[Osdc-edu-authors] Oops! Fwd: FLAT WORLD KNOWLEDGE: OPEN COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS - Disrupting Traditional Textbook Publishing’s Heavy Toll on America’s Future

[Sanford Forte]

see attached

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sanford Forte <sforte at flatworldknowledge.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 12:58 AM
Subject: Re: [Osdc-edu-authors] FLAT WORLD KNOWLEDGE: OPEN COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS
- Disrupting Traditional Textbook Publishing’s Heavy Toll on America’s
Future
To: Mel Chua <mel at redhat.com>, Greg DeKoenigsberg <gdk at redhat.com>
Cc: osdc-edu-authors at redhat.com


All good comments, and appropriate, given the venue. Also, savvy "Church and
State" observation: thanks.

How's this (attached)? It's cut from 4300 to 2300 words. Does this work? You
have the graphic. Should I upload through the "create article" link?

Thanks guys; keep up the good work!

Let me know your thoughts. btw, I've just submitted to our guys and asked
them to post the long version - it may be too long for them. Maybe I'll
start a blog, and you can point there  :-)
I'll find somewhere to put it, and let you know asap. Let me know when/if it
will run, and would prefer, if possible, that the graphic run with it. Let
me know.

-Sanford







On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 9:34 PM, Mel Chua <mel at redhat.com> wrote:

> Thanks, Sanford! (Everyone else: I asked Sanford to send this draft to the
> list so we could comment on it.)
>
> My thoughts (not gospel in any way, just thinking out loud):
>
> 1) Awesome.
> 2) Long - and this makes me worry that folks may not read it all the way
> through due to the length. What could we do about this, if that's something
> we want to fix?
>
> We could...
>
> * write it in installments
> * have Sanford publish the original "extended version" somewhere else (Flat
> World Knowledge's website, maybe), cook up a shortened version for OSDC,
> then link to the first from the second
>
> Either way, it needs to be boiled down to either figure out how and where
> to split it, or how to shorten it. Here are the main points I see the
> article as making.
>
> 1. Graduating from college is a goal that statistically tends to be good
> for both the individuals who graduate and society at large. (Link to
> citations elsewhere.)
>
> 2. Textbook prices are actively blocking a substantial number of people
> from attending - and thus graduating from - college. (Link to citations
> elsewhere, including student bloggers testifying directly to this.)
>
> 3. Data indicates that under our current college education/textbook model,
> this situation is actually growing worse over time. (Link to citations
> elsewhere.)
>
> 4. Students are aware of this problem and have spoken and acted out against
> this for years; since they are powerless to change the main system, they
> find workarounds like purchasing international textbooks on the black
> market. (Link to citations elsewhere.)
>
> 5. Flat World Knowledge offers a working view of an alternative textbook
> system. Here's how it works. (Link heavily to content already on the Flat
> World Knowledge site explaining the business model, quality, pricing, etc.)
>
> 6. Call for participation, and/or open questions. (Not in original draft -
> this is a section I would add.)
>
> My $0.02 - what do others think?
>
> --Mel
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Osdc-edu-authors at redhat.com
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>



-- 
Sanford Forte
Director, Business Development
Flat World Knowledge
13 North Mill Street
Nyack, NY 10960

Office:  (877) 257-9243 x201
Mobile: (650) 888-0077
sforte at flatworldknowledge.com
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com



-- 
Sanford Forte
Director, Business Development
Flat World Knowledge
13 North Mill Street
Nyack, NY 10960

Office:  (877) 257-9243 x201
Mobile: (650) 888-0077
sforte at flatworldknowledge.com
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com
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