[Open-access] I think "Who Needs Access?" is ready to go

Mon Feb 20 08:40:25 UTC 2012

On 20 February 2012 08:36, Peter Murray-Rust <pm286 at cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>> Well, we have lift-off!  I have removed the Do Not Index instruction
>> from the site, tweeted it:
>>        https://twitter.com/#!/SauropodMike/status/171403113230647296
>> and briefly blogged it on Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week:
>>
>>  http://svpow.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/a-new-site-who-needs-access-you-need-access/
>>
>> I would appreciate it someone could add a link from the main @ccess
>> site.  Also if those of you who blog could blog about it, and those of
>> you who tweet could tweet about it.
>
> Laura and I will announce it at CambGeeknight

Excellent!

> I am SO delighted how well and quickly this has worked out. We originally
> spent just over a week in offlist mails and then ideas started
> crystallising, especially that we should DO something, that we would address
> the positive rather than niggle at the negative.

Yes, I am really pleased to see things coming together so well and so
quickly.  Getting WNA up cost me a week of very late nights, but
hopefully it should run itself much more easily now that core is there
(especially as I have two co-editors now!)

> @ccess scales. It's got an absolutely clear purpose - find (or liberate)
> BOAI-compliant material, and show how it can be re-used. Sub-plot: build a
> new generation of tools to maximise the value.

That's good.  Maybe it (or a variant) should be a tagline at the top
of the main @ccess site.

> One of the exciting things is the network effect. Because we blog, tweet,
> etc. we discover new people and new resources. When there is a bit more on
> the site that could be time for another article or report in the Guardian.

That's good idea.  I've written a few things for non-technical outlets
recently, the my impression is definitely that the Guardian is the
best one to aim for: they move pretty quickly and tend to attract more
comments than other newspapers.  My sense is that they are taking Web
engagement more seriously than their rivals.

-- Mike.