----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Edwin Jahiel wrote: >When and how will we be able to post not simply our own messages and >elucubrations, but *printed items" of (possible) interest to a few or to >many peope or groups. Until then, the Net, amazing though it is, will >still be lame. I believe that allowing people to post printed matter wily-nily on the Net raises many more problems than it addresses (I assume Edwin is concerned primarily about the problem of discussing an article, book, encyclopedia or what-have-you that others may not have read). Obviously (I hope!) there is the problem of copyright. Then there is the matter of the pragmatics of reading large, or huge volumes of text on a CRT, not kind to the eyes, and alternatively of printing it out, probably a huge waste of paper and the printers oper- ating life. It seems adequate to me given present limitations to post the particulars of the printed item so that those who are so motivated may seek it out at a local library. The failure to make anything one could possibly imagine, instantly available does not mean that a given system is *lame*. Yes, the Net is amazing. May we not be satisfied with that? I'm sure that at some point, probably in the near future, the Net or the info hiway will provide what you are asking... for a price (if L. Jarvik has any- thing to say about it). In the meantime, one could always provide a brief synopsis of key points of an article that one wishes to refer to in a discussion, say about FILM or TV. David Smith [log in to unmask]