Comments on: The Invisible Hand http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 27 May 2012 06:52:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Slocum http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220721 Slocum Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:06:17 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220721 <i>Pity scans of several of the actual pages are bungled.</i> Yes, and even in books where the scans don't include stray fingers, sometimes there's enough page curl near the spine that the OCR process has failed to recognize words near the inner margins (which you can see by viewing the plain text). It's pretty clear that neither the copy stands nor the OCR software Google is using are terribly sophisticated. Which is a little surprising. But, on the other hand, the page images are virtually always readable, and the fact that Google's getting it ALL those millions of volumes done in a short time frame and a manageable cost is amazing. Pity scans of several of the actual pages are bungled.

Yes, and even in books where the scans don’t include stray fingers, sometimes there’s enough page curl near the spine that the OCR process has failed to recognize words near the inner margins (which you can see by viewing the plain text). It’s pretty clear that neither the copy stands nor the OCR software Google is using are terribly sophisticated. Which is a little surprising.

But, on the other hand, the page images are virtually always readable, and the fact that Google’s getting it ALL those millions of volumes done in a short time frame and a manageable cost is amazing.

]]> By: Hedley Lamarr http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220695 Hedley Lamarr Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:12:09 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220695 I've often found snippets that do not include the search argument, or which slice the search argument in half. I’ve often found snippets that do not include the search argument, or which slice the search argument in half.

]]> By: arthur http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220622 arthur Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:26:31 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220622 Cute hands, but alas, marrried. Cute hands, but alas, marrried.

]]> By: Miriam http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220571 Miriam Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:06:26 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220571 <i>But there’s enough there that you know if you really really need to track down the physical object.</i> That's true, unless what you've called up is a twentieth-century magazine or journal suffering from snippet view.* Many of the results from copyrighted periodicals in Google Books are missing most or all of the necessary bibliographical data (the year, the volume number, the issue number, in some cases even the goshdarned page number). *--Don't get me started on the utter uselessness of snippet view. But there’s enough there that you know if you really really need to track down the physical object.

That’s true, unless what you’ve called up is a twentieth-century magazine or journal suffering from snippet view.* Many of the results from copyrighted periodicals in Google Books are missing most or all of the necessary bibliographical data (the year, the volume number, the issue number, in some cases even the goshdarned page number).

*—Don’t get me started on the utter uselessness of snippet view.

]]> By: Jon H http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220565 Jon H Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:11:19 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220565 "A lot of stuff that should be getting into e-form is getting there, but often with just enough error that you still need the earlier form." But there's enough there that you know if you really really need to track down the physical object. “A lot of stuff that should be getting into e-form is getting there, but often with just enough error that you still need the earlier form.”

But there’s enough there that you know if you really really need to track down the physical object.

]]> By: Colin Danby http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220561 Colin Danby Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:38:29 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220561 Pity scans of several of the actual pages are bungled. A lot of stuff that should be getting into e-form is getting there, but often with just enough error that you still need the earlier form. Miriam Burstein had a nice piece on Google books the other day http://littleprofessor.typepad.com/the_little_professor/2007/11/ongoing-agonize.html Pity scans of several of the actual pages are bungled.

A lot of stuff that should be getting into e-form is getting there, but often with just enough error that you still need the earlier form.

Miriam Burstein had a nice piece on Google books the other day

http://littleprofessor.typepad.com/the_little_professor/2007/11/ongoing-agonize.html

]]> By: JP Stormcrow http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220553 JP Stormcrow Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:24:43 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220553 I also like the various "bookish" artifacts: the signature, the hand written call number, the physical Stanford Library imprint, and the Stanford Libraries sign-out sticker (plus what appears to be a barcode) on the inside back cover. The whole thing is a nice neat object lesson in the recent history of publishing and library technology. I also like the various “bookish” artifacts: the signature, the hand written call number, the physical Stanford Library imprint, and the Stanford Libraries sign-out sticker (plus what appears to be a barcode) on the inside back cover. The whole thing is a nice neat object lesson in the recent history of publishing and library technology.

]]> By: asarwate http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220548 asarwate Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:02:37 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220548 Good thing she's wearing latex barriers on those two fingers -- you never know what diseases those old books might be carrying. Good thing she’s wearing latex barriers on those two fingers—you never know what diseases those old books might be carrying.

]]> By: Chris http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220532 Chris Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:16:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220532 I love those mistakes. <a href="http://www.explananda.com/?p=2129" rel="nofollow">Here's</a> another one. I love those mistakes. Here’s another one.

]]> By: Trey http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220498 Trey Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:46:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220498 This looks like the front page of reddit today! I kid, I kid. This looks like the front page of reddit today! I kid, I kid.

]]> By: Jon H http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220497 Jon H Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:36:36 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220497 I've seen a few in old books at Google. Never in color, though. Hubba hubba. I’ve seen a few in old books at Google. Never in color, though. Hubba hubba.

]]> By: Grand Moff Texan http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-220489 Grand Moff Texan Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:11:50 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/12/05/the-invisible-hand/#comment-220489 If you order some of the older theses available at UMI, you can catch glimpses of all kinds of women's hands. Good think I don't have a fetish or something. . If you order some of the older theses available at UMI, you can catch glimpses of all kinds of women’s hands.

Good think I don’t have a fetish or something.
.

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