Status of Ripper Notes?

[Chris]

The difference being?

Books, Periodicals, online, what difference?

Well, an obvious difference is that far fewer people are going to have access to the material if it's published in a magazine that has to be paid for (whether paper or electronic).

There must be some other considerations that counterbalance that disadvantage, and cause some authors to prefer publishing in magazines. I just can't see what they are, and I was hoping someone could enlighten me.

[KatBradshaw]

Well I know it may sound silly but to me it seem like anyone can post on the internet, I am doing it now!, but having something published which you can keep seems more tangible.

[Ally]

The fact is, it's ego pure and simple and the perception that something printed on paper has more value than something on the internet.

In most reputable journals that might be true, but when you have a field as small as ripperology, and magazines going out electronically monthly they'll stuff it with any old dreck just to get the page counts up. And that goes for paper mags as well. The last couple of Ripper Notes were stuffed with the most ridiculous articles imaginable, just to have something to print.

But regardless, the perception is still that paper printing by virtue of the fact that it costs something is worth more.

And of course you have to wonder just where is the money paid to Ripperologist going? The editing staff doesn't get paid, the authors and contributors don't get paid so someone is sitting on a fat bank. There are no costs involved in producing it or sending it out, so what precisely are you paying for?

[Garry Wroe]

The fact is, it's ego pure and simple and the perception that something printed on paper has more value than something on the internet

Agreed, Ally. But that is a perception which will surely change over the coming decade. Here in the UK, music downloads far exceed over the counter sales. Eventually, the vast majority of book and magazine publishers will either get the message and evolve or sink without a trace. Simple as that.

Regards.

Garry Wroe.

[Ally]

People need to stop agreeing with me. I am starting to get nervous.

[Sam Flynn]

People need to stop agreeing with me.

I disagree.

[KatBradshaw]

I disgaree that it is pure ego. I think that people percieve paper as lasting where as there are problems with Ecopies as we have seen with the crashes on this site. Who knows what media we will be using to discuss the case in 60 years time but paper will still be here.

[Ally]

Internet crashes aren't a problem if the sites are properly backed up. While the forums suffered one loss of a years data, the Casebook proper has never experienced a data loss like that. And the issue that allowed that to occur has been addressed and won't happen again.

Which makes the internet the most accessible and long lasting form of widespread information dissemination.

It is ego. You said it yourself: ANYONE can post on the internet. It's not "special".

Of course, with vanity presses, anyone can now publish a book and unfortunately do.

[KatBradshaw]

I am still not so sure about the ego bit.....
Like I said I like to have something to hold and keep in that way. My dissertation is stored on floppy and on a hard drive but its the hard copy that I love.
Then again maybe that is beause I like to see my name in print with all the clever words I wrote............................................. ........damn it! Thats ego!

[Monty]

Just to clarify,

If you release info in a periodical its ego, whereas releasing it on the internet is?

Monty

[Chris]

Just to clarify,

If you release info in a periodical its ego, whereas releasing it on the internet is?

No doubt there could be all sorts of reasons.

But my question was - why publish in a periodical rather than making the material freely available on the Internet?

[Monty]

No doubt there could be all sorts of reasons.

But my question was - why publish in a periodical rather than making the material freely available on the Internet?

As you said Chris, numerous reasons. The medium of how information is presented is surely the choice of the person presenting it. And its not always down to ego.

And, many moons ago, I offered an artical for online publication* but the offer was not taken up.

Monty


* The reason I didnt present it myself is simply down to my lack of technical know how, which restricts me more than my ego drives.

[Chris]

Well, I only asked, because I genuinely don't understand why someone should prefer their work to be accessible to a limited number of people rather than to everyone.

But probably I should just have kept my mouth shut.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

I have spent a good number of years researching the Whitechapel murders. It was my choice that all the articles I have written should appear in a publication rather than be made freely available on the internet. This was not a financial consideration, but rather that I wanted my work to be as honed and polished as possible by passing through the critical filtration process of an editor [a big thank you here to the ever-vigilant Eduardo Zinna and Adam Wood] rather than sloshing around in the electronic sea of unprocessed sewage currently masquerading as informed opinion on various blogs. For it is here, and in self-published books, that ego and narcissism are truly to be found.

Regards,

Simon

[Robert]

Yes, I suppose there are the previous subscribers to consider. The thought of all those subs floating to the surface makes me wonder if the mag's title should be changed to "Resurgam."