The storefront page had a disturbing statement https://www.logos.com/product/231400/the-essential-lexham-dictionary-of-church-history "This resource is still in development and will be updated regularly as new articles are finished." Why does Logos push out unfinished resources? Is there something to be gained by doing this kind of internal development? Am I missing something? I know that when new Logos packages come out we purchase some books that are not ready at time of purchase. Shipping incomplete resources is like buying an unfinished cake or a half baked chicken. It is not the ethical thing to do in the business world.
E-resources, unlike fully edited print-based resources, can be in a constant state of flux and further development. Logos has been doing this with the Lexham Bible Dictionary for years.
It's more like a subscription model, though in this case they ask you to pay for the whole resource up front, with the understanding that you'll get ongoing new material.
Maybe this is a good argument for actually going with their subscription model for content as well.
It's more and more becoming a norm in the business world and is not considered unethical. If users don't want to fork over money for unfinished goods, they can choose to wait until a later date when it might be more fully fleshed out.
Shipping incomplete resources is like buying an unfinished cake or a half baked chicken. It is not the ethical thing to do in the business world.
When I bought my bound Encyclopedia Britanica in 1971 or 1972, it came with a subscription to 10 years of supplemental volumes and 100 tokens for research by their staff when the encyclopedia didn't have the information. It didn't take long to discover the 100 tokens were treated in two ways - one was a bunch of pre-canned, 1-10 pages answers because they had had several requests; the second they had to actually research for which they used University of Chicago graduate students to research. A couple of phone calls later, you could keep your friends busy (and paid). I see the perpetual updating feature of electronic books to be a major improvement. Logos does it with the study Bible as well.
Trivia question: I wonder who used a Britanica token to find out which monasteries in Western China had flip-flopped between be Christian or Buddhist depending upon who was being persecuted?
I can see the advantages of this and on the whole, I like the LBD. I just wonder about the implications of this for academic citation. I have not used it or any similar resource where it could become an issue, but I can imagine how it could.
E-resources, unlike fully edited print-based resources, can be in a constant state of flux and further development.
I understand but we need a continous state of finished resources to be able to cite them. I echo Sean's concerns. I love LBD.
The only problem is this is due to the price. What do people who do not have much money do?
I understand but we need a continous state of finished resources to be able to cite them.
No, you can cite them by date as you do online resources, if necessary. Some such resources are updated in the same manner as new editions which also solved the problem.
[Y]
Christian ... starting to get worried about you. Surviving?
Doctors believed that I would need the removal of my gallbladder in mid-June. After that, they were able to perform a partial removal. I now have an unidentified respiratory infection with inflammation of the lungs and liver. I spent 12 days in the hospital. I managed to wean off the oxygen therapy partially. My O2 was 82-84 with oxygen but now it is running 88 during the day without O2 and 89 at night with oxygen therapy.
Sorry to hear that health problems are continuing. You are in our prayers.
I spent 12 days in the hospital. I managed to wean off the oxygen therapy partially. My O2 was 82-84 with oxygen but now it is running 88 during the day without O2 and 89 at night with oxygen therapy.
I am now home and doing some further reading. The Drs said I can start writing again.
I am home now. Doing a good bit better too. Drs released me to start back writing.
?
Yes
