|
 |
Digitizing FSI | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| zack Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 7209 days ago 122 posts - 127 votes  Speaks: German*, English, Spanish, French Studies: Mandarin | Message 129 of 237 13 May 2005 at 1:53pm | IP Logged | ||
Is this really going to be so much of a problem? If the fact that the programs are public domain is widely publicized, it is unlikely that someone will make a lot of money with that. In fact, right *now* some companies are making money from what was mostly paid for by the American tax-payer. Making the files available for public download would rectify that situation. As for some people having to put in a lot lof work that others will benefit from (not financially but as language-learners): This may be a little more of a problem. But look at it this way: When you borrow an FSI-program from your public library (or buy it from the government) and digitize it for use on your mp3-player or similar device, you'd do the work anyway and so may as well make it available to others as well. Further, if you know that others will be digitizing public domain material which they will in turn share with you, you shouldn't mind putting in a little extra work to make your recordings usable for others (at least I don't). It's a win-win situation. Sure, some people won't be contributing (some for lack of access to materials, some for lack of expertise, some for coming too late, some freeloaders for just being uncooperative), but we shouldn't see that as an obstacle to doing what we, as language-enthusiasts, believe to be the right thing: Helping each other (legally) access great language-learning materials. Edited by zack on 13 May 2005 at 5:01pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Malcolm Triglot Retired Moderator Senior Member Korea, South Joined 7315 days ago 500 posts - 515 votes 5 sounds Speaks: English*, Spanish, Korean Studies: Mandarin, Japanese, Latin | Message 130 of 237 13 May 2005 at 2:41pm | IP Logged | ||
|
In line with Zack's comment, I personally don't care what happens to the materials after I digitize them. If someone wants to sell the mp3s, that's fine by me. I'm converting FSI courses to help me with the languages I'm learning or plan on learning. That's all I really care about. However, I understand why others here would want to find a way of protecting the digital materials, especially when you consider the work involved in scanning the books.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| X-5Wannabe Newbie United Kingdom Joined 7118 days ago 4 posts - 4 votes | Message 131 of 237 30 May 2005 at 7:19pm | IP Logged | ||
|
Hello to all. Quick question if you don't mind. Is someone digitizing FSI Spanish? I have no idea how I can get myself a copy without paying as I have checked my local libraries' websites and they don't have this programme. Since it is highly-praised I would love to find what it is like.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| morprussell Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7163 days ago 272 posts - 285 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 132 of 237 31 May 2005 at 12:01am | IP Logged | ||
|
I took another look on my local library's website today. I noticed a course titled,
"French basic course : units 1-24 revised" The year is listed as 1978. When I scroll down to find out which branch of the library carries the course I am told that the library doesn't carry it. What caught my attention was this line,
I looked on the U.S. Govt. Printing Office page, but I wasn't able to find anything. The thing is, the website is a bit of a maze. This seems like it would be worth looking into because maybe the FSI material is available for a reasonable price from the U.S. government. Has anyone else seen anything like this before? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| onebir Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7163 days ago 487 posts - 503 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin | Message 133 of 237 02 June 2005 at 5:11am | IP Logged | ||
|
morprussell -
FSI courses are all two or three hundred dollars (+ huge postage and potentially import taxes if you live outside the US). And for some languages there are 4 or more courses. That's many of us are quite keen to digitise them. Edited by onebir on 02 June 2005 at 5:25am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| morprussell Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7163 days ago 272 posts - 285 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 134 of 237 02 June 2005 at 11:47am | IP Logged | ||
I was just curious if anyone had been able to find these courses available on the U.S. Govt. Printing Office website instead of on commercial websites. From your reply it sounds like you have found them on the U.S. Govt. Printing Office website. I was unable to locate them. Could you provide the link? Thank you very much. Edited by morprussell on 02 June 2005 at 11:48am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| onebir Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7163 days ago 487 posts - 503 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin | Message 135 of 237 06 June 2005 at 5:11am | IP Logged | ||
|
I think all the FSI courses are listed here. Edited by onebir on 06 June 2005 at 5:12am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| caroline Newbie United Kingdom Joined 7111 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English* | Message 136 of 237 21 June 2005 at 11:05am | IP Logged | ||
|
Just to add a further reason for not bothering too much about the
prospect of someone reusing the files for commercial use: even if you found a way of protecting the digitised versions, unless the administrators of this site have the time and money to spend in legal lawsuits (potentially all over the world) then it is unlikely that they could be stopped. But if you do manage to make FSI material available here for free, I guarantee you that word will spread quickly, you will have more traffic here, and companies are going to find it a lot harder to market expensive material. 1 person has voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
