Standard Ebooks: Free public-domain ebooks, carefully produced (standardebooks.org)

Article summary

The article discusses Standard Ebooks, a project that produces free public-domain ebooks with careful formatting and editing. The project aims to provide high-quality ebooks with consistent formatting and corrections. The ebooks are dedicated to the public domain, allowing for free use and distribution. The project's efforts involve designing, formatting, and hosting the ebooks.

Main themes

• public domain ebooks
• editing and formatting
• copyright and licensing
• community discussion and collaboration
• communication tools and platforms

What commenters say

• The project's careful formatting and editing are appreciated, but some question whether the corrections will be submitted upstream to the original sources.
• Some argue that modernizing texts can alter their original meaning and character, while others see it as a necessary step for readability.
• The use of mailing lists for community discussion is debated, with some finding it superior for asynchronous communication and others preferring modern forums and chat platforms.
• The choice of communication platform is important for open-source projects, with considerations including usability, accessibility, and data privacy.
• Some community members prefer the flexibility and openness of mailing lists, while others find them cumbersome and prefer more modern tools.
• The importance of preserving the original errors and formatting of public domain texts is discussed, with some arguing that it is essential for historical accuracy and others seeing it as less important than readability.
• The role of copyright and licensing in public domain projects is a topic of discussion, with some arguing that the project's dedication to the public domain is a noble goal and others questioning the implications of copyright law.