing/)? John Conyers (D) is sponsoring the “Fair Copyright in Research Works Act” which would make it illegal for agencies such the NIH and federally funded universities to publish research online for the public to access for free.
Conyers' “The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act” will make it illegal for government agencies like the NIH and other scientists (such as those at universities that take federal money) to put scientific research online for the public to access for free. And guess where Conyers wants to force all research papers to be put? That's right, in journals published by scientific journal publishers. You know, the same ones that gave 4 times more campaign cash to Conyers than they do to everyone else?
Why is this a big deal? Simply put wide access to scientific research spurs more research and helps serve as a sort of quality control agent. Without free access to others' research, scientists might waste time and money on dead ends that others have already mined or replicate needlessly findings already found. Plus, like any other human endeavor, when information grows so does knowledge.
On top of that simple logic, forcing all scientific research into printed journals will also end up limiting the ability of everyone to access scientific research papers because of the exorbitant cost of the journals.
As Discover Magazine writes:
This may not sound like a big deal, but journals are very expensive. They can cost a fortune: The Astrophysical Journal costs over $2000/year, and they charge scientists to publish in them! So this bill would force scientists to spend money to publish, and force you to spend money to read them.
That's right, Conyers wants to keep you dumb and him in campaign dollars. No, this is not law yet, and no I'm not going to wait for it to become law to object. It's 1984 and doublethink is in full play. As the writer of this column notes, “fair” is not fair, “free” isn't free, “freedom” is not freedom. The “fairness” doctrine isn't fair, Obama's “new era of fiscal responsibility” is anything but, “bipartisan” is “my way or the highway,” “new politics” is the same old crap sandwich, putting away “childish things” is the White House working in concert with the media to attack the enemy... and this bill is downright shameful.