The one science reform we can all agree on, but we're too cowardly to do
open.substack.com
OR: the long overdue forest fire

Of all the crazy parts of our crazy system, the craziest part is where taxpayers pay for the research, then pay private companies to publish it, and then pay again so scientists can read it. We may not agree on much, but we can all agree on this: it is time, finally and forever, to get rid of for-profit scientific publishers.

  • fodor@lemmy.zipEnglish
    3·
    2 hours ago

    No, wrong, try again. Many of us, certainly at least tens of thousands of academics, have switched to submitting and supporting free open journals.

    So I agree with your conclusion, but your factual basis is faulty.

    • PolarKraken@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      2·
      1 hour ago

      Father of Ghislaine Maxwell, yes the Epstein one, had quite a lot to do with it, which sure bears mentioning!

      Fuck “The Guardian” (no shade to you, commenter), Behind The Bastards did a competent 4-piece or something (for those who enjoy such a format) on the guy, and to a degree, the topic. Interesting - mostly, but oddly not all - bad stuff.

  • Big T@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    2·
    3 hours ago

    We need more profit in science, like we need to reward the most the greedy and unscrupulous people in capitalism.

  • zqwzzle@lemmy.caEnglish
    13·
    6 hours ago

    Fun fact Robert Maxwell established the for profit scientific publishing companies. If that name seems familiar he is the father of Ghislaine.

    • maegul (he/they)@lemmy.mlEnglish
      31·
      6 hours ago

      I think it’s a great lesson in hiw good people can create and tolerate bad systems …

      … how a bunch of clever and thoughtful people (academics) can walk into creating a dumb system which they simultaneously hate or disagree with, and don’t know how to effectively change or fix.

      Worth studying IMO as a case study on these general problems. My understanding is that it was a manipulative capitalist that kicked it off by appealing to academics’ egos by creating increasingly specialised and likely redundant Journals (IE more subscriptions). And of course most academics know it’s dumb, but have no sense of collective action. And so humanity just stumbles along doing dumb shit.