Date: Thu, 24 May 2018 17:03:51 -0700

I request the learned help of Liblicense-L readers to advise me
whether the following link constitutes (a) phishing, (b) a hilarious
parody of modern academic life, (c) a bald-faced central Asian attempt
to wring revenue out of the journals-publishing system, or (d)
evidence that I have finally lost my marbles.

http://www.journals-mafia.com/?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjc18y&refsrc=email

If I have it right, they're coming to journal editors/publishers with
a deal:  let us be your exclusive agent (if you are low-ranking or
frankly predatory journal) recruiting articles from Russia,
Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, which they will pre-vet to assure highest
quality and whose authors they will charge a no doubt sturdy APC.  If
you agree not to take other articles from those countries, they will
get you a steady supply and share the APC revenue with you -- with
money that they assure you is 'anonymous'.  (Is that what we call
funneling?)  If you are a high-ranking journal, they will supply you
one article per issue and will handle all the revisions you require
themselves.

The site's author (I hesitate to say entrepreneur of a site that posts
photographs of Don Corleone and Scarface to illustrate their business
practices) sets out the goal clearly:  "My goal is to monopolize
publication market of Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. All the
publications must go through my companies, through my journals or
partner journals."

Jim O'Donnell
ASU