Corporate spokesmodel
The shock of the day (aside from getting CavLec up and running again) was learning that Jan Velterop is joining Elseviley Verlag. Springer, to be exact. As corporate open-access spokesperson.
Let me be clear. I wish only for good things to come of this. I’ve no grudge against Mr. Velterop; quite the contrary, in fact. I’ve read his stuff. It’s excellent. (Did you guys see the cogent argument for small-society publishers to go OA? Eminently readable. I’ve apparently got a small-society publisher somewhere at MPOW who is snarly about OA; should I run into him, this is my ammunition.)
But, honestly? I don’t see this lasting, for the same reasons Bruce Perens didn’t last at Hewlett-Packard. Corporations think it’s a wizard PR move to hire “the opposition” to run—well, something that the corporation has been steadily opposing. I’ve never, ever seen this end well. At some point, the new spokesmodel says something that’s just Beyond the Pale, or gets fed up with the corporation being all smiles and no action, and everyone parts brass rags.
I’d like to be wrong about this. I’d love to be wrong. I don’t think I’m wrong.