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 > ______________________________________________________________________ > Please Note: > All html messages are automatically deleted as they are considered to be a > security risk. > > Announcing Blindness Advocacy and Self-Help Online [BASHOnline] > www.bashonline.org you can join the mailing list by sending a message to: > bashonline-subscribe at yahoogroups.com > > Personal site: www.gena-j.net > > Contact Info: MSN ID: gena1959uk at hotmail.com (No mail to this address > please) it will not be read: ICQ ID: 144169465: > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > -- 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
