Not free, but relatively inexpensive [academic publishing]

The author discusses how this Internet technology is destroying the economics of academic publishing. He was concerned that coverage of politics and news was concentrated in the hands of a few unscrupulous newspaper publishers. Printing technology (including inexpensive paper manufacturing) has taken "things with words" from precious works of art to fish wrappers. Print has made words cheap (though color is still relatively expensive). For academic publishers, the Internet is a very disruptive technology. Academic publishing (including professional societies like IEEE and commercial academic publishers) has long been an interesting niche. Research produces results of economic value, so society and commerce have long supported it. Academic publishing has been supported by singularly noneconomic model. The continued existence of the formal paper-based peer reviewed publication depends on the research community\´s resisting the powerful economic forces.