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0 pointsvsri7mo ago0 comments

> I find it extremely hard to believe that most consumers have a strong enough moral compass to go out of their way to buy something they already have access to.

This is zero-sum thinking. Do you oppose libraries on the same principle?

Sometimes making a thing accessible can increase the overall market for the good, because it trains the behavior. The market for books requires readers, and readers are created by people reading.

0 comments

Wowfunhappy7mo ago

> Do you oppose libraries on the same principle?

No, because libraries have to buy the books! If lots of people check out a book, the library will have to buy more copies! Yes, maybe the authors loose out on some revenue, but there's a clear relationship between number of readers and the author getting paid for their work.

This is also why I thought the Internet Archive's lending lending library was great! I'm aware they got sued anyway, and I think that's a real shame.

bawolff7mo ago

If we take this to the logical extreme - someone had to buy the book in order to upload it to Anna's archive in the first place.

Wowfunhappy7mo ago

Yes, but whereas libraries need to buy more copies of books that lots of people check out, Anna's archive only ever needs one. Not exactly sustainable for the author.

As I said, I loved the Internet Archive's approach to this! That's very much not what Anna's archive is doing.

2 more replies

jasonfarnon7mo ago

"If we take this to the logical extreme "

I think this is a situation where doing so doesn't make much sense. This is all about compromising, I think that must be the premise.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsvsri7mo ago0 comments

> I find it extremely hard to believe that most consumers have a strong enough moral compass to go out of their way to buy something they already have access to.

This is zero-sum thinking. Do you oppose libraries on the same principle?

Sometimes making a thing accessible can increase the overall market for the good, because it trains the behavior. The market for books requires readers, and readers are created by people reading.

0 comments

Wowfunhappy7mo ago

> Do you oppose libraries on the same principle?

This is also why I thought the Internet Archive's lending lending library was great! I'm aware they got sued anyway, and I think that's a real shame.

bawolff7mo ago

If we take this to the logical extreme - someone had to buy the book in order to upload it to Anna's archive in the first place.

Wowfunhappy7mo ago

Yes, but whereas libraries need to buy more copies of books that lots of people check out, Anna's archive only ever needs one. Not exactly sustainable for the author.

As I said, I loved the Internet Archive's approach to this! That's very much not what Anna's archive is doing.

2 more replies

jasonfarnon7mo ago

"If we take this to the logical extreme "

I think this is a situation where doing so doesn't make much sense. This is all about compromising, I think that must be the premise.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse