C8: Open-Source Supported Electronic Publishing in the University
Ben McCorkle
Ben discussed using GoogleDocs to manage submissions throughout the editorial process. He also uses it for a preproduction version before moving everything into InDesign for the final version.
- GoogleDocs allows for him to provide different students different levels of access.
On the issue of open source, it is built using open source software and friendly with the open source community but the program itself is not actually open source. Hearkening back to Bolter’s talk, Ben alluded to GoogleDocs as basically open source in a metaphorical if not literal way.
Dickie Selfe
Dickie pointed out the importance of giving credit to student work. So, his question is why open source e-publishing.
Why do so?
- a commitment to a gap in the profession and institution
- the commitment and willingness of young developing undergraduate technical consultants (STCs)
Complexities
- tenuous site location
- tenuous support staff
- tenuous editorial staff
- no traditional institutional space for it
- constant need for inventive unforeseen work
Dickie also ventriloquized Scott DeWitt and talked about http://www.commonplaceuniversity.com/ . Commonplace does not use open source software because of problems with scalability at this point.
Vera Dukaj
Vera talked about Harlot. Harlot is a fledging online magazine that uses open source software (ojs). The group first sought some space at the university but found it locked down and largely inaccessible.
- One of the concerns that she identifies with open source software is that since the code is open and available potential hackers can evaluate the code for weaknesses and hack in.
- Another issue is sustainability of that software–keeping it up to date with security patches, installing updates, etc. If the university won’t do this for you, of course.
