From: clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP   
      
   On 2025-01-09, Simon Clubley    
   wrote:   
   > On 2025-01-08, Dan Cross  wrote:   
   >> In article ,   
   >> Arne Vajhøj   wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>The problem will likely be that even if it would financially   
   >>>be positive, then the amount would be very small. If the copyright   
   >>>owner is an individual, then a plus of a few hundred or thousand   
   >>>dollars will be OK. But if the copyright owner is   
   >>>Big Mega Publishing Inc, then they will not do anything   
   >>>with an expected profit under hundreds of thousands of dollars.   
   >>   
   >> Many technical books that previously cost rather tidy sums are   
   >> now available for free, as authors and publishers realized that   
   >> the audience had dwindled to negligible and there was no longer   
   >> a financial incentive to holding on to the IP.   
   >>   
   >> It's kind of weirdly fascinating how thing that used to cost   
   >> staggering sums are now available just for free.   
   >>   
   >   
   > Indeed.   
   >   
   > About 20 years ago I found the VMS device drivers in C book in   
   > a local large bookshop (either York or Leeds, I don't remember).   
   >   
   > Such a thing would be utterly unheard of these days.   
   >   
      
   I was curious so I looked further and found the receipt still in the   
   book. I purchased it from Waterstones at 9-10 High Ousegate in York   
   on 26.06.01 at 16:05.   
      
   So, 20 years ago, you could purchase VMS Digital Press books directly   
   from a major high street bookseller. I also very strongly suspect it   
   was on the shelf in the shop because I would have used a more local   
   Waterstones if I was going to ask them to order it.   
      
   Wow. Dan is right. Things have certainly changed in 20 years!   
      
   BTW, according to the receipt I paid 34.99 UKP for it. I don't know   
   what that is today however.   
      
   Simon.   
      
   --   
   Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP   
   Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)