Re: Preprints/Reprints of Academic Papers in Packages
"DT" == Dylan Thurston <dpt@math.harvard.edu> writes:
Dylan,
DT> I originally raised this issue wrt the file
DT> /usr/share/doc/texmf/metapost/base/mpman.ps.gz in the
DT> tetex-doc package.
Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know.
[deletia]
DT> AFAICT, this is the principal reference manual for
DT> MetaPost. If one wanted to modify the MetaPost language
DT> in some way, you would probably also want to modify this
DT> manual.
DT> I think it is definitely in Debian's interest to have the
DT> source for this academic paper.
I think that it would be even better if we got John Hobby to
release a version of the source under a free license that's meant
to serve as a manual and *not* as a copy of the original work.
That way, he gets to preserve the historical document without
changes, and we get a modifiable document that's clearly meant to
be a manual and not an academic article (or technical report).
DT> I'm about to go ask John Hobby if he's willing to release
DT> the source, but in general I think Debian should insist on
DT> source, even for academic papers.
Yes! Please do!
DT> Note that one of the largest archives of academic papers
DT> on the web, http://arxiv.org, insists on TeX source. From
DT> http://arxiv.org/help/faq/whytex.html:
[deletia]
DT> These are good reasons for wanting source in general,
DT> independent of any need for modification.
Having experienced the whole ``download this article in PostScript
format or PDF!'', only to find that the document in question was
created with 72 dpi Computer Modern PK fonts, which produce
horrible printed output, I think it would be great if we could get
authors to provide TeX (or other) source for academic articles.
That said, I suspect there may be a variety of problems over and
above any personal concerns authors might have about making the
source of their work available, such as not actually owning the
copyright for the material, or not having source distribution
rights.
For documents that *aren't* manuals, however, I wonder if we would
be better off encouraging authors to make their work (source or
not) available though some more appropriate service such as arxiv
or CiteSeer and only include pointers to that material or derived
works (typeset files) in our packages with pointers to the source.
CMC
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Man cannot be civilised, or be kept civilised by what he does in his
spare time; only by what he does as his work.
W.R. Lethaby
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
C.M. Connelly cmc@debian.org SHC, DS
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
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