Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 16:03:38 -0400 From: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor) Subject: [Hypocrite?] Cass Sunstein Surprised Over Criticism of To: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor) Cc: Cass_Sunstein@law.uchicago.edu (Cass Sunstein), kaplanc@nytimes.com, guernseyl@nytimes.com
[Note from Matthew Gaylor: I critically reviewed Cass Sunstein's book "Republic.Com" at http://www.spectacle.org/0401/ and at http://slashdot.org/books/01/03/25/1617212.shtml (Which generated 179 comments). And I sent my review to my multi-thousand subscriber worldwide list, Freematt's Alerts. I also participated in the online book forum at Princeton that the NYT refers to below. I critiqued Sunstein's contention that opinion sites such as "National Review" should be required by law to carry links to opposing viewpoints as being antithetical to American freedom. Naturally when I went to his web site at the University of Chicago, I noticed that his site didn't link with other opposing viewpoint sites. My accusation of him being a hypocrite spilled out into the New York Times where CARL S. KAPLAN wrote in the April 13, 2001 New York Time's CYBER LAW JOURNAL: "Law Professor Sees Hazard in Personalized News" "Recently, a critic e-mailed Sunstein, pointing out that the professor's own academic Web site at the University of Chicago did not offer links to other thinkers. Sunstein concedes the point. In the spirit of democracy, he said that within a week or so his Web site will link to the works of ichard Epstein, a libertarian legal scholar at the University of Chicago Law School and Catharine A. MacKinnon, a feminist theorist at the University of Michigan Law School." Now I'm wondering if Sunstein is both a liar and a hypocrite as his website located at http://home.uchicago.edu/~csunstei/ still doesn't have links as promised nearly a month ago in the New York Times. Realize that I'm not calling Professor Sunstein a lair or hypocrite, but rather I'm pointing out yet another problem with his idea of suggesting that legislation be enacted to force opposing links, when even his own promised voluntary action falls far short. Please send a polite email to Professor Sunstein asking him what the holdup is: Cass Sunstein <Cass_Sunstein@law.uchicago.edu>.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/10/technology/10CASS.html
May 10, 2001
Evolving E-Books Let Authors Answer Critics
By LISA GUERNSEY
This spring, Princeton University Press unveiled an unusual electronic book program, designed to free books not only from the space restrictions of print but from time restrictions as well.
Called Princeton Digital Books Plus, the program goes beyond the simple production of electronic copies of static hardcover books. Instead, each book is designed to evolve after its publication date, shaped by online discussions among readers and authors.
The first book to be vaulted into the public arena of feedback and revision is "Republic.com," by Cass Sunstein, a law professor at the University of Chicago. "Republc.com," which considers the effect of customized news and information via the Internet, arrived in March in two forms - as both a 224-page hardcover book and as an electronic book that could be downloaded to any device that uses Microsoft Reader.
Until the end of April, Mr. Sunstein participated in discussions about his book on the press's Web site and Salon.com, while also reading and indirectly responding to criticisms of the book that appeared on several other sites.
Next week, the revision phase of the program will be on display, as Mr. Sunstein releases a more formal reply to the online discussions. The 6,000-word reply will be available first on Amazon's Web site for free downloading on May 14 and later as part of a revised paperback edition.
"It's a living book whose content isn't frozen at the hardcover," Mr. Sunstein said.
[...]
Mr. Sunstein said the outpouring of criticism had surprised him. Of his proposal for opposing links, Mr. Sunstein said in an interview, "I say it should be considered; I don't favor it."
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