Blogging as a model for invention?
The blog overcomingbias has an entry of relevance to inventors, as well as to bloggers:
So where will blog posts fit in? While most academic papers and books are long, many ideas worthy of academic attention can be clearly explained in a short blog post. In fact, many academic papers and even books consist of a short good idea and then a lot of other not especially useful material that shows the author can do impressive hard work. So in principle, blog posts could fit into the world of academic work.
But, if social norms allow academics to ignore blog posts, by not citing clearly relevant and influential blog posts just because they are blog posts, then blog writers will have little incentive to offer insightful comments that can be fit easily into an academic network of cited insights. Blog writers will instead have the incentives of newspaper columnists, to provide an engaging style with little expectation of originality or cumulative expert influence. Such blog writers might well cite each other, but more as a way to create an engaging multi-character show for their readers.
And if inventors received no protection against copyists, they would have no incentive to offer inventions. The Venetians figured this out in 1474. Mike at Techdirt has not figured this out in 2008.
So where will blog posts fit in? While most academic papers and books are long, many ideas worthy of academic attention can be clearly explained in a short blog post. In fact, many academic papers and even books consist of a short good idea and then a lot of other not especially useful material that shows the author can do impressive hard work. So in principle, blog posts could fit into the world of academic work.
But, if social norms allow academics to ignore blog posts, by not citing clearly relevant and influential blog posts just because they are blog posts, then blog writers will have little incentive to offer insightful comments that can be fit easily into an academic network of cited insights. Blog writers will instead have the incentives of newspaper columnists, to provide an engaging style with little expectation of originality or cumulative expert influence. Such blog writers might well cite each other, but more as a way to create an engaging multi-character show for their readers.
And if inventors received no protection against copyists, they would have no incentive to offer inventions. The Venetians figured this out in 1474. Mike at Techdirt has not figured this out in 2008.
posted by Lawrence B. Ebert at 8:59 AM
2 Comments:
Har har, Lawrence. You should be a comedian.
"And if inventors received no protection against copyists, they would have no incentive to offer inventions."
Care to comment on the mounds of economic and historical evidence that shows otherwise?
Care to comment on what happened in the Netherlands and Switzerland in the 1800s when both countries went without a patent system?
Care to comment on Petra Moser's research that showed just as much innovation in countries without patents?
Care to comment on the research that shows plenty of innovation in areas that aren't covered by patents?
Care to retract your obviously incorrect statement?
There's plenty of incentive to offer inventions. It's called the market. You know, the one where people buy products? It's a wonderful incentive.
hey he should be a stand up comedian for real u could make it
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