From: Thomas Krichel <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:09:40 +0200

Joseph Esposito <[log in to unmask]> writes

> I really can't agree with Fred about most of this.  For one, the idea
> that the work of peer review is somehow free because many of the
> reviewers are unpaid displays not only profound ignorance of how peer
> review systems are managed but, worse, a complete lack of curiosity.

I am very curious. I never got a cent for all the reviewing I have
done. Where can I review and get handsomely paid, say just, 5% of
all all the money the publisher will earn from the paper?  I would
give up my job and become a full-time reviewer.

> The notion that research publishing--alone among all things in the
> world--can somehow sit outside the economy is a strange idea,

I don't think anybody contemplates that idea here.

The fact is that the economy is turning. Before the web, we lived an
economy of information, where information was scarce and attention
plentiful. Now we are moving to an economy of attention, where
attention is scarce and information is plentiful.  With that change
universities have to built systems that showcase their research, and
stop subsidising attention to the research done by other
universities though journal subscriptions. It's pure self interest
that will lead to open access.

Cheers,

Thomas Krichel                    http://openlib.org/home/krichel
                                           http://authorprofile.org/pkr1
                                             skype: thomaskrichel