'Nother Solent

Giving away stuff for profit.

Brian M. found a SF author who is offering free downloads of his books so he can make money off them. It's only paradoxical at first sight.

The author, Eric Flint, makes the tremendously good point that books have always circulated for free, when friends lend them to one another.

What's happened here? Has the author "lost a sale?"

Well. . . yeah, in the short run — assuming, of course, that said person would have bought the book if he couldn't borrow it. Sure. Instead of buying a copy of the author's book, the Wretched Scoundrel Borrower (with the Lender as his Accomplice) has "cheated" the author. Read his work for free! Without paying for it!

He then goes on to make the point that there is nothing an author with any sense should prize more than such word of mouth recommendation: the friend lent one book may buy a lifetime's supply of that author's work in years to come.

I wonder, though. The author endearingly says that 'most people are honest.' That's true, I think. I hope. Still, there's no denying that public ethics are influenced by what is convenient. Once a bad thing becomes convenient, especially if it isn't an obviously bad thing, a significant minority of people do it. Then they start arguing for their right to do it so they can feel good about themselves and be saved the trouble of concealment. Eventually they may convince most people and make the ones still holding out against temptation look like a bunch of fuddy-duddies. Pretty soon the bad thing is the custom of the country.

At the moment I'd far rather have a book-sized chunk of words as a book than a download. I don't even know what you do with a download. Read it online? Hurts the eyes, or the neck, and for many people you have to sit at a desk to do it. Print it out? Takes a week and probably costs the price of the book in ink and paper. How much nicer to have a snuggy little book that you can take to bed with you.

But come the day of the utterly portable 4" x 6" x ½" hand-held computer with a zero-glare screen, or the desktop machine that prints and binds a nice little paperback from a download, and of it being as easy to e-mail a friend and say, "hey, you simply must get yourself a download of X's latest, it's terrific" as to physically lend the book - then I dunno, mate, I dunno.

The pressure-cooker effect.

I have a post about Robert Kilroy-Silk's tussle with the Comission for Racial Equality over at Samizdata.

We need you to be our attack dogs. That's why we're going to keep you hungry and mean.

One thing you may possibly have noticed is that I'm not the Palestinians' biggest cheerleader. However I wouldn't treat a dog the way that those who are the Palestinians' biggest cheerleaders treat their Arab brethren. Damian Penny summarises an AP report on how Arab states ensure the Palestinians within their borders cannot put down roots. Most Arab countries except Jordan deny Palestinians citizenship. In many countries they are banned from professional employment. They suffer restrictions on higher education, and when others get free healthcare Palestinians do not. Why? Because if they stopped being an underclass they might give up the dream of returning to Israel. "Hold on to your dream" is usually an inspiring message, but not when the unspoken coda is "...because slim as it is, that hope is the only one we intend to leave you."

And they call Israel an apartheid state.

We've all heard of thought control.

Many are the grim examples of those in power who have attempted to extend their dominion even to the innermost thoughts of their victims. From the Holy Inquisition to the Consistory of Geneva. From King Il Jong of Korea to the Essex Wildlife Trust.

Mr Pound will go to the guillotine after all

. He didn't originate the "bastards" quote, the bastard.¹

Captain Heinrich wrote to Brian Tiemann at Grotto11.com with the following two links attributing "The people have spoken, the bastards" to either Dick Tuck, after losing the 1966 California State Senate race or Morris Udall in 1976 after failing to achieve the Democratic presidential nomination. He adds:

... perhaps you could forward this to Mr Pound to refresh his memory. What might also be of benefit to him on future occasions, would be the words of Edmund Burke to his Bristol constituents: "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion."

That quote can be found on this website.² Arguably the Pound in the People's Pocket³ is being truer to Burke's advice now when he wriggles out of doing what he said he'd do than when he originally agreed to do it. But wriggling out is also a serious offence. It's like Vortigern offering Hengest anything he wanted if he could have his daughter's hand in marriage and then acting all taken aback when Hengest said, "thanks awfully old chap, in that case I'll have Kent." They never change, these people. Well, maybe they do: Vortigern ceded Kent in exchange for the nubile Rowena. To the guillotine with the lot of 'em, that's what I say.

¹January 5 and failed already.

²If the Edmund Burke link isn't working and you need to see it on a proper website before you're happy, try this one or the jumping-off point for the wonky link.

³I'm rather proud of that line. Would you mind standing back and admiring it?