sideways look! Was: USA: Online book-sharing service

[Janina Sajka]

Gina:

I don't know what you refer to when you say "questions have been swept 
under the carpet." 

To the extent that I do understand your message:

1.)	I have not paid much attention to the details of what renumeration 
exists for people who scan and upload. I know there is some--exchange for 
subscription, etc. Certainly, no one is forced to do anything. It's quite 
a "take it or leave it" arrangement.

2.)	Where the money is going is a matter of public record. That is the 
law regarding U.S. nonprofit organizations, as this one is. It's what most 
of the world knows as an NGO -- a Non Governmental Organization. In the 
U.S., these are also known as 501(C)3 organizations after the provision in 
U.S. Tax Code which regulates their financial activities.

If you're curious, you should ask for their filings and annual report.

 On Wed, 13 Mar 
2002, Georgina wrote:

> Hi
> 
> Being in the UK I['m perhaps a little green.  But there are a few
> questions I have on this issue which have been sort of raised but then
> swept under the proverbial carpet.
> 
> Why is the service or at least, the message marked as "for the
> blind"?  Surely, we as blind people are just sitting on our asses and
> letting the world go by yet again?
> 
> Why isn't anyone asking: Is there money being made from this venture?
> If so, who's getting it?  Will those who scan the books get payment for
> their labour?
> 
> Its my understanding that blind people will scan books and provide them
> to the community.  But we have to learn to respect our labour and value
> it too, likewise the labours of other blind people.  Therefore, it is
> not the sort of community to which I'd subscribe i.e. paying for
> materials that my fellow blind people paid for in terms of their cash to
> buy the book and then their time to scan it on expensive equipment.
> 
> Its an insult to liken it to the Napster community.
> 
> Gena
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-- 
	
				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175

Chair, Accessibility SIG
Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
http://www.openebook.org