Aademia

[Pellinore]

Am puzzled you mention paying for Academia.  I do pay - but that is so I get to see who is reading my stuff.  I think joining just to read is free, and a one time event - just the usual password game
Rob T

I may be mistaken with others of this sort, but you have more possibilities to read things and get notified.

-- Paul

[EWC]

I may be mistaken with others of this sort, but you have more possibilities to read things and get notified.

I think joining Academia free will get you sight of all the papers, and the chance to message the author, and to join discussions if  he, or she, sets one  up.  Also you can post your own stuff and start discussions I think.

That is all most people will want.  A lot of the statistical info they give anyhow seems to be wrong.

However, if you pay the subs then - (if the "read" is reported at all) - by paying you get to see who "read" it.  (Without paying you only get the country)

Oddly - even when you pay you do not get to see who checks out your profile - only their institution.  That is quite revealing really - as its quite obvious that amateur enthusiasts tend to dominate amongst the readers - with Profile checkers often enough being professionals just wanting to know "how important" you are.......

Sad but true.

[bagerap]

For some time now I have been ambivalent about academia.edu. It began a few years ago when I was constantly being asked to validate the identities of people I'd never heard of.
Also, talking with colleagues, the idea began to form that many of the "readers" were bots.

And today, I read this from a highly respected educator in my field:
Language Log » The spam technology ecosystem expands

[Figleaf]

Although I am not besieged by mails as described, I am inclined to take the complaint seriously, bagerap. There is obviously no form of quality control at academia.edu. Other "social media" have likewise started out beneficial and full of good intentions. What turned them towards the dark force seems to be commercialism and profits. I am all for that, as long as it is held in check by rules and policing, so that it remains within the reasonable and civilised. Like they said or implied in the thread you linked to, I do find useful stuff at academia.edu that I suspect would otherwise not have made it to the net, but even if you don't pay, there is a cost.

Peter

[EWC]

Also, talking with colleagues, the idea began to form that many of the "readers" were bots.

And today, I read this from a highly respected educator in my field:
Language Log » The spam technology ecosystem expands

I would be interested to hear the evidence for the bots suggestion.  Does any of it relate to numismatics, economic history etc?

The blog post by Lieberman seems to be an attack on a peer reviewed paper in a journal claiming a substantial professional editorial board based primarily in India.  Is that correct?

International Journal of Computer Science and Mobile Computing - Editorial Board

I think I counted 12 full professors on the editorial board  of ijcsmc – I did not count the associate professors – 30?  40?

Are all of these people bots?  Is the journal itself a swindle?  I have no idea myself – but its an audacious swindle if so.  There are web claims that the journal is bogus, but also counter claims that the guy attacking the journal is a kind of academic terrorist.

Anyhow – if there is any substance at all to these sort of critical comments concerning the numismatic component of Academia.edu, I would be very interested to see it. 

Rob T

[Pellinore]

I don't have any problems with academia.edu. Occasionally I receive mails, and often they are to the point. Yesterday I discovered a very useful article (about book translations) that opened a door to an excellent bibliography and a contact with its author into the bargain. I'm not interested in mentions of my name in academia.edu because often this is about other persons with the same name as me or with subjects I lost interest in - I'm happily unremarkable.

-- Paul

[Figleaf]

Academia just informed me that my name was mentioned in a Chinese numismatic newspaper. I am puzzled. Can anyone with a paid subscription tell me what this is about? I have recently published an article on China, but it was on investments, not numismatics.

Peter