NarrowBoat and that 'shibboleth'

I've just got back in front of my computer after a weekend away, and - gulp - that post really poked a stick into a hornet's nest, didn't it?

My original post was about the new NarrowBoat magazine and the market it aimed at, spurred by the comments from another waterways writer about so many people being 'up their own arses about Bolinders' etc.   I'm agnostic about that.  After all, the world needs historians, librarians and cataloguers.  In politics they get big fat book contracts; in railways and canals they are derided as anoraks.  Same sets of neurons being stimulated, I'm sure.

I now have an Economist subscription (many thanks, dad!).  I can read its entire content online on Thursday night because I type in my subscription number and the cookie remembers me.   

I think it's a great idea that Richard instituted the first similar sort of password idea for a canal magazine.  OK, it's only for an online database, not the entire text of the magazine, but its early days and it's a good step forward.  I haven't read any issues yet; in fact, I haven't even seen the magazine on sale.  But considering they haven't got a national distribution deal and it's mainly on sale in chandleries, that's to be expected.  My boating has been curtailed in recent weeks, and I haven't seen many chandleries. 

On the NarrowBoat website there isn't much online yet that's passworded; just one small section of one database.   When I realised this, I assumed it was an experiment, a 'beta' as the computer world calls it.

Stuff that comes to me through email is often confidential.  I try to honour confidences.  However, I also try to use common sense.  Richard has prodigious programming talents, and it's all being done in his spare time, so I'd imagined that anyone who could run up the Waterscape mapping system in idle time was perfectly capable of instituting an Economist-style subscription-number 'shibboleth' in his sleep.  In fact, the basic 'enter the last word on page No. xyz' was to me obviously temporary.

So, I'm not sure I did wrong in suggesting that Richard had a more solid password system up his sleeve, because I feel it would be insulting his talents! 

But I can see why Richard got riled.  My comment about the password being 'arse' was a joke that relied on the whole post for its context.  NarrowBoat is a magazine of small circulation, and I never expected someone who actually had the magazine to reveal the magic word.  (Sarah, you naughty girl! :-)

But once she had, and I realised Richard had immediately changed the number overnight, my own childishness impishness childishness impishness emerged, hence my second post. 

It's still early days for NarrowBoat, and of course we all wish it well.  I don't think anyone expects to get stuff for free, but we are all exploring this medium of the new web, and having fun.  If someone's already getting paid by the click for compiling the Thomas Clayton list, well, I apologise.  I had imagined that it was all still under test.

Has all this done the magazine harm or good?   Well, look at it this way:  Richard Fairhurst took part in the conversation.  I don't think any other waterways magazine editor would even think  about hitting the 'comment' button on blogs.  I think he's raised interest in the magazine by joining in.

Overlooked in all this was my illicit use of the NarrowBoat logo and cover picture.   I suspect I ought to remove the posts for that reason alone.  What do you think, boys and girls?

Comments

[Andrew Denny]

Phew, there's more being written on blogs about NarrowBoat magazine now than about any other waterways magazine :-)

[Maffi]

Not necessararily. Yes if the internet was small and controllable but how is one supposed to check if someone is using your stuff. It really is an impossible task.

The old MPRS used to work on trust but the internet never will.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Actually, my (limited) understanding of copyright law is that using the logo and the pic like that is considered "fair use". So even if I were of a frame of mind to get ratty about it - which I wouldn't be! - then you'd be quite within your rights to tell me to get lost.

Maffi - interesting post on your blog. I wouldn't say (and have never said) that "people should pay for stuff off the Internet" as a universal rule for everything. (I spend the other half of my spare time running our town website, which is entirely free-to-view and unpaid!)

But whether on the Internet or not, I think an author has the right to say whether their work should be available for free, and that others should respect that right. Don't you?

[Maffi]

Yes you should remove the pics Andy and the links as well after all it's free advertising and people should pay for stuff off the Internet, isn't that right Richard?