On the end of Academia(.edu)

On the end of Academia.edu—As denounced in this paper, The End of Academia, because of the new premium (paid) features. 

I comment, though:

People have become used to getting lots of things for 'free'—from Google, Facebook, etc. But you pay back for the services with your data. Moreover, while people like the author of this paper DEMAND free goods and services from Academia etc., they invariably expect to be paid for the goods and services they themselves provide. "Making money is Fascism"—except when we do it ourselves, of course.

AND Academia still provides lots of goods and services for 'free' (if you choose to pay in data etc.) unlike the old journals.

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Let me also observe that with 47 million academic users in 2017, news of "the end of Academia" are, to say the least, premature, and justly deserve the Mark Twain sneer.

It may be, though, I'm so favorable to Academia (and have bought the Premium service) because I'm exceptionally well positioned there, and have been so for a couple of years:


—If you browse around Academia, and there's a lot of browsing you can do there on your own, you will not find many academics positioned in the top 0,1%. There should be quite a few around, mind —47.000 no less— but you can e-mail me with news of every one you do locate.

What's more, among the humanities, they are almost non-existent. Or maybe it's only me.

Assessing Academia

—oOo—